I'm trying to convince my parents that aquariums are safe, help me!

[LazySlacker]

Ok, so I moved back home after college and I want to buy a larger aquarium. I want something in the neighborhood of 55 gallons. Since this is my dad's house, he has to approve of these kinds of things. He doesn't want to get one because of the possibility of the tank breaking or leaking and catastrophically flooding our house. I see where he's coming from, so I'm going to try to convince him that acrylic aquariums are completely safe. I know they can leak sometimes, but in general they do not due to the molecular-bonded seams. Has anyone or does anyone know of anyone who's acrylic aquarium shattered and sent water everywhere? I've searched google a lot for this kind of thing and I can't find any catastrophic failures of acrylic, only glass. Help me out guys.

 

[neilanh]

I don't know of any direct information, but one has to realize that it is a risk that you take.

That being said, look at the odds. I bet on this site alone owners have hundreds, if not thousands, of tanks up and running without issue.

The risk of driving to the grocery store and getting in an accident is higher than a tank leaking, IMO, yet we continue to go to the store every week.

 

[JohnPaul]

Do they even make acrylic aquariums that size? That's news to me!

 

[black hills tj]

I would personally jump up to a 75g instead of a 55g. They take up nearly the same space, and the 75g will really open up your options depending on which direction you take it.

 

[bs6749]

Do they even make acrylic aquariums that size? That's news to me!

They make acrylic as big as you want them. I've seen 500 gallon acrylic aquariums. http://www.myfishtank.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=3035

To the OP, aquariums are safe. Acrylic are very expensive, you are probably looking to spend around $350+ for a 55 gallon tank and then even more on shipping. There is absolutely no need for acrylic tans. Glass tanks are just as safe and the manufacturers build them so that they can withstand that amount of water they are designed to hold. Taller tanks will use thicker glass as will larger volume tanks compared to smaller tanks. As long as the tank is kept level or is even close to being level you will be fine and shouldn't have any leak issues. 55 gallons seems like a lot of water but it really isn't. Many people on here keep much more volume in their houses. I have a 100g in one room, and two 29's, four 10's and a 55 in a smaller "fish room" and have never had a problem. One of my 29's even has two smaller sized dings in the glass and has held water perfecty since I've had it.

My suggestion is to go with a 75 gallon as well. It allows you more options and you may be able to tell your dad that since the glass is thicker it is safer than a 55. A 75 allows you many more options for fish as already suggested than a 55 will allow but a 55 is still nothing to pass up if that's all you can get.

 

[fishheadsoup]

Glass tanks

I have 2 tanks, a 10 and a 55 (both glass) and have never really thought about the breaking issue. I geuss you could if you tried to move it full and created stress in the joints. If you get a quality tank from the start that is made well , this should not be a problem and also a sturdy well made stand and or good place to put it. you should be fine. Just my 2 cents.

 

[LazySlacker]

I think my dad will still insist on an acrylic, and I'll definitely think about a 75 gallon. The problem with "the odds", however small, is that they exist. I agree that the chance of something bad happening is small, but it's not really up to me at this point. Maybe in a couple of years when I move out I'll make that decision, but for now it's left up to my dad. You see, he majored in risk management and worked in insurance for about 10 years. So he's extremely careful with everything, because as you can imagine he's seen first hand what can happen when things go wrong. Personally I prefer my ignorance Anyway, thanks for the input guys.

 

[Acer]

what ever you go with glass or acrylic just make sure you go with a new tank.

 

[Ziggy953]

More important then acrylic or glass is to make sure that the stand you put the tank on can handle the weight and is perfectly level. No matter how great the tank is if your foundation is flawed you can have issues.

 

[sumpnfishy]

what ever you go with glass or acrylic just make sure you go with a new tank.

Just curious why you say that? I'm looking into buying a large (maybe used) size tank from craigslist....

To the OP: The bigger risk is flooding from filter hoses coming loose, start draining into a bucket and walk away, filling a tank and walking away, etc (not that I've ever done any of that)

Maybe you shouldn't tell your dad that......

And yes, a sturdy, solid, level stand it very important to prevent accidents with glass or acrylic.

 

[Acer]

i say a new tank because that way you can be a little more secure as far as springing a leak... ive heard of people springing a leak then all of a sudden have a whole pane of glass just go out! older tanks might of been sitting for a while, the seams might be comprimised. then like allglass you have a warrantee on the tank springing leaks, companies like this will only replace your tank if it was sitting on one of their stands. so tank that into account.

 

[Mazdaman]

can't chime in on the acrylic debate. Just wanted to say to go for the 75 instead of a 55. Only 6" deeper and the extra depth is really nice for the fish. i was going to get 55 and decided 75 (on my last tank) just for the extra "turning" room plus the extra stocking capapbilities.

 

[haykay]

biggest you can go is the best. i agree about a new tank. even though they cost more places like petsmart and 'co offer a warrenty on their tanks provided they are on a real fish stand

acrylic might be safer in the sense that there are no "seams" to bust out, but I can't argue for or against them all I have is glass!

I however have had great success with used tanks though

 

[diogenes]

i'd say go with a 50g breeder rather than a 55g if space is an issue. It's 36x19x19 which offers a lot more surface area for territorial or larger fish (like cichlids) than a 55 and if your fish get big they'll appreciate the extra wiggle room. They say one oscar is okay in a 55g and it probably is but they can get up to 12" or 14" which means that a tank thats only 12" (like a 55) wide is gonna be hard for them or any similiar sized fish to turn around in. Also increased surface area is more surface area for gas exchange between the air and the water which is important for the fish. Also, unless you're investing in something like a python system, your going to be doing water changes with a bucket and a tube. A 10% water change in a 50 is 5g which is one five gallon bucket. A 10% change on a 75g is going to be 7.5 gallons which is going to be atleast 2 bucket runs and thus twice the work (although it's not really all that bad depending on the setup). Another thing you might want to consider (and not mention to your dad) is that water weighs approximately 8lbs per gallon. With fish, gravel, and decor it's around 10lbs a gallon. If your putting the tank on the second floor you might want to find what the live/dead load is for your floor. Your aquarium probably won't ever break but if you put a heavy tank (550-750+ lbs.) on the second floor, your dad might be pissed when his floor sags. Also if you put a big tank on the second floor make sure your stand is a cabinet style tank that distributes weight evenly around the base rather than on four pointy legs like some of the rod iron stands, and never ever put anything bigger than maybe a 20 (really more like a ten) on a piece of furniture like a desk or dresser unless it's made of really strong material.

aquarium dimensions: Chart of Tank Sizes

 

[Mazdaman]

Back to the old, my tank is too heavy for a floor statement. I like the sofa analogy. Put three 250lbs men on a single sofa and that won't crash through the floor. Similair floor splace taken up for approx 1000lbs. anything 75gal and under is okay for almost any north american structure. Keep in mind too that those three men are most liklely watching football and will jump up and down in unison when a TD is scored...
That one should help out wioth DAD a little on the weight issue.

 

[black hills tj]

I'd find some numbers and show them to him for a little comparison. Like Mazdaman suggested, 3 guys watching football. If I'm not mistaken a full 75g tank is between 750-800lbs.

 

[diogenes]

I'd find some numbers and show them to him for a little comparison. Like Mazdaman suggested, 3 guys watching football. If I'm not mistaken a full 75g tank is between 750-800lbs.

The difference is 3 250lb guys get up and leave. Your tank does not. Your refrigerator, or water bed would be a more accurate example. I consulted a structural engineer the day before I bought a 55g and he told me "no you can't have anything over 400 lbs. and thats pushing it," but I do live in a 300 year old house. Most residential floors are wooden and wood doesn't have the tensile strength that a material like steel or concrete does. It ages, it warps, it stretches and a sustained live load will weaken it over time. It probably won't fall through the floor, but it will probably make it sag. The wood that makes up your floor is also supporting its own weight. That's what engineers call dead load. Its something to consider, especially if your dad is a risk manager for an insurance company.

here's an explanation from a structural engineer and fish hobbyist.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

 

[Mazdaman]

more of my point wasn;t so much the short term weight the guys on the sofa would produce but more if all three jumped up and down the load would increase substantially. One more thing to consider would be where in the house layout the tank would go. my new tank for example sits next to an outside wall (right beside concrete foundation wall) and almost right on a beam. The direction of the joists and floor sheathing will also play a role. Another good example would be a piano. Heavy but it usually sits on four/six small feet.
The only time I have heard of anything crashing through the floor was a total bad luck: friend was filling up a 125, about 3/4 of the way full it went through the floor. He had managed to place it exactly between two floor joists and for some reason, the floor sheathing had a joint in the middle of the joist (not properly built). the next thing he know the tank and the carpet were in the basement...

 

[jsoong]

When you have a large tank, careful placement is key. Building code here specify a live load of at least 40lb/sq feet. So for a 2x4 tank (eg 75gal) you are looking at at least 320lb of safe loading if the house is to code. Most new houses do have some margin of safety & can handle a load higher than that, so a 75 gal (~600 Lb of water + extra for rocks, etc) should be OK if you place it across the joists (so the load is spread out wider than its footprint) & as close to a load bearing wall as possible.

<Note that our building code required floor reinforcement for a tub we put in .... but that would be over 100gal if filled to the brim .... so I guess it would not be safe to go over 75 gal or so without an engineering assessment.>

It is pretty unlikely that the floor would fail. Most likely, in an overload situation, the floor will sag. <This is what happened to the floor under our piano ... it is prob. closer to 1000 lb.> BTW, I don't think that the 3 buddies watching TV is a very good analogy. This is a live load, whereas the fish tank is static load. Plus the sofa has a larger footprint than the fish tank so the load is spread out more. Generally a static load will cause your floor to sag over the course of a few months ... your TV buddies aren't likely to sit there for that long!

 

[Ziggy953]

I think that up to a 75g tank you should be fine. Going over 75g could cause some issues.

I speak from personal experience when I say that most aquarium companies will provide you a 90day warranty. The 1st 120g tank I got cracked after a few days. It was a perfecto tank. I called them sent them pictures and they replaced my tank. I did not buy their stand.