It's a sad sad day for me. (1 Viewer)

[HolyBanana]

I recently bought a 100 gallon tank since my 75 gallon tank leaked two weeks ago and everything was going good until this morning when I woke up and my tank was completely drained. Yes, read it right. The POS tank was out of water. How this happened? I suspect that the tank had something wrong with the sealant in the front right corner. What really got me this morning was to see the faces of my dead fish. I lost two percs (my favorites), two firefish gobies and two beautiful bangai cardinals. I placed all my corals in my refugium and now they are cramped in there. Most of them where somewhat moist but mostly dry. I dont think my sps will make it, but my soft corals seem to be doing alright. The LPS are in between, I see my frogspawn doing alright, but my hammer is spewing mucus all over. I was lucky I had 40 gallons of RO water sitting in my garage. I had to place all my rocks in there and my inverterbrates too. I removed my sand due to that it was almost dry and I could see the poor pods , worms, pistols shrimps and other critters gasping for air.
I'm going to have to seriously think what I am going to do next. Dont know If I will keep at it or just quit. Two tanks leaking on you in two weeks is a bit of a blow to me and my confidence is quite low right now.

I mean it really ticks me off to se this happen. I always had the right parameters for my waters, only lost one fish to desease and never had any issues with my corals. BUT THIS HAD TO HAPPEN! NOT ONCE BUT TWICE!
Im quite enraged right now, and I dont know what to do.
I do need your advice when it comes to my situation.

I bought my tank brand new from one of the LFS and it has a warranty on it. The tank was only setup up for a week or two and I made sure it didint leak before I set it up. However after two weeks of this, it completely drains.
My carpet has 100 gallons of saltwater all over it for the second time, I lost 6 fish, god know how many corals will I lose. not to mention the effort and time that I have put into setting this back up.

What can I do?
Has anyone bought a new tank had this happen?
Is the fishtank manufacturer liable for my losses and damages?
Can this be claimed on my homeowners?
Needles to say, quite depressed now.

 

[pernelf]

Sorry to hear about your tank. If you've had this happen twice now, could it be something with the tank not being level or the floor not being level. That would cause undo stress on one point of the tank and cause the seals to come apart? Maybe try a sheet of sytrofoam between the tank and floor to help cushion our any imperfections and make sure the tank doesn't wobble at all before filling it up.

 

[ShaneV]

First off I want to say how sorry I am for your loss. I understand how you feel.

I had a 72 bowfront leak on me, but was lucky and caught it when it first happened. I too was under warranty, got a new tank and 4 months later it leaked again. I am now on my 3rd Oceanic 72 bowfront and about 4 months into it.

I think the hobby is rewarding enough to keep trying, but i do understand your pain. Ive done some research into the warranty/insurance side of things. I am no means an expert but heres what Ive found from my research. Your homeowners insurance will cover the damage/cleanup to the carpet, etc in your house. They will not cover the contents of the tank. The manufactures of the tank offer no reimbursement for contents in case of tank failure. (I have heard of a few times that they do offer something to owners, but usually only when it is a verfiable problem they could have prevented.) I contacted Oceanic the second time my tank leaked and all I got was "Sorry you must have bad luck".

If theres anything we can do to help let us know.

 

[HolyBanana]

Leslea,
Your comments makes alot of sense, and I went ahead and put a level infron of my tank and it showed not unbalances. I guess I had bad luck with this tank.

ShaneV, thanks for the comments. I guess I will see what I will do. Its a universal tank and they are located in pasadena. we will see.

 

[Guest]

Pull a Discount tire on them and throw the tank thrugh their store front window. I know it's not the right thing to do. But it will get their attention and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better too I recently got a 75 from them too. I'm still setting it up, so your story scares me some. Three strikes is a good rule of thumb IMHO. Let Universal give you another tank.

 

[Guest]

Im also sorry for hearing that! I would of been frustrated as well. Maybe glass isnt for you. WHy dont you try acrylic? If it does leak, you can repair it on the spot. You can also get your tank made to a stronger thickness so it will be more durable. Maybe Kevin will give you a good deal.. www.aquaticimagesystem.com

 

[Guest]

Oh man, I can't believe it! Two tanks in 2 weeks - I would be uber-pissed as well.

I can understand the frustration. I took a 6 month hiatus from the hobby when my first tank leaked, and if it happened again I would probably be very tempted to quit. That's just a decision you'll have to make.

Some things I have thought about doing to lessen the risks of leaks (or minimize the damage):

1. Get an acrylic tank. When I eventually upgrade to a larger tank, it will be acrylic. Besides the other benefits of lighter weight and being more clear than glass, I think they would be less prone to leaking. As I understand it, when 2 pieces of acrylic are bonded together, a chemical reaction takes place that essentially "melts" them into 1 piece. No silicone seams to fail. I may be wrong, but it seems to me like if an acrylic tank doesn't leak from the beginning, it will never leak (unless it is physically damaged, cracked, etc.).

2. I also plan to tile the floor in my fish room, and run the tile a few inches up the wall, kind of like a kitchen backsplash. That way if there ever is a leak, at least it will be contained in the same room, and will be much easier to clean up.

Just a couple of ideas, if you decide to press on. I hope you do continue to pursue the hobby, but I can certainly understand your reluctance.

 

[HolyBanana]

Yeah I talked to kevin the day my 75 gallong leaked. The cost of acrylic was too much for me at the time. Now, after this incident I have to see what I am going to do. I would get an acrylic tank if I can get the store to give me a store credit or refund. Otherwise I would be stuck with the glass tank. It was looking so nice too. I stared at it for about 30 minutes watching the clowns play in the stream. They where so happy with the extra space.
Boy am PISSED. :x

 

[Guest]

Sorry for your losses. Don't give up. Make them build you a bigger tank. I wouldn't give up on the stand put all your sand and rock in a trash can with your powerheads. It will cycle but should be ok. If you have anything that you would like me to save for you I can come by today. Give me a call 713-664-0347.
Tom

 

[HolyBanana]

Thanks, Tom.
I was able to save my rock and sand from my tank into tubs. All my corals are in the refugium. The owner of the LFS was very helpful and didnt even think twice about replacing my tank with a new one. So I guess Im going to give it another try and see how this tank does.
Once I got the water and sand and rocks in there im going to do what Leslea suggested and go ahead and check the level on the stand and tank to ensure that its not uneven. And thanks, I could use the help with the care of the corals. I dont think they will do well in a cycling tank. Its a real pitty. The odds of this happening are slim to none. And it happens to me.
Its almost comical. Oh well, at least I get my bonus next week. Perhaps I will buy some more TBS rock.
(still need like 80 lbs of it)

 

[Guest]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Like they say, third time is a charm. Hopefully, this next tank will last you a long long time.

Keep it up and enjoy. I've always enjoyed the setup part as well as standing back and looking at your accomplishments.

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I live in Sugar Land so I'm near by.

Cheers

 

[Guest]

I am so sorry to hear about your nightmare

I would contact the manufacturer of the tank and demand reimbursement for damages. Threaten to call Marvin Zindler and The Texas Hammer. I have heard of manufacturers paying for damages. It's worth a try. While your homeowners policy may pay for it, you may get hit with an increase in your premium.

 

[Guest]

Definately sorry to hear about your loss. Things can only get better. Just an idea, but you could try adding additional silicon to the corners for extra reinforcement, bit of a hassle but I think it will worth it.

 

[incysor]

Sorry to hear about your losses. When you check your tank for level, make sure you check all four sides and across the middles as well. It could be level on one end & not the other, and that would put major stress on it.

Good luck!

 

[incysor]

Sorry to hear about your losses. When you check your tank for level, make sure you check all four sides and across the middles as well. It could be level on one end & not the other, and that would put major stress on it.

Good luck!

 

[incysor]

Sorry to hear about your losses. When you check your tank for level, make sure you check all four sides and across the middles as well. It could be level on one end & not the other, and that would put major stress on it.

Good luck!

 

[incysor]

Sorry to hear about your losses. When you check your tank for level, make sure you check all four sides and across the middles as well. It could be level on one end & not the other, and that would put major stress on it.

Good luck!

 

[Guest]

HolyBanana,
So sorry about your tank. Since Oceanic was bought out by another company, they been having trouble with their tanks. I think the new Oceanic try to cut corners, they even use cheap bulk head fittings compare to what they use before. I had crack couple of the bulk head fitting try to install the drain & return pipe of their tank. Look at how cheaply the canopy is built. I see alot of Oceanic tank send back from LFS. Only the older Oceanic tank is good.