Reefing in California (earthquakes)

[fishinchick]

My cat (simba) has been wigging all day to day and it has me thinking......

Any of you Calif. people happen to bolt your stands or tanks to the wall in any way??

If so, how??

I dont have my 60 reinforced in any way and wonder how it will do in a quake. I am thinkin maybe (when I get a stand) if I should bolt or fasten the stand to the wall somehow. Would that even help?? Am I wasting precious brainpower thinking about this??

I wont sleep tonite thinking about this.

[Doug1]

Bracing to the wall might help with minor tremblors but in the case of a big quake if its gonna move its gonna move. If the house starts rocking stay away, avoid heroics. Even 60 g tank dumping water all at once is a lot of force, plus glass flying

[beach bum]

Funny you should ask! Remember that quake that hit Napa almost two years ago? Dinky little bugger, but my roomate was home on the couch when it hit, the 55 in the living room started to tip forward so he lunged at it and all it took to hold it in place was a little pressure towards the top, he said he barely touched it and it stopped moving. So I think some minor bracing would go a long way towards helping out. If the weight of a tank gains no momentum (ie. leaning slightly forward, getting off balance, which leads to a further lean, further off balance, etc..., etc...), then it takes the least amount of force to keep it in a proper position, once it's REALLY moving - you're jacked. Does that make sense?

Be afraid fnc, be very afraid... and pray the next one hits somewhere away from you, like NoCal. Wait that's me!

[MontanaRocknReefer]

I remember reading on one of the boards a thread where a hobbyist from Seattle when they had their bad quake came home and the tank had toppled over and broke in a million pieces and she lost everything in the tank! Another person said the water started to slosh back and forth and they lost about 3 gallons of water! For me in Montana I don't think much about earthquakes but it could happened!
I suppose it would not be a bad idea to take some precautions for your tank if you live in an area where quakes are common! Johnny

[fishinchick]

well several months ago we had a nice little shaker. It wasnt enough to knock over anything but I did jump up and run for the tank. I was thinking about putting some of that "earthquake bracing" like what we use for our water heaters in some way - secured to studs in the wall. Possibly even some sort of bracing to hold the tank even. I dont know but this DOES have me thinking. I would just die if I came home from work and found my babies on the floor. Who cares about the carpet.

[fishinchick]

well several months ago we had a nice little shaker. It wasnt enough to knock over anything but I did jump up and run for the tank. I was thinking about putting some of that "earthquake bracing" like what we use for our water heaters in some way - secured to studs in the wall. Possibly even some sort of bracing to hold the tank even. I dont know but this DOES have me thinking. I would just die if I came home from work and found my babies on the floor. Who cares about the carpet.

[Stang69]

do you have a rim on the top of the stand surrouunding the bottom of the tank least on 3 sides? It held mine on the stand a cpl years back when we had the shaker up here I had a 40 with that and I agree it didnt take much to put it back mine was ricking 3 to 4 inches back and fourth.

Jeff

[JMOR]

Let's end this conversation. Your giving me nightmares....I think about it all the time here in CA...

That was one of the reasons why I choosed an Acrylic tank versus glass. Even in a small earthquake, I cant imagine if the tank doesnt fall but the live rock starts tumbling down and cracking your tank.....

[mojoreef]

Mine went through that shaker in Seattle, knockon wood no problems. Now the wife on the other hand took a few months to settle down.



Mike

[Jabel]

I had a reef in a glass tank during the Northridge earthquake and didn't brace anything. At the time I lived about 4 miles from the center. The tank itself didn't move much, but the live rock blew out the front and back and corals in the tank were up to ten feet away. I lost everything. With my new set up I'm using plexi with no bracing. I figure if the rocks fall I may only get scratches. During a big one I don't think it will matter and I'm not sure bracing it to a wall will help... you might loose the wall with it.

Jeff

[BlueWater]

The Northridge Quake rocked all the way down here to the Library. They have a 250Gallon cube tank there (was Shark tank at the time). The company who built the tank insisted that it be bolted into place. There there was this guy who said "not" to do it and just let the tank sway.

Low and behold. The tank didn't shake. INSTEAD, the tank since it was bolted around the edges into one spot, LIFTED out of the spot and landed in the same spot. (so it was like picking up a tank 2-3 inches and dropping it in the same spot). And it cracked.

If anything, let the tank sway a little bit put it in a spot where it can't just 'tip' over.

[eaglelox]

maybe you could use thick rubber or strips of tires, that way the tank and frame can woble , sway, lean and the rubber would take the worst of the jolts if you are lucky. My 2 cents, may not work at all.

[Hommeworks]

I think rigid strapping or bolting should be avoided. This weekend I mounted my RO/DI system to the wall in the laundry area. I used wooden bracing and carriage bolts. Just for backup I strung some bungie cord wrapping to eye hooks. I did this because I mounted it high and don't want it to fall on someones head.

If's the quake is big enough to dump the tank, let it be. Thats part of the risk we assume living here. I do carry earthquake insurance.

[Minnreefer]

I am no expert, never have and never will live in an earthquake area. I think that the idea of some rubber straps or rope to help make sure that it does not tip more then a couple of inches is important. I would also make sure that the rock is very stable inside the tank.

Jon