Moving to the land of Earthquakes...

[A1cntrler]

I will be moving from the East coast (VA) to the West coast (CA) in June and was considering taking at least one of my tanks with me. I have pretty much decided that I will leave my 55 here and my 29. I would likely take my 46 bow front out there because it is large enough to set up my African Cichlids in, yet much shorter in length than my 55, and space is a consideration out there for me. (Moving from a 3500 sq. ft. house to maybe a 2k sq. ft. house is a lot of stuff to get rid of!)

My question has to do with the earth moving (earthquakes!). I have never experienced one, but my first thought when my wife asked me what I thought about moving out there for a job was of my aquariums.. What kind of precautions need to be taken to have a aquarium out there? We would be moving to Thousand Oaks, CA (Ventura County) so kinda close to most of the action.

Would I be better off leaving them all behind (Craigslist) and picking up an all Acrylic one ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.] ?

I'm not sure even how to go about moving the tanks across, but I was going to let the movers worry about that...

Thanks for the information in advance!

[sailor]

I'm not sure about the earthquake precautions but I would be leary of the movers shipping aquariums. I had mover's break 6 out of 9 on a short move about 300 miles. With second hand tanks going fairly cheap all over the California area I would just pick them up when you get settled in. I see many awsome deals on big tanks always posted on another site I frequent. Makes me wish I live in California sometimes. Craigslist you see alot of great deals as well in the Cal area.

[Northernguy]

There is no aquarium that is safe.If you get the right quake your tanks could end up on the floor.You could find a way to strap them to a wall so they cannot fall over.
Thats quite the predicament.
I think just set them up and live with it.There is little that can be done to protect them.

[yamaracer5]

Why not just skip california and move to arizona.Same beatiful weather without the quakes.And just commute back and forth.By the way i have 5tanks running in my 1200 sq ft house lol.

[Amazon]

Talk to lobsternoob he lives near Monterey, California so he should know.

[A1cntrler]

Thanks for all the replies. I have decided to just leave the aquariums behind here. My brother will take my 46 bow and I'll need to find a home for the 55. Taking my Fluvals though! Once I get settled there on the left coast I'll probably pick up an acrylic tank. Easier than transporting and hoping they make it.. Now what to do with all my Malawi Fish....

[Cristoff]

Earthquakes aren't as bad as people make them out to be. If you live your life thinking about the "what if" then you miss out on the "what can be" thumbs2:

I live in the Heart of California and I assure you that if you have a tank set up here it'll be fine. If you go through a major earthquake, the tank will be among the last things on your mind - and among the first things on your floor.

[little hawaii]

That is A GOOD POINT, MY LIVING ROOM IS 192 SQUARE '.Check out the load, I love it.

[rhonin]

Why not just skip california and move to arizona.Same beatiful weather without the quakes.And just commute back and forth.By the way i have 5tanks running in my 1200 sq ft house lol.

Grew up a good portion in Az and now live in West los Angeles.
Sorry, no comparison. Weather is much better in LA :hmm3grin2orange:

[rhonin]

We don't have earthquakes! That's just the pitter patter of the undocumented non-citizens heading out! :hmm3grin2orange:

Don't sweat it! Been through a couple, biggest 5.7 and no issues.
The bigger tanks are on stand that :hmm3grin2orange: are strapped to the wall (too the 2x4's).

Splashing is the worst. Have had a lid break because of it earlier this year (5.2).

You take what precautions you can and make do.

Then sit back and enjoy the fish!!

thumbs2:

[bearweasel]

Quakes aren't that bad. Honestly. If you strap them to something moving (like the wall) they're more likely to be damaged. You can't live life with the "glass half full" mentality. Honestly, the movers are more likely to damage your tanks than the quakes. And if you get hit by a quake big enough to damage your tanks, you have bigger problems, like damage to your house. I grew up in the Dakotas, and the blizzards there killed and damaged far more than any quake I've seen living on the west coast! Consider it more water surface agitation!

[rhonin]

Quakes aren't that bad. Honestly. If you strap them to something moving (like the wall) they're more likely to be damaged.

Not the tanks, the stands. And not super snug, light
It stops it from tipping.
Make sure you have minimized loose objects or hangers. These will move around and can fall off (ex: skimmer, rocks or decor in the tank.

Some say acrylic is better than glass but until my latest 100g, all my big tanks are glass.

And last; insurance. in case of flooding - from the tank.

Welcome to Cali!!

[lowlight]

I live in San Bernardino county CA. My 55gal has been through a few quakes and if the tank ever fell over because of an earthquake the tank would be the last thing on my mind. There are a few safety precautions you can take that might help if you want but I personally don't worry about it. And if it ever falls over in a quake I have bigger problems to worry about than water on the floor. It would be a bummer to lose my fish though.