No more Wal-Mart Tanks for me - Aquarium Advice

Johnny Cakes · 07-07-2006, 04:44 PM

Was away for the weekend of the 4th and we had a pet sitter coming in to watch all the animals, dogs, cat, fish. Get a phone call from here saying that the aquarium was leaking from the bottom seals about 4 inches out of a 55gal was on the wood floor.

She said she knew something was amiss b/c when she walked in the house she could hear water splashing louder than normal, it turned out to be the powerheads and the low water level.

Well, lucky me, she has 4 SW tanks of her own and knew what to do. She gathered the Rubbermaid tubs siphoned SW into the tubs and put all the LR in there to keep them from drying out. She gathered my 3 main critters (Maroon Clown, False Perc, and a Peppermint Shrimp), set up a Qtank and put them in there with some LR and a pump she bought for us. She even gathered up what snails and crabs she could find and put them in the QT.

Amazing, she spent her entire 4th of July day doing this so we wouldn't lose our stock and save our wood floors.

Unfortunately, with all the movement and excitement, the Maroon Clown didn't make it, the shrimp and the false perc are doing fine and will be relocated to a friend's 55gal to keep until I can tell if the new one is going to go through a cycle even though the LR stayed under water.

Now the moral of the entire story. Never buy a tank from Wal-Mart.

I am fuming and will be taking this thing back and demand a refund. I bought this 55gal tank set-up from Wal-Mart wanting to save a few bucks and this is what happened.

I stopped at Petsmart on the way home from the airport and picked up a new 55gal to replace this one. Side by side, the glass is definitely thicker and the silicone seals seem more substantial.

One good thing did come of this, I finally found that mystery crab I have been looking for in the LR. Got him and will relocate him to a friends fuge as I don't trust true crabs. Those claws need to be used for something.

Thanks for listening.

**roka64** · 07-07-2006, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Amazing, she spent her entire 4th of July day doing this so we wouldn't lose our stock and save our wood floors.

Props for her! You should ask her to join us at AA, we could probably use her experience!

Quote:

Maroon Clown didn't make it

Sorry to hear that, and the tank of course. Remember maroons have cheekspines could become entangled in a net.....

BillD · 07-07-2006, 05:59 PM

If you had bought that same brand of tank from somewhere else, you would have had the same problem, even if you had paid more. The tanks (55s) I have seen at the Walmarts up here are made of very thin glass. Of course, Walmart isn't the cheapest place to buy a tank.While some brands are less likely to leak (just a guess) there is always that possibility, with any tank. That is why all my tanks are in the basement, around the floor drain.

crazyred · 07-07-2006, 06:50 PM

AFAIK, those Wal-Mart tanks are designed for freshwater only and usually say so on the box (my 29 tank did). I'm thinking it wasn't designed to hold up under the extra weight of salt water.

Johnny Cakes · 07-07-2006, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyred

AFAIK, those Wal-Mart tanks are designed for freshwater only and usually say so on the box (my 29 tank did). I'm thinking it wasn't designed to hold up under the extra weight of salt water.

Live and Learn.

The glass is definitely thinner than the Topfin I picked up from PetSmart.

Leaking is a hazard of this hobby, but unfortunately, I don't have a basement.

Round 2.

plecoperson · 07-07-2006, 07:53 PM

A big gift certificate to the best SW LFS around for the pet sitter! My husband does that too; people always wonder why he charges so much; it's cause he WILL take care of any horrifying thing that comes up on his watch.

I'm glad most of the critters made it, RIP maroon clown.

**Zagz** · 07-07-2006, 08:50 PM

Sorry for the loss of your clown but kudos to your babysitter! I hope you give her a bonus for all her hard work in saving your floors and other fish!

Creamhorses · 07-07-2006, 09:16 PM

Is/was there a brand name on the tank? All Glass, or ### And what is the difference in weight between 50 g of freah water and 50g of salt water? And should that be a factor in the leaky tank?

Was it leaking mid-way down.in a bottom corner...where?

CH

seaham358 · 07-07-2006, 09:23 PM

Sorry to hear about the troubles...
WalMart tanks are tempered glass that is why they have thinner glass. Thinner glass has nothing to do with a leak. I had a WM tank for my FW and it was a good tank until I tried to drill it and BOOM... found out the hard way it was tempered.. Any tank can leak I have read stories about new AG and others leaking, **** happens...
Your very lucky to have a fish sitter that knows her stuff.. I hope you take her out to dinner for the extra work..
Keep us posted on the new tank...

Creamhorses · 07-07-2006, 09:50 PM

Yeah.Dinner, & a movie!!! [what out there!!]

CH

07-07-2006, 04:44 PM	#1
Johnny Cakes Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 38 Images: 3	No more Wal-Mart Tanks for me Was away for the weekend of the 4th and we had a pet sitter coming in to watch all the animals, dogs, cat, fish. Get a phone call from here saying that the aquarium was leaking from the bottom seals about 4 inches out of a 55gal was on the wood floor. She said she knew something was amiss b/c when she walked in the house she could hear water splashing louder than normal, it turned out to be the powerheads and the low water level. Well, lucky me, she has 4 SW tanks of her own and knew what to do. She gathered the Rubbermaid tubs siphoned SW into the tubs and put all the LR in there to keep them from drying out. She gathered my 3 main critters (Maroon Clown, False Perc, and a Peppermint Shrimp), set up a Qtank and put them in there with some LR and a pump she bought for us. She even gathered up what snails and crabs she could find and put them in the QT. Amazing, she spent her entire 4th of July day doing this so we wouldn't lose our stock and save our wood floors. Unfortunately, with all the movement and excitement, the Maroon Clown didn't make it, the shrimp and the false perc are doing fine and will be relocated to a friend's 55gal to keep until I can tell if the new one is going to go through a cycle even though the LR stayed under water. Now the moral of the entire story. Never buy a tank from Wal-Mart. I am fuming and will be taking this thing back and demand a refund. I bought this 55gal tank set-up from Wal-Mart wanting to save a few bucks and this is what happened. I stopped at Petsmart on the way home from the airport and picked up a new 55gal to replace this one. Side by side, the glass is definitely thicker and the silicone seals seem more substantial. One good thing did come of this, I finally found that mystery crab I have been looking for in the LR. Got him and will relocate him to a friends fuge as I don't trust true crabs. Those claws need to be used for something. Thanks for listening.

07-07-2006, 05:59 PM	#3
BillD Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Whitby, Ont,Canada Posts: 921	If you had bought that same brand of tank from somewhere else, you would have had the same problem, even if you had paid more. The tanks (55s) I have seen at the Walmarts up here are made of very thin glass. Of course, Walmart isn't the cheapest place to buy a tank.While some brands are less likely to leak (just a guess) there is always that possibility, with any tank. That is why all my tanks are in the basement, around the floor drain. __________________ Join a fish club. Don't have one in your area? Start one.

07-07-2006, 06:50 PM	#4
crazyred Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Harlingen, Texas Posts: 1,179 Images: 1	AFAIK, those Wal-Mart tanks are designed for freshwater only and usually say so on the box (my 29 tank did). I'm thinking it wasn't designed to hold up under the extra weight of salt water. __________________ "My name is Crazy Red and I'm an Aquariumaholic." ~~Melissa~~dedicated Ram breeder~~ 55 gal.FW: 4 platies, 3 angelfish, 3 Cochu's blue tetras, 2 Rummynose tetras, 4 A. cacatuoides, 1 A. trifasciata, 2 blue rams, 6 Von Rio tetras, 1 Queen Arabesque pleco 29 Gal. FW: 2 variatus platies, 6 cherry barbs, 10 harlequin rasboras, 1 opaline gourami, 1 hillstream loach, 1 Rio Jari pleco (L-316), 1 GBR 10 Gal. FW: 1 african clawed frog, 1 dwarf flame gourami 10 Gal. FW:tons of blue ram fry (4) 2 Gal. FW: all four with male bettas

07-07-2006, 07:53 PM	#6
plecoperson Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Evanston, Illinois Posts: 1,164 Images: 3	A big gift certificate to the best SW LFS around for the pet sitter! My husband does that too; people always wonder why he charges so much; it's cause he WILL take care of any horrifying thing that comes up on his watch. I'm glad most of the critters made it, RIP maroon clown. __________________ -Lisa Remember that Darwin was mostly right!

07-07-2006, 09:23 PM	#9
seaham358 Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2004 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 3,296 Images: 21	Sorry to hear about the troubles... WalMart tanks are tempered glass that is why they have thinner glass. Thinner glass has nothing to do with a leak. I had a WM tank for my FW and it was a good tank until I tried to drill it and BOOM... found out the hard way it was tempered.. Any tank can leak I have read stories about new AG and others leaking, **** happens... Your very lucky to have a fish sitter that knows her stuff.. I hope you take her out to dinner for the extra work.. Keep us posted on the new tank... __________________ 9/02-125 REEF, 125 lbs LR,LS 4x160 VHO, Reef Devil /Sump, Fuge 7/03-55 FOWLR 60lb LR, 50 lb SD sand 2x40 NO strip light, Reef Devil/sump, Fuge TANK PICS http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=98202

07-07-2006, 09:16 PM	#8
Creamhorses Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 320	Is/was there a brand name on the tank? All Glass, or ### And what is the difference in weight between 50 g of freah water and 50g of salt water? And should that be a factor in the leaky tank? Was it leaking mid-way down.in a bottom corner...where? CH

07-07-2006, 09:50 PM	#10
Creamhorses Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 320	Yeah.Dinner, & a movie!!! [what out there!!] CH

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Wal*Mart	Davy_Jones	Freshwater & Brackish - General Discussion	19	02-16-2007 03:57 PM
Wal-mart	Squirt0170	General Retailers	10	08-01-2006 07:35 AM
Wal Mart	macman7010	The Lounge	10	08-19-2005 11:01 AM
Wal-Mart	Lexus	General Retailers	7	12-26-2004 07:46 PM
Wal-Mart	oscarbreeder	General Retailers	32	05-13-2004 08:57 PM