Saltwater effects on concrete?

[exodus]

So my dad wont let me put my reef tank in the house, so I decided I'm going to build myself a little tv/reef room in the basement for my own pleasure. The basement floods with 2-3" of water whenever we get a heavy rain or during the spring thaw, so everything down there is already a mess. I'dhave to build a raised floor and all that good stuff, which is no problem as its just framing work.

But he seems to think saltwater will eat holes in the concrete on the floor. Is there any truth to this?

He's always thinking the worst; tank will burst a seam or it will overflow dumping 60g of ocean water onto the floor which is highly unlikely.

But say it does happen, the floor has crap tiles on it which are coming up anyways from the year after year flooding (tiling on the floor is over 20yrs old) but would it really destroy a concrete floor/foundation?

If it ever did flood and destroy the raised floor in my little room, big deal, because I can always replace it, but the foundation is here to stay.


Any insight on this?


I really want my reef tank and I cant believe I'm having to put it in the basement just to get it.. damn parents. I already have half the stuff bought too.

 

[theatrus]

Some reading on this: http://www.askthebuilder.com/008_Deicing_Salts_And_Concrete.shtml

Looks like it really depends on if the ground freezes around the foundation. In normal (non-perma frost) environments, this is unlikely.

Install a drain in the basement

 

[Tex]

Saltwater will not affect concrete. I was down in Galveston, Texas recently and we walked along the beech next to the gigantic concrete seawall that was built in the 1920's. The concrete is still there and still in good shape sans the natural erosions from the waves.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Instead of building a floor that could potentially rot if exposed to flood water, why not just place a layer of cinder blocks under the tank to give it the necessary elevation?

 

[austinsdad]

Sounds like you're gonna be OK. Besides if the tank did leak, it's not like you're gonna leave the SW there anyway.

 

[theatrus]

I agree, you shouldn't have a problem, just a long time with buckets and a wet/dry vac

I've personaly never had a tank (new or used, all glass) crack or outright shatter. It does happen, but so do earthquakes (had one of those last night... maybe a bad comparison)

 

[dtaylor]

(Old post, I know, but for future reference)

The real issue here doesn't have anything to do with the tank/saltwater, it's the fact that no one has yet to install a sump pump in the basement floor. Sump pump should have been put in as soon as a home owner realized his basement isn't watertight/floods very often.

 

[Fishbone13]

(Old post, I know, but for future reference)

The real issue here doesn't have anything to do with the tank/saltwater, it's the fact that no one has yet to install a sump pump in the basement floor. Sump pump should have been put in as soon as a home owner realized his basement isn't watertight/floods very often.

That's what I'm scream'n