firecrackerbob June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 my wife and I are getting ready to move and my tank which is hidden away in the basement(away from the kids) is going to be in the family room of our new house. does anyone have any advise on kiddie proofing a tank- *specifically* whats the best way to secure a 55 to a wall or to brace it to prevent tipping over? We are eventually hoping to get a fish room built, but for now it looks like the tanks will be out in the rooms... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecool2 June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 The majority of the tank's instability comes from so much weight being held up rather high. The best way to stabilize it IMO would either be to secure it to the floor/wall or put it on a larger base. That being said, I've had my neices, nephew and dog all run into my 75g without so much as a splash of water. Unless the kids are climbing on it, I think you'd be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I'm not sure as far as bracing it, but make sure you have a nice lid (to keep random things out) and a way to keep the kids out of the sump/cabinet area or any plumbing. I've heard too many horror stories about fish food/sodas/crazyness being thrown in... also, cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 (edited) I have not had any issues with cats! Lol! But I would definately train young children to not throw baseballs balls or swing bats or golf clubs near the tank, secure your fish food pellets, and have a means of securing your lights so they don't fall into the tank! For teens, I would recommend rough housing in another area. :-) Many folks do not like acrylic tanks for its scratchability, but for having children around I love acrylic! From experience softballs, bats, bumps and flying objects don't cause it to explode or crack when hit. We also try to involve ours by asking what they would like to see in the tank. It has helped them to see it as something to watch and care about to a small degree. Hth! Forgot to say +1 on hiding EVERYTHING! I don't run a sump because I can't enclose it. So I keep it simple. Any open container,sump,lid, is an invitation to play. Edited June 4, 2012 by hbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schudini June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I'm not sure as far as bracing it, but make sure you have a nice lid (to keep random things out) and a way to keep the kids out of the sump/cabinet area or any plumbing. I've heard too many horror stories about fish food/sodas/crazyness being thrown in... also, cats. x2, all sorts of stuff finds it's way into the sump or "GI Joe secret underwater training facility" as it's known in the imagination of young kids A cabinet lock helps alot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy357 June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I highly recommend a canopy or glass lid because my oldest god daughter one day she was over decided to feed the fish Cheetos... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I have not had any issues with cats! Lol! I never had a cat go fishing but I did have one that liked to sleep on top of the aquarium because the light was nice and warm but of course that was my freshwater days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I trained my kids not to messing around the tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country June 5, 2012 Share June 5, 2012 When my son was very young I found many toys in my sump which sat beside my tank, I finally covered it over with acrylic to keep all the lego's and matchbox cars out of there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k June 5, 2012 Share June 5, 2012 I've secured tanks to walls by using a stainless steel 90 degree brace that attaches to the wall and protrudes just below the trim inside the tank. Not foolproof, but will prevent a tank from tipping over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firecrackerbob June 5, 2012 Author Share June 5, 2012 Wow, thanks for all the responses!! Yes, I would agree that training would be ideal, but Im starting to realize that a wild toddler just does what the impulse of the moment drives them too(and im soon to have two on my hands...) I was definitely planning on child locks to the doors and enclosing anything easily accessible. The 90degree brace is a good idea too; hadnt thought of that! Im a little hesitant to put a glass top on the tank due to light loss into the tank, but I think I will put locks onto my canopy as well... It amazes me what kids come up with... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecool2 June 5, 2012 Share June 5, 2012 Wow, thanks for all the responses!! Im a little hesitant to put a glass top on the tank due to light loss into the tank I think this is a common misconception. Glass only has a refractive index of 1.5 the loss is EXTREMELY low. Depending on the type of glass you may block a good deal of the UV (depending on the light type). That is also up for debate whether UV makes a difference or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef June 5, 2012 Share June 5, 2012 the only thing I worry about for a glass top is lack of oxygen conversion... You could always build a canopy and use some L brackets to hold that to the wall.... that in turn will pretty much hold the tank and stand so it wouldnt tip over... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh June 6, 2012 Share June 6, 2012 A Glass canopy hasn't been an issue with lighting. But it has in terms of breaking! I have had 2 break,crack or chip. I have been wishing for acrylic tops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco June 6, 2012 Share June 6, 2012 Upgrade to a 200+ to avoid any children knocking it over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firecrackerbob June 7, 2012 Author Share June 7, 2012 heh.. have been thinking of that... actually a 120 thats sitting empty in my parents basement... dont think it will fit in our living room though. maybe if we are able to afford the addition we would like and get that fish room I have been dreaming of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindeeo June 7, 2012 Share June 7, 2012 Although it was not our plan, I think our excitement about the tank and trying to engage the kids in the hobby resulted in: 1) reduced novelty and subsequent curiosity about the tank, 2) reduced activity near the tank (maybe the feared if they went near the tank, I would make them talk about it). So, I guess try to burn your kids out on the hobby, or at least remove the novelty or taboo about it. It worked for us, and out kids who are 3, 5, and 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS June 7, 2012 Share June 7, 2012 I think this is a common misconception. Glass only has a refractive index of 1.5 the loss is EXTREMELY low. Depending on the type of glass you may block a good deal of the UV (depending on the light type). That is also up for debate whether UV makes a difference or not. No trying to start anything but just trying to understand the statement. While the reFRACTive index of glass is about 1.5, I'm not sure what that has to do with loss. Generally speaking glass has a 4% reFLECTive rate for perpendicular rays. Since most people put their lights right above the top, most of the light does come perpendicular or close to it. You will get some off-axis lighting and at some point, if it's far off enough off the perpendicular axis, the glass will reflect 100% of that light past that critical angle (aka total internal reflection). This angle is directly tied to the refractive index but we are talking about things on the 30-45+ degree range. Unless you are not using a reflector or the light is really high, this should be minimal amount of light in that region. Maybe I'm missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b June 7, 2012 Share June 7, 2012 Tell children that small sharks with sharp teeth hide in the rocks and only come out when you bring your hand near the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 8, 2012 Share June 8, 2012 I'm trying to imagine a 55 gallon tank full of water being toppled over by a child.... Can you put boundary lines on the floor (like tape) to indicate the distance the child is to keep from the tank? A way to introduce the boundary would be to show the kid how to use a camera to tank tank pics, saying that to take good pics of the tank they need to stand that far back, that it is the best viewing point in order to see more of the tank at one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firecrackerbob June 9, 2012 Author Share June 9, 2012 Ive been really trying to not imagine the tank toppling over... Ive got a little one right now (18mo) and another on the way. hes not really at a point where hes taking direction very well... actually hes more like a wild animal thrashing about... apparently throwing yourself into doors and walls is great fun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh June 9, 2012 Share June 9, 2012 Secure your lights. It only took once to destroy my lights! But on the plus side, after that she never tried stick her head into the tank again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 9, 2012 Share June 9, 2012 Secure your lights. It only took once to destroy my lights! But on the plus side, after that she never tried stick her head into the tank again. Another tip - do not put anything near the tank that a child can stand on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh June 9, 2012 Share June 9, 2012 Like a really close sofa! Lol! But I did get the LED lights I wanted much later ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firecrackerbob June 9, 2012 Author Share June 9, 2012 yea, thats another of his favorite activities right now- climbing. I never thought I would be saying "please climb back down off the coffee table" 100x a day. good point though about no couches near by... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now