earthquake queries from a Pommie

[jscottbowman]

Dear all, recent addition to forum here, and only been in NZ about 20 months.

I have kept typical community tanks in UK, and indeed a 4' marine reef tank, which I sadly had to sell and disassemble when I emigrated to NZ.

I have thought about getting back into aquatics here in NZ but am uncertain about the impact of earthquakes on aquaria!

I have read some of the thread on this forum and many seem to focus on structural rigidity etc etc. However my (simple?) query is, do you have to account for water sloshing back and forth and splashing out of tank during a quake? Do you make you tanks deep, but only fill them so far to account for this or do you just hope the cover glasses keep everything in?

My last marine tank was open toppped for pendant metal halide lights, so that would be ideal for me having to go back to cover glasses.

I also ran an auto-top up system that worked of a float switch, I presume a n earthquake would make a mess of such a system?

Any help appreciated

Regards

Scott

[jude]

Hi scott and welcome

Mostly I think we just cross our fingers and hope it will never happen. I have had the water slosh, but not slosh out of the tank, in the smallish shakes we get from time to time.

It is recommended that they are fastened to the wall in some manner to stop them toppling but this is not always easy to do.

Cheers

Jude

[skippy]

Northland is not much of an earthquake risk - thats why I shifted here . Seriously though, I have never even given it a thought, even when I was in Auckland.

I note you are in Paraparam so I guess it is more of an issue down there. I think Jude is probably right - bit of a case of cross everything, hold your breath and hope like hell it doesn't happen

Your idea of extended freeboard (tank much higher than the water surface) is probably a good one though. I'm not convinced that the cover glass will stay put if a wave of water hits it from below though.

Are you going to get back into the fish thing? Fresh or marine (or both) Don't let the threat of an earthquake put you off.

BTW, welcome to the Forum.

Cheers

Skippy

[suphew]

a lot of us reefers have "euro bracing" on our tanks basically a 100mm or so of glass that runs round the top of the tank, it helps to stop fish jumping, water splashing from streams etc, and I guess water sloshing out during a smaller earthquake.

Really hope your keen to setup another reef tank, there aren't enough of us here in Wellington!

[Caryl]

You get some good waves in a decent sized quake. Leave at least 10cm at the top for sloshage :lol:

[skippy]

Suphew wrote

there aren't enough of us here in Wellington!

You reckon you're lonely - think I am the only reefer north of Whangarei (and there is only a couple down there that I know of) at least until Puttputt moves up soon

[Alan]

Location:- 20 km north of Kerikeri

Focal depth:- 5 km

Richter magnitude:- 3.5

I didn't think Nthland got any eq's

This was just very recent.

I have had fish change tanks in the '87 EQ that we had.

Only lost two tanks, but there was HEAPS of spillage and mess and tank tops broken.

Also the lights sitting on the top didn't survive either.

Rather traumatic day for this aquarist.

Alan 104

[Caryl]

We had a 4ft crack along the base in a quake. Water everywhere!

[Jo1]

Now I seem to remember we had an earthquake a few nights ago. I am in the same area and I didn't notice any water on the floor and the tanks are still in the same place. I would suggest polystyrene under the tank and an insurance policy.

[supasi]

hi

i was lying in bed watching my tank the other night when an earthquake rumbled on through, tell you what, the fist thing i id was jump up and hold the cabinet, if it werent for the glass top i would have had a bit of sloppage to clean up, but otherwise dont let it worry you to much, every small one we get i believe reduces the odds of a bigger one happening, fingers crossed