dilema

[blaster]

I have a new 52 hex and want to put it on new carpet.My wife is worried about water spillage on the carpet.Anyone out there have any ideas about protecting the surrounding carpet or my new tank is going in the unfinished furnace room.

[kari]

Get 3 large dogs to protect the carpet and remove the grass from your backyard. Thats what I am trying.
Sorry, I have no useful ideas.

[EmilyB]

Get 3 large dogs to protect the carpet and remove the grass from your backyard. Thats what I am trying.
Sorry, I have no useful ideas.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

No, that's doesn't work either. :razz:

[Dresden]

might not look purdy but a larger low height rubbermail that the entire stand can sit in is a failsafe

[trilinearmipmap]

I don't want to sound sexist but I find dealing with women that using a different approach works. Take her out for a nice dinner, buy her some jewelry then after telling her how much you love her, ask her about putting the tank on your new carpet.

[Tropical Paradise]

Get some tarp from Home Depot and use it whenever you do water change. No matter how careful you are, water spillage will happen. It costs about $4.oo for a 10x12 piece of tarp.

Hope this helps!

[StirCrazy]

personaly I would put it in the unfinnished room and finnish it into a den or what ever.

Steve

[Beverly]

Anyone out there have any ideas about protecting the surrounding carpet

Never had a tank on carpet, but did have them on hardwood which is just as easy to mess up, imo. Used to use lots of old towels around the tank whenever doing ANYTHING in the tank so no drips went on the hardwood.

Currently have our whole condo in ceramic tile and still use old towels to protect the tile.

Maybe you can offer to buy her a whole set of matching new towels so you can use the old ones :cool:

[Quinn]

Right in front of my tank I have a reed mat from Ikea. It holds any water that I ever happen to spill, either until I step on it and soak it up or it evaporates, and looks good in the process. If reeds don't really suit your decor, I'm sure you can find an alternative (basically like having a towel in front of the tank all the time, except better looking). As for water around the back and sides, I just pray my tank never leaks.

[Chad]

I have my tank on a very very old record playing stereo system. Wish I could describe it a little better but it looks like it could be a big tank stand. Anyways I took some garbage bags and placed it over the "stand" and I have a old carpet in front of it. So everything is protected.. the old stereo and the floor.

[C&C]

I had my 130 gal on a rubber mat then on new carpet. I found that when I had a spill, when I wasn't home of course (15 Gal) it worked its way under the mat and wicked under my stand. My stand has a flat bottom so drying under it wasn't an option. When I finally did move the tank there was a little spotting on the carpet, I did spend a lot of time with a shop vac and fans trying to dry under it.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the spills while you are working on the tank, but rather the ones that happen when you aren't around!!

The end result is if there is anyway it can get wet IT WILL!

And even with the footprint of my stand covering the entire area of the tank the carpet still got flattened really badly (only 10 months) and its a burber carpet not a plush type.

I guess supporting the stand on some sort of legs would help, but it might totally wreck the carpet, (depending on the weight?

Just some thing to think about.

[nigel]

AS you see there is no guarantee.
What you can do is protect the carpet spill during regular maintenance. Avoid carrying and trying to pour water into aquarium. Water pump and hang on hose are better. Syphon water out directly to drain.

[AJ_77]

IF you have leftover carpet, make a nice mat in the shape of your stand, out about 10"/25cm or so all around. Then you have double carpeting around the tank - and yes, it will get wet no matter what.

OR you could shop around for a nice hex rubber mat with a lip on it, and put everything on that.

Best Option So Far: StirCrazy's basement den idea - that rocks. Then you get your own room, and a floor drain! Put in an high-volume exhaust fan, and you can sit in front of your tank with a nice cigar...

Mmmm... :biggrin: