Do you have Earthquake plans in place for your reef aquarium?

[sandybottom]

But the difference is you get them all the time and are used to them! When we get them it’s a rare event and something that shocks us because we don’t live in an area prone to them and usually they aren’t felt if they do happen.

The difference also is, we have huge buildings across the NYC. The people saying “meh” wouldn’t feel that way sitting 20 floors+ from ground feeling the building sway. The higher up you go, the more intensity you feel.

 

[Ziggy17]

At a ratio 8:1 pounds:gallon of water, if there is an earthquake strong enough to make me nervous, the tank is the least of my worries.

 

[OldSchool]

So funny. New York? Nevada? Come on. Unless you're in southern California or here in Alaska, most people don't even notice a magnitude 4. There was a day here in Fairbanks where we had quakes between 3 and 4 every 3-4 minutes all day long. Some of the rumbling could actually be faintly heard.

Just for info, Nevada is the 4th State for earthquakes behind Alaska, California and Hawaii. Depending on where you live, just like your state, it can be worse.
A 6.4 quake shook a couple gallons of water out of my 75gal tank. Smaller 5.0 or less don't have much effect. I have partially built my tank into the wall with room access in the back. Seems to be better unless the earthquake is shallow.
DJ

 

[AKReefing]

Just for info, Nevada is the 4th State for earthquakes behind Alaska, California and Hawaii. Depending on where you live, just like your state, it can be worse.
A 6.4 quake shook a couple gallons of water out of my 75gal tank. Smaller 5.0 or less don't have much effect. I have partially built my tank into the wall with room access in the back. Seems to be better unless the earthquake is shallow.
DJ

So you felt it 200 miles away?

 

[AKReefing]

The difference also is, we have huge buildings across the NYC. The people saying “meh” wouldn’t feel that way sitting 20 floors+ from ground feeling the building sway. The higher up you go, the more intensity you feel.

Meh

 

[AKReefing]

Been in Alaska for over 10 years and had tanks through [many] quakes up to 7.9, only issue has been water splashing out as some others noted. If it's big enough to split the tank, you'll have other things to worry about..

Happy reefing!

Exactly.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Well here's a video that shows a 7.4 earthquake in Taiwan. Scary!

 

[ReefRondo]

I can't imagine being in this hobby let alone a store in a region of the world that suffered from earthquakes.

 

[Reefering1]

Looks like eurobracing would contain the water much better...

 

[ReefRondo]

Looks like eurobracing would contain the water much better...

Another win for eurobracing!

 

[dwarfseahorse]

Eh, if y'all have one again in the Bay area, it's gonna be bad like '89, just like were due for one again here in So Cal., last big LOCAL one was Northridge in '94. Our quakes are usually outright damaging, infrastructure is better built to deal with it until it hits a certain point on the Richter scale and all bets are off...

The most important things I learned from going through the larger earthquake is to have good Earthquake Insurance. Take pictures of your Tanks and expensive fish. Keep all the broken fish tank parts until the insurance adjuster shows up, and, if you had expensive salt water fish to try to freeze them so you can prove to the adjuster you had them. The water damage it causes is an entire different earthquake insurance problem. I had lots of large bookshelves attached to the walls (incase of earthquake). The shelves stayed in place but everything on them got thrown out of them. I swore I would never do fish again after that - ya, right.

 

[dwarfseahorse]

Well here's a video that shows a 7.4 earthquake in Taiwan. Scary!

Great video. Tanks in most homes tend to have large heavy rock or other items in them. When they get thrown against the glass that strongly, the tank breaks. The larger the tank, the larger the rock set-up usually. Smaller quakes just mean lots of water loss. It's the large violent ones that do the real damage and then you have no electric and many places have no water for days or weeks.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Meh

Agreed, lol.

 

[ca1ore]

No, but I do have a meteor strike mitigation plan ......

 

[BZOFIQ]

I switch off the pumps and let the 'quake to do it its thing with wave making

 

[mikst]

yes! as someone who lives right on the west coast where they are very common, its definitely something i think about! my stand has a thick wooden lip around it to help keep the aquarium on there. but if its going to go its going to go! other than that and prayer, havent been able to come up with any other preventive measures! i hate to think about how big of one it would take to topple it. if that happens, ill have more to worry about than the tank!

I was in the university of Washington engineering library during the 2001 Washington state earthquake. It was 6.8 about 35 miles from where I was.

The engineering library's book shelves were arranged differently on each floor. The floors that were aligned with the fault and thus motion of the shaking, had book shelves that did not topple, but the books were left in neat horizontal and sine wave patterns.
The floors with their book shelves perpendicular to the shaking had all the book cases knocked right over.

One could check out USGS and find out how fault lines run near your house and try to align your fish tank against a wall that would not make it want to tip over sideways but instead just shake back and forth. I don't think a lot of us have the luxury of too many wall choices tho. I have earthquake straps to the studs of the wall for my 45 gallon tank. I probably should for my 36. My 46 wedge is not a shape that would tip. My various 5, 10, and 20 gallon tanks I'm not very concerned with.

I currently live in norcal

 

[Reefer Reboot]

I was in the university of Washington engineering library during the 2001 Washington state earthquake. It was 6.8 about 35 miles from where I was.

The engineering library's book shelves were arranged differently on each floor. The floors that were aligned with the fault and thus motion of the shaking, had book shelves that did not topple, but the books were left in neat horizontal and sine wave patterns.
The floors with their book shelves perpendicular to the shaking had all the book cases knocked right over.

One could check out USGS and find out how fault lines run near your house and try to align your fish tank against a wall that would not make it want to tip over sideways but instead just shake back and forth. I don't think a lot of us have the luxury of too many wall choices tho. I have earthquake straps to the studs of the wall for my 45 gallon tank. I probably should for my 36. My 46 wedge is not a shape that would tip. My various 5, 10, and 20 gallon tanks I'm not very concerned with.

I currently live in norcal

Hmmm, now that is something to think about, but I have a cube. Which way do I go.

 

[ryanjohn1]

Friday we had one in New Jersey. I’m in pa and it only rattled the house a bit. North east of country is pretty safe as far as it goes for earthquakes

 

[mikst]

Hmmm, now that is something to think about, but I have a cube. Which way do I go.

You're doomed