Reefkeepers worst disaster -moral help?

[hurrifan]

Tony, sorry to hear about that. Bowever, with that said, I would definitely approach Clearseal (nicely first) about paying for EVERYTHING!!! They are obviously liable for the damages, and even though they are a UK country are subject to US jurisdictional laws because they transact businees here. TAKE PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURE and keep a log of the events that happened and what you have done to correcct or what you have paid for to correct thus far. If Clearseal is not ammenable to a settlement, hire a lawyer. I am not a lawyer, but I am a 3rd year law student and I think that there is a viable claim. HTH

 

[Marcosreef]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tony Quinn:
<strong>...total cost and loss of aquarium system between 15 and 20 thousand dollars (equivalent as we deal in Pounds!). </strong><hr></blockquote>

Hurrifan, I don't think Tony lives here (USA)...

 

[Lynn]

I was told that the manufacturers of fish tanks will only warrantee the tank..if it sits on their own stands, no one elses.

 

[maroon clown]

is it possible that the stand had something to do with straining the glass in the tank and causing it to blow out? Just a thought since it was stated that it was a custom made stand

 

[FishDaddy]

Tony,
Glad that your insurance covers a substantial amount of your $$$ loss. As said before, nothing can replace your livestock and the care and effort you put into the reef.

Were you home when this happened?
Dick

 

[Tony Quinn]

Hi guys, its the local home swimming pool attendant responding to your kind replies and questions. Firstly, re. the glass thickness of 10mm (I've since found out,and not 12mm) which is roughly 1/2" for you imperialists out there, you would expect that Clearseal being the largest supplier of aquariums in the UK would know the correct thickness!?!. In regard to liability, the small print on their guarantees is exhaustive and basically allows them to cop out of anything according to the LFS manager who set up the system and in respect of torts, I may be the one sued on that basis for a tort of nuisance!!! (foul smell eminating from local house!) as I have barely been able to ventilate the property due to the worst torrential rain for a long time! (and thats something given the UK winters). As for the stand it is not to blame as it was the seals that appeared to come unstuck (maybe due to glass flexing but who knows)and this stand is 50mm heavy gauge steel and stronger than any stand I have ever seen, perfectly straight and made solely for this tank. The reason companies insist on their own stands are purely financial as they make a fortune on them. No, both of us were out, thank god or else we would be in hospital or dead thats why I mentioned about those of you placing your seating in a wise position, just in case!. The irony of all this is that I recently took a few fish out of this tank after taking the advice of the Tang brigade amongst you and these were my least suitable fish, now they are the sole survivors! how's that for fate?

 

[danmhippo]

1 inch = 2.45 cm = 24.5 mm

10 mm = .4 inch = 2/5 inch

Hell, that's very thin for a 300G tank. Unless they have a proprietary invention of making a very strong glass panel, I would consider lucky to have the tank running for 10 months.

 

[hurrifan]

Davlin, I have taken a Torts class and am familiar with the playground rule. However, honestly I was unaware that the playground rule can be applied outside of a sports context. I was only trying to help... Sorry for the mis-information.

[ February 28, 2002: Message edited by: Hurrifan ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

its the local home swimming pool attendant

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

(foul smell eminating from local house!)

Man, i'm sitting here in total awe of your ability to joke about this terrible situation. lol. you've got a great sense of humour. Admiration may be too strong of a word to use here but i think it fits. I look up too you.

please keep us posted,
pojohnny


P.S: Maybe your home insurance company might want to ask their attorneys about this situation. If they could recoup some of their cost they might be interested.

PPS: Personally, i don't see how the playground rule could apply to this.

 

[davelin315]

Sorry to hear about your catastrophe. It's stories like yours that make me worry about my tank. Knock on wood. Anyways, I wouldn't waste money on an attorney (or a barrister, since you live in the UK) because I would assume that the same general principles exist in the law there as well as here. Hurrifan, if you take a torts course, you will learn about the playground rule which states that there is a reasonable assumption of risk when undertaking certain things. Generally, it applies towards sports settings where you assume the risk of injury based upon the level of physical exertion and contact in sports. However, you can apply the same concept to just about anything. If negligence applies (and it's not even uniform here from state to state) then it's possible that insufficient glass thickness will result in a claim, but since it appears the seals gave out, this may not apply. Anyways, Tony, count yourself lucky to still have anything left including a house. Think of the bright side, at least the floor didn't collapse under the tank instead!

 

[M.E.Milz]

What a horrible tragedy. It doesn't give me much comfort when I think about the 380g glass tank that will be going into our new condo on the 57th floor. Fortunately, the tank will have all 1" glass panels. Nevertheless, I think a special insurance policy is in order (you never know). Best of luck with trying to save as much of the livestock as possible.

[ February 28, 2002: Message edited by: M.E.Milz ]</p>

 

[Mouse]

Tony, i dont know who sold you the Clearseal tank mate, but its common policy never to make a 10mm tank into a reef. Let alone a 300Gallon one

Infact i dont think you could buy a 10mm 300gallon tank if you tried.

I have to say Clearseal are the cheapest tanks on the market here, you can pick them up for next to nothing. And for good reason too, there crap. I had two of them leak straight out the box. One had a piece of gravel in the seal, and the other just had a bit of seal missing. Never again.

I actually find it incredible that someone sold you this tank, if i were you id be round the guys house with a blow torch and a pair of pliers.

 

[Mouse]

This is quoted from the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association <blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

All aquaria designed to have a water depth greater than 17.5 ins. must he constructed of at least 6mm thick glass. Where aquaria are 36 inches or greater in length they should be made in 6mm glass when exceeding 15 inches in height and in 10mm glass where the water depth exceeds 18 ins depth.

The OATA govern the Aquatic trade in England, and as you can see from their scale above your tank was lacking slightly.

If your tank is 8ft long then i would guess that the overall height has to be somewhere around the 30 inch mark. That depth of water is enough to warrant 12-15 mm thick glass for the WATER ALONE, not to mention your 250LB of live rock you have resting against it aswell. Oh dear, never mind ay.

 

[Mouse]

Quote Pojonny <blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Man, i'm sitting here in total awe of your ability to joke about this terrible situation. lol. you've got a great sense of humour. Admiration may be too strong of a word to use here but i think it fits. I look up too you.

You would need one being that stupid.

Tony, i just hope you had polystyrene under the tank. It just sounds from the way that you described your stand being "Custom" that you may have seen it wise to skip this bit because it didn't look pretty.

Nice one mate, youve brightend up my day no end.

[ March 01, 2002: Message edited by: Mouse ]</p>