Assuming a few other folk in Wellington area felt the 5.5 quake just outside upper hutt this morning, how quake proof is the average decent fish tank? (not counting having half the house fall on it...)

It depends on how well the tank is made and what sort of surface it is sitting on. We lost a tank with a very small quake once but it was enough to crack the base. We got up in the morning to water everywhere and fish lying on the gravel. Managed to save most of them though as we had the new tank (the one pictured in the tank section) set up and had been going to add the fish that day anyway.

I believer the best bet is to have it sitting inside a frame and for that frame to be bolted to the wall - especially at the top. Not easy to do with an L shaped one ........ :lol:

The water in mine sloshed alarmingly but didn't splash out of the tank. Wouldn't have taken much more for it to do so though.

I just got out of the way - didn't fancy being showered with broken glass, water and fish ...........

See Jude

I told you to waterproof the room

You could end up with an indoor pond anytime soon :lol:

mine are just sitting on polystyrene and all of mine survived, even the one I made myself,

I thought that would be the first one to go.

B

My tanks are all fine. Bridget thinks the fish knew the quake was coming because she said the cichlids were in a frenzy thrashing around about an hour before.

I'd agree with Bridget. I didn't see it this time but with the largish Wairarapa earthquake a few days ago my fish were really agitated before it struck.

My cats took no notice of any of them but one freaked me out afterwards. She kept frowning suspiciously at the floor ........... leaving me convinced another was about to hit ............. LOL. I guess she was just confused and checking out it was going to stay where it should be

Cheers

Jude

A large crack developed in my bedroom wall (and yes, that was from the earthquake, for those smarty pants who would think otherwise ), but the tank stood strong. Could I presume that a smaller tank has a better chance of surviving than a big one?

Why? What else could have done it?

Jude tries her innocent look!!!!

Just out of interest, what is the wall made of?

Cheers

Jude

Wall is chipboard (I think, that stuff most NZ homes are made of), are you surprised it cracked :lol:

It cracked? Wow...I didn't think it was big enough to cause any cracks or anything. I thought it was fairly gentle even though we're practically right on top of the quake.

Prob jibboard, cracks easy if the joins arn't taped correctly before plastering.

I haven't been home yet, all of my tanks are secured to the walls accept for the new one cause it only went in on Sunday and I didn't have time to do it. Ever get that nervous feeling.....

It wasn't gentle here ......... completely freaked me out.

And yes Disney, I am surprised it cracked. Suphew is right, it will be gib board and I guess it could crack easily, I just didn't think the quake was big enough. What is the house made out of? Timber or brick? I'm just curious here, don't know enough to know if that is relevant or not.

Suphew, I hope everything is ok when you get home.

Cheers

Jude

Often the person sitting right on top of the quake doesn't feel much, it is us poor sobs who catch the ripples down the road - for me it was the worst quake I have felt since I've been in NZ, but I survived. One week into my new home, and it falls apart :roll: - I would like to add that this house is on stilts, and loves rocking and rolling with quake waves :-?

The main thing though, the tank was fine, thats all that matters...

Anyone wanting to see the cracks (the house that is) is welcome, entrance fee is $2 :lol:

The stilts would explain it - lots of movement in those houses I expect.

Its also one of the biggest ones I've felt Disney and I really hope I don't get to experience a bigger one.

Only 2nd earthquake I've felt, and the strongest, sitting watching the walls move back and forth was.... interesting

My cats didn't bat an eyelid, before or after, I'll have to watch my fish once i get them as a early warning system.

Strange you all mention cats - about half an hour before the quake mine became restless, talking their heads off and running in and out. At first I thought they were playing, but after a while I thought perhaps I should phone Jimmy, and tell him something is up. I was on my way to the phone when the house became all shook up, and yes, angel, it was very interesting, never seen the walls spin while I'm sober

Getting a bit worrying, we're up to ...What? 10 quakes within the last 48 hours? The last was around 8 something.

Well we got Eath Quaked. Scarey, almost 1.5 tonns of seawater sitting in our living room Tank survived OK but I think I shaved off a few years!

Pie

I'd be happy to take some of your corals off you, Pies...Don't wanna keep all your eggs in one basket and all that.

Where was the 8, Ira? I get the geonet emails but have only had 3 today - all in Upper Hutt.

I dunno, I haven't checked geonet to see where it was. I think it was around pm anyway. Maybe a bit earlier.

10 on tuesday around martinborough and couple of other places, and 3 in Upper Hutt yesterday.

Personally I'm not in favour of bolting my tank to the wall. When Living in L.Hutt I observed a numer of times that when we had an earthquake that, while the wall could be seen swaying in one direction- the water in the tank was moving the opposite way. I think bolting to the wall would exacerbate the movement particularly if the swaying motion was parallel to the wall. Bolting your frame to the floor would be a better option (assuming you live on the ground floor) as the floor will tend to move less than the walls. Providing the tank is sitting on a reasonable thickness of polystyrene there's little chance of it shifting. If in doubt you could always stick the polystyrene to the base and stick the tank to the polystyrene, Ivé used strips of BluTack in the past. I remember seeing a tank once where the person had glued a 2nd central glass bracing strip (vertically) below the water line which had a number of holes drilled in it, a baffle really. This he reckoned greatly reduced the wave effect and pressure on the tank ends. You couldn't see the baffle as there was a strip of black plastic round the top of tank.