Recovering from a Tipped Over Tank

[Rhaethe]

I am emotionally exhausted. And physically exhausted.

After all the work adn effort ... my tank got tipped over.

Long story short, the brother-in-law and friends were rough-housing a bit and a chain reaction occurred where the stand that my aquarium was on ... and the aquarium itself ... got tipped over.

I've never moved so fast to rescue fish. Bucket, water, Prime, check. Place fish there while I rectify the aquarium. Set the boys to sop up the water, check. Work fast fast fast. Replant the plants, check. Water back in the tank, check. Prime in the water, check. Get the filter back in and running.

Check check check.

Get tank water back up to temp, check. Acclimate fish back into tank, check.

Meh.

BabyCory was VERY pale. He regained his color within about 30 minutes. Hor'Douerve the shrimp is somewhat nonplussed. The Nerite snail is MIA. Gus not only took everything in stride, but he spat water at me as I bent over the bucket in preparation to getting him back into the tank. Sid I'm worried about. He initially seemed to be hine, no lost color ... swam around per normal. Now he's hanging about in his hidey hole. And I lost most of my frogbit since they got stepped on.

I dunno. I'm wrung out. Absolutely wrung out.

I will NEVER have a column style aquarium tank again. And NEVER have a hex tank again. EVER. I want long tanks. Weight gets spread and less likely to topple over.

Sigh.

[Kazenouta]

Sorry to hear about the spilling of your tank but, I'm glad you were able to salvage what you did. I hope the recovery of all your fish (as well as you) goes along smoothly.

[sheamurai]

WOW. I cannot even IMAGINE.

[korith]

Dang. I would have probably done the exact thing you did, with the addition of adding a smack in the back of head for those guys. Hope all the fish recover from the adventure.

[Rhaethe]

Thank you :)

And yes, the boys got a severe dressing down once I got a moment to breathe.

I think the most positive thing to happen out of this was that my boyfriend, who had been rather dubious at the beginning of my keeping the tank, and never really seemed all that interested in the tank and fish before ...

The first words out of his mouth when it happened was "Get Gus! Save Gus!" He's fretting more over Gus than I am.

I'm also exceptionally amazed over the boot-scoot-boogie run that Hor'Douerve, the Amano shrimp, had. He hit the floor and zoom, he was off. Watching the boys run and flee from the 2 inch shrimp as it rampaged across the floor before he was caught is, in retrospect, amusing.

Going forward, I think I will shop for a longer more rectangular stand for stability. It won't look at "sleek" as the column stand its on now, but I think stability in this case takes precedence over "style".

[korith]

Going forward, I think I will shop for a longer more rectangular stand for stability. It won't look at "sleek" as the column stand its on now, but I think stability in this case takes precedence over "style".

Yep that is definitely something I look for in a stand, stability before look. At my old apt, I had my 55g stand, bolted to the wall. Was worried about it tipping always had people coming and going.

[LadyHatred]

I'm also exceptionally amazed over the boot-scoot-boogie run that Hor'Douerve, the Amano shrimp, had. He hit the floor and zoom, he was off. Watching the boys run and flee from the 2 inch shrimp as it rampaged across the floor before he was caught is, in retrospect, amusing.

:hmm3grin2orange: Hilarious! Glad to hear your aquarium survived the fall though.

[Lady Hobbs]

Move that tank onto something more solid. A bedroom dresser perhaps that's good and solid and a place boys don't play.

[lahlumdi]

What an ordeal you went through!

Another advantage to a longer tank instead of a hex column is that the fish get more oxygen, as there is more surface to the gallon. :22:

[Aeonflame]

Oh wow! thats quite the ordeal. If my tank ever tipped over, I'd need therapy after.

[Tetris]

Bigger tanks are harder to knock over... I think we can all agree that you should get a bigger tank... I mean if you're getting a new stand you might as well, right?

[Scrup]

plus fi your tank is big enough and they do knock it over, they will never want to do it again. Just get something that weighs about 300 pounds empty.

That'll learn em.

Glad the fish seem to be ok! Hope everyone makes it! Chances are they are just skittish from haveing there whole world knocked off a stand.

[annageckos]

That really sucks but at least everything worked out. Your lucky the tank didn't crack.

[Rue]

So sorry about your tip-over! :scry: That's a nightmare of mine!:ssuprised:

But I agree with Hobbs...best to have the tank on a sturdy stand in a wrestle-free zone...

[Taurus]

Rhaethe, you're a great story teller. I'm just sorry you had to tell that story.

Standard sized rectangular tanks, stands, or strudy dressers are going to give you the most stability. I especially like old dressers that are made of solid wood and have drawers to store fish stuff. Stands are better if you are using canister filtration. And there's always the build your own stand option.

Ahh.. now there's a way to get your boyfriend even more involved.

[Rhaethe]

I like the idea of the dresser. I might be able to pick up one at the goodwill for cheap. Thank you for the suggestion :22:

I also really like the idea of a larger aquarium. I have made headway in laying the groundwork for converting the 5g hex into a crayfish tank and moving the fish to a larger tank. I just need to find a place for it that is appropriate.

Unfortunately, I'd need to do some serious rearranging and scheming. Our apartment has an unusual floorplan, and one of the best spots to place a larger tank is smack dab in the sunroom. I'd heard that excess sunlight is not good (??) so I'm not sure if its an option.

As far as an update on the fishies, everyone appeared ok this morning before I left for work. Gus STILL begging for treats, as if to say "I went through traaaauma. Feed me extra ... Feeeeeeed me LOTS of worms NOW." Little bugger. :shappy: Sid regained his color and appears fine ... although somewhat at a loss due to the disappearance of the nerite snail. Trying to break into a snail that was bigger than he consumed much of his time in the past few days, so he looks a little bored now.

The shrimp, well, it survived the tipover, but didn't survive the Carpet Diving Olympics he embarked upon later in the evening. I understand now that Amano shrimp *really* like to escape and jump around alot. I think I'll opt for a calmer shrimp (if there is one) in future.

[smaug]

That is horrible!I have an old house with bouncy floors and I am always worryin about a tank falling.Good job getting everything righted as quick as you did.Thankfully no one was hurt.

[EmmanuelJB]

Sorry to hear! Hows the tank? Did it crack or anything?? I hope not!! Im getting a head ache just thinking of your spill!!

I have a 60 gallon hex!! I hope nothing like that happens to me!

[Rhaethe]

Sorry to hear! Hows the tank? Did it crack or anything?? I hope not!! Im getting a head ache just thinking of your spill!!

I have a 60 gallon hex!! I hope nothing like that happens to me!

The tank itself is acrylic, and due to the way it was (previously) situated, when it toppled the it fell on my computer desk chair which had been wheeled near there earlier. No cracks. I think the gravel may have scratched the inside walls slightly, but hard to tell.

The greatest loss was the frogbit, as I'd stepped on most of it scrambling to rescue fishies. Unfortunately, the LFS is out of it and the two gouramis are somewhat perturbed they don't have their "lilypads". Although introducing a new snail this evening seems to have perked Sid right up.

I swear that little teeny tiny sparkling gourami is a carnivorous thing. So very nonchalant when it comes to pellets or flakes or even worms. Add a snail in there, no matter the size, and he goes into strafe-strafe-HUNT mode ... not that he's done accomplished anything yet ... but still! :shappy:

[EmmanuelJB]

Its great to hear that your tank wasn't damaged! My 60 gallon is glass.... If that ever fell it would probably shadder in a million peices.

[Kittehfish]

Oi what a nightmare. I'm glad everything seems to be okay now! Good job on getting it righted up so fast!

[chronic]

Ahh, that sucks!

I hope everything works out perfect for you. Poor fish, can you imagine that ride! That would be like going through a worm hole...
Maybe they'll be into philosophy now lol

I hope your fish are doing fine!

[WoadCelt]

Poor thing!!!! I hope your fish all recover soon. I'm sure they'll be very thankful for an awesome new tank home. Best of luck!! :shappy:

[souly]

Hope all goes well! I almost fell on my fish during my gravel change today!

[gadget228]

After reading your thread I have decided to move my one tank that is in the room that my grand kids aways play in, I can see the two year old climbing up on it to get a better look at the fishes.

Glad your fish have survived the ordeal.

[korith]

After reading your thread I have decided to move my one tank that is in the room that my grand kids aways play in, I can see the two year old climbing up on it to get a better look at the fishes.

Glad your fish have survived the ordeal.

Good idea. A friend's kid (2-3 years old) once emptied a box of cereal into a 20g.

Gotta be careful with those little tykes, so many possibilities with pulling down, throwing at, putting in, and taking out.