HELP!! FISH TANK JUST BROKE!!!!!!

[elizabeth02rvt]

What the heck do you do when your 56 gallon tank breaks in the middle of the night??

I have all the fish in a bucket (my fill bucket), I think. It cracked along the bottom of the back.

I have been getting the water up with the steam cleaner as best I can...anyone have anyother ideas for getting the water out of everything

 

[Lorelei]

Ugh..You have my UTmost sympathies.

Our washing machine hose broke last year and flooded the entire first floor of our house. We had to call emergency personel to come in and vacum out all the water but I had done exactly what you've been doing with my own steam cleaner and it did a great job. Now your most worrysome problem is inhibiting the growth of dangerous mold under your carpets and baseboards and even the walls. You should lift all carpets in the area- yes..sorry that includes wall to wall ones and place fans under them. This will take anywhere from 2 to four days to dry out *completely*. With the fans running DAY and NIGHT-24 hours. This is most important- there are molds out there that can kill you or cause irreperable neurological damage. Of course, it all depends on how severe the damage is. What I would do if I were you is contact a reputable emergency contractor who deals with flood damage. The fish tank and it's occupants (sadly) are the least of your worrys at this point. A large cooler will suffice for them until you can get the tank set up again. Forego feeding them for a few days too- you don't need the amonia building up in a small container and starving them for a few days won't hurt in the least.

Best of luck.

Also- if it was along a wall, the water is probably climbing up under the baseboards. Remove them and with a poker or some such item-long metal bar- poke holes in the walls every two feet ot so long the section where the baseboards were. This will allow the fans to dry the walls as well. Also- you'll want to inquire about a mold inhibitor- it comes in pellets and you just sprinkle it around the areas.

 

[semper fi]

i feel for you! i had one break, a 120. if the crack is diagonal, the tank was out of level. you can replace the glass though. take the measurements in and order a peice.

 

[plysha]

My brother had two little girls (that he was suppoes to be watching )and they took cup fulls of water and pourd it down the stairs and all over the floors it was a mess we came to see my new nephew ..lol guess parents sleep through anything... He was selling Rainbow sweepers and they got all the water up with that....
I love that thing ...... I'm really sorry to hear about your tank!!!!! and hows the floor coming??? ...put a dehumidifier in the room if you got one....
Wish I could help more......
Erin

Keep us updated on our your doing

 

[rvm]

Get yourself an industrial dehumidifier. You can get them from most plant hire shops (in th UK anyway, dunno about America or whereever you are) that'll dry it up pretty quickly, just make sure you change the bucket regularly!!

 

[karrihug]

was it the 56 gallon column tank made by perfecto? if so, same thing happened to me. blew about half of the front panel of glass half way across the diningroom. first of all, don't panic.

did you buy it new? how long ago? you have a 90 day warranty regardless, and 5 years if you bought a stand with it. if, this is the same tank let me know and i will pm you with what i did.

 

[elizabeth02rvt]

Things are better now that some of the adrenaline of being awoke in the middle of the night thinking someone shot something into my house has subsided.

I got what I could up with a hoover steam cleaner thing. I also made a 3am trip to walfart for fans and a 10 gallon tank. Thank god for 24 hr walfarts!

I think I saved all my fish. I got the 10 gallon tank and a 2 gallon tank and they are doing OK. I got some stress coat too to put with them. THey are doing OK as of now.

My tank was, in fact, a perfecto 56 gallon column. I talked to "karrihug" via AIM about her tank and what she did. I called Perfecto and they are giving me a new tank AND stand and also paying the professional clean up fees. They are so nice and easy to work with. SO nice.

So thats where I am now. I have a company coming out in the morning to work on the floor and such. FUn stuff.

 

[canarsie11]

Those tanks must be defective too many stories about the same tank

 

[Grams]

make sure you atleast cycle our 10g water alittle before adding all the fish.

 

[my_fallen_angel]

make sure you atleast cycle our 10g water alittle before adding all the fish.

when the fish are in buckets i dont think she has time to do that.


What you can do though is grab some of the gravel out of the tank and put that in there it might help the fish along a bit..


best of luck

 

[Lorelei]

Yeah..tough to cycle a tank with fish waiting in a bucket!! I agree through, that gravel from the other tank and filter medium if you can grab it will do wonders! Glad to hear the outcome seems favourable thus far!

 

[lizard]

Ugh. Sorry to hear about the broken fish tank. Not fun and very messy....(like you need me to tell you that!). Sounds like you have things under control, though.

My tank was, in fact, a perfecto 56 gallon column. I talked to "karrihug" via AIM about her tank and what she did. I called Perfecto and they are giving me a new tank AND stand and also paying the professional clean up fees. They are so nice and easy to work with. SO nice.

Wow. That's great! I will keep that in mind when buying new tanks/supplies <Perfecto is helpful, Perfecto is helpful...>

Keep us updated. Hope all your fishies are doing okay. Good luck!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[daza]

This is the stuff of nightmares

I'm glad I didn't read too many of these stories before buying mine otherwise I might have been too scared!

If that happens to me then I will be severely in for it by my landlord and downstairs neighbour.

Glad to hear that they are sorting it for you though. Thats excellent. Good customer service is getting harder and harder to find anywhere.

I hope the fish do well too.

 

[elizabeth02rvt]

Just an update...

the water situation is better....its drying and they should come pick up the fans and de-humidifier today.

My fish did all survive. I was both shocked and pleased.

I set up some of my fish in the 10g with some gravel and (plastic) plants from the other tank and put the smaller fish in a 2g hex I already had. I added some stress coat and have been keeping a close eye on them. As for the obvious crowding issue i had in the tanks, a friend came and took home 5 fish to put in her tanks...she was wanting some new fish anyway!

SO all is well (or at least better...) here. Thank you everyone for suggestions and well wishes!

 

[karrihug]

glad it worked out. did you get your new tank and stand?