Anyone anchor their tanks (stand) to the wall?

[aljen]

Your boys cannot knock a 1000 pound tank off its stand, or tip the stand over, unless your boys are very strong and heavy, AND your set up is unstable.

In general, you must secure both the tank and the stand to the solid surface to attain the necessary stability.

Let me ask someone this: How do you reasonably secure a tank onto its stand?

 

[gcvt]

Originally posted by aljen
In general, you must secure both the tank and the stand to the solid surface to attain the necessary stability.

Actually, that depends on how your stand is built. Many stands, for example, have a lip around the top so that the tank sits down in the stand, as opposed to sitting on the stand. With that type of configuration, the tank cannot slide off the stand so the stand wouldn't necessarily have to be tethered to the wall studs etc.

 

[Orbitorly]

Yes kids are kids, hehe


If's it around 1000 lbs, I would worry more about the kids hurting them selfs. That's alot of wieght to tip over. And if you did nailed it to the wall or floor and the tank still tipped over there would be big holes in your wall and floor.

 

[slipknottin]

It depends most on the height and depth of the tank.

Any tank more than 20" high and less than 18" deep needs to be secured to the wall.

 

[cacti]

Tiny tanks of 100 gallons or more can be easily fastened to the 2x4s in the wall if you wish in earthquake country. Medium sized tanks of 200 or 300 gallons you can also attach to the wall 2x4s but you will need to attach them to quite a few of them to be secure.

 

[slipknottin]

Unless you have some weird shaped tank, a tank 200-300 gallons isnt going anywhere no matter how bad the earthquake.


Id be more worried about my house than my tank.

 

[Orbitorly]

Yeah I'd worry more about the house.

 

[Gumby7]

Originally posted by gcvt


Actually, that depends on how your stand is built. Many stands, for example, have a lip around the top so that the tank sits down in the stand, as opposed to sitting on the stand. With that type of configuration, the tank cannot slide off the stand so the stand wouldn't necessarily have to be tethered to the wall studs etc.

My stand has a 1-1/4" structural lip that serves to hide the black plastic tank trim AND prevent the tank from sliding off (a real risk in seismically active areas).

Because my 48g is only 12" from front to back the stand will be anchored to the wall. A 12" stand is too unstable around here.

I am on the safety committee at work and got a lot of dumb remarks about having the steel 7' high book shelves and banker box racking anchored. Earthquakes come in all sizes. Most will just toss your furniture around and cause the fluorescent fixtures to fall out of the suspended ceiling. You are more likely to get hit in the head by this junk (why you dive under your desk) than have the building collapse in the rare big one. Besides how much are screws these days?

Gumby

 

[aljen]

People often overallocate resources attempting to prevent disasters that have such a low probability of happening that it ought to be ignored. When the "big one" hits, I hope the biggest shockwaves go in the opposite direction. I've lived through two major earthquakes in SoCal. I feel optimistic about being able to survive another one without strapping down my tanks or the stands.

 

[beviking]

Awesome replies, thanks everyone! No, I don't think the afformentioned set up needs securing, however, I currently have a 55g (12.5" wide)on a wooden LFS stand that I believe could tip if not secured. Food for thought for those interested. To push on the front of the stand or tank in a rythmic sequence (as a kid might do) starts the water "sloshing" and given enough pushes, a tank could come over.

"This public safety message has been brought to you by me and in no way ties me to or makes me liable in any way to any accident past or present involving any type of container filled or partially filled with water!"

Oh yeah, BTW, cacti, I take offense to your statement "Tiny tanks of 100 gal or more...". If a "tiny" tank fell on you then it wouldn't be so "tiny" would it?