EARTHQUAKE!

benapilot · Jan 24, 2016

We had quite the rumble last night here in Alaska. The 7.1 epicenter was about 250 SW of us which woke us up and shook for about 45 secs which seems like forever when you house is bumping and shaking.

My wife ran for the kids... I headed for the fish tank! LOL.
Despite the shaking and hits, there was only a little sloshing. My 46 bow front sits on a somewhat flimsy steel stand and I was really worried it would tip and fall. What a mess that would be!

Anyone have stories of major aquarium stand failures, earthquake or not?

spspirate · Jan 24, 2016

Glad you guys and your reef tank survived!! Thats a heck of a shake!

MrDJeep123 · Jan 24, 2016

Glad everything is ok!

xellos88 · Jan 24, 2016

We had a 7.2 earthquake last 2013. It was 8 AM and I was watching the tank while having coffee when it happened and was like: "wow, that's a big truck passing by" before the water sloshed out and we realized it was a big quake. Wife ran upstairs to get the kid and I was in panic mode and got a little shock trying to unplug the tank concerned about fire and the flimsy stand eventually giving way; then we all ran outside.

xellos88 · Jan 24, 2016

Oh, and watch out for after-shocks! We got a few big ones after the big quake. Glad all is well.

l8_apex_it · Jan 24, 2016

I have been known to run to my tank during a quake as well. Probably a good way to be a recipient of a Darwin Award

Running toward it was just instinct.

Glad everything is okay. Stay safe!

o2manyfish · Jan 24, 2016

When the Northridge quake hit in Los Angeles in 1994 I got the chance to see a lot of fish tanks after an earthquake.

For a little shaker sure you can strap it to the wall and hope the tank and the stand don't bounce out from each other.

But after Northridge, I saw 240 gallon tanks that ripped the studs they were bolted to right out of the wall and were 4' out in the middle of the room (still standing).

I saw a 125 gallon that had been strapped to the wall and the straps, which had been lagged into the studs yanked them right out.

I saw many glass tanks that were still square on their stands, but had bounced up and down and cracked the tank, or blown the bottom out.

When the earth starts rumbling, and it want's to move, there is not much that is going to stop it's destruction.

Dave B