# DISASTER



## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

Guys,

I feel like crying. My Aqua One nano just burst at the far right corner. Water is everywhere and fish and shrimp were also. I've ran a bucket of water and added what i could gather off the floor back into the bucket. 

Other than cleaning all the soil and water up off the floor which is now completely ruined. What should i do next?

I have got a 60P tank with no water in there at the moment, just hardscape. Should i put my 600 thermo onto this tank, fill with water and pray for the best?

Would appreciate whatever advice you guys could give me. All the plants will also be ruined.

Richard


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## Zeus. (4 May 2020)

Sorry to hear about your nightmare 



Richard40 said:


> Should i put my 600 thermo onto this tank, fill with water and pray for the best?



I would


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## castle (4 May 2020)

Really sad to hear, do you have water escape insurance? It's something I've been paying extra for, for years. Best to contact AquaOne as that doesn't sound right. 

I would get a bucket (got some rain water?) fill it with any hardscape from the wreckage and then with water. Put all live animals into bucket, they'll be fine for a week(s). Squeeze the sponge from the filter into the new tank, fill with water, attach filter and wait a few days. Empty bucket into tank. Try and get it planted asap.


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)




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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

It’s just exploded at the bottom right corner. I don’t think I have water escape insurances 

Busy tidying up but this shouldn’t have happened. 

I’m changing my 600 filter over to the small tank now. 

Shall I get water into the small tank and get this one running? I’ve got the thermo 250 heater which I could take out and leave in the bucket.


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## Gill (4 May 2020)

Ouch not nice,
Get everything you can into the 60p And try and save as many fish etc as you can. Fish and shrimp can survive for quite some time out of the water.
Even if they look dried out just put them in the water and some may make it. They will be listless for a few hours and bounce back. Dont worry about about cleaning any fluff or dust of them, it wont matter. Just get them back into the water.

Change over as much to the 60P and keep spraying the plants to minimise wilting etc.
Treat it like a massive water change, and add normal decholrinator etc. And If you have some Bacteria add that.
Do squeeze out some of the muck from the filter sponges into the water, so that there is good bacteria in the water. Dont worry about aestheitcs for now. you can always gravel vac in a few days. If you are able to save the substrate, Just dump it in as it is. dont worry about cloldiness. The fish wont.
If you have an airstone add this to the bucket. Dont worry about loss of heat too much. You can wrap the bucket in a towel etc. It takes a long time for the water to cool down. A Black bucket will help to retain heat.


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

Right,

I've put water in the 60P, my Biomaster thermo 600 is linked up to it, so old sponges, and filter media. 

Most fish, snails and shrimp recovered are in a bucket but I don't have a spare heater. Also I took all plants out and they are in a bucket.

What next, as it's the old filter running can the fish go back in the tank or would that be lethal?


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

I have a second heater on my Oase 250, which I've taken out and placed in the bucket.


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

I was due a delivery of all my new plants this week. Should I hold that off and replant as much of my old plants into the 60P?


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

I’ve got a Twinstar Nano, should I put that in the bucket to release oxygen whilst they stay in there?


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## alto (4 May 2020)

Be very careful of heaters in buckets - the water can easily overheat - try setting the heater lower than normal and check temp frequently 
What’s your room temperature?
(a little cool is usually better than overheating re low oxygen) 

Do you have any food grade plastic rectangular bin that offers more footprint than a typical bucket?

If you’ve added water and filter to the 60P, I’d move the fish there - plants can easily wait until tomorrow

Before replanting old plants, go though and trim any damaged leafs, trim back roots for replanting (previous roots will often die from damage)


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## hypnogogia (4 May 2020)

If you’re running your filter, I’d pop the critters into the tank rather than keep them in a bucket.


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

hypnogogia said:


> If you’re running your filter, I’d pop the critters into the tank rather than keep them in a bucket.


Right all surviving fish, shrimp and snails have gone into the tank.


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## Andy Thurston (4 May 2020)

Treat like a freshly set tank big\frequent water changes. Match temp to tank and use dechlorinator maybe use an ammonia remover for piece of mind. It's hard work but possible. In my early fish keeping years I had juvenile clown loach in an immature tank and they all survived. The key was clean dechlorinated water your filters will soon catch up


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

The filter is fine, it’s mature but from the other tank so that shouldn’t be a problem.

My plan was 50% water changes every day for a week, then every other day for a week and then every 3 days, until 4th week once a week. 

Should I still continue with this when it’s fully planted on Wednesday?


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## Andy Thurston (4 May 2020)

You should always do more water changes than normal when you disturb the tank substrate. It will help with any ammonia spikes you may or may not get. Changing water is the most powerful weapon we fish keepers have


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## Andy Thurston (4 May 2020)

In fact I would recommend that you start this waterchange procedure once you add the new plants


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## Ghettofarmulous (4 May 2020)

Sorry to hear this my man.


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## Steve Buce (4 May 2020)

Hope everything pulls thru for you Richard

Id contact the supplier of the tank, if its a recent purchase


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

Ghettofarmulous said:


> Sorry to hear this my man.


Cheers fella, words can not comprehend hearing a racket and seeing water flooding from the tank and fish flapping in the soil and water. Was like a dream. Seem to be doing ok for what happened in the smaller tank at the moment. 
I’m pissed off as that should not happen to any tank, maybe leaking but not to burst open like that.


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## Richard40 (4 May 2020)

Steve Buce said:


> Hope everything pulls thru for you Richard
> 
> Id contact the supplier of the tank, if its a recent purchase


3 years old, can’t see getting anywhere. You never know, I have contacted Aqua One. Not expecting anything other than tough though.


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## John S (5 May 2020)

What a nightmare. Which model of Aqua One tank was this?


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

Aqua one Nano 130 litre


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## Tom Michael (5 May 2020)

What a nightmare- sorry to hear this. At least there was no harm to you and your family. As others have said critters should be fine in a bucket with something as a lid for a while- water changes and rather than worry about a low is temp (not too bad this time of year) try and keep the temp constant- you could insulate the bucket so as to keep some of the daytime temp. Also some water movement such as air stone.


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

They are all in my 60p. I lost about 10 fish. Seem to be doing fine. Water changes start tomorrow.


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## John S (5 May 2020)

Richard40 said:


> Aqua one Nano 130 litre


Not what I wanted to hear. You are the second person I know who has suffered the same failure in the same area. I have one of these and was thinking of getting rid of it. I think now that decision has been made.


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

Oh really. That’s interesting John. Can you shed any light as to whether they got a refund or anything similar?

Clearly it’s a weak point or the sealing isn’t up to standard.


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## John S (5 May 2020)

I'm not sure they pursued it with Aqua One. The tank was over two years old.


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

Yes mine is 3, I've sent an e-mail as clearly this is an issue. At least I've tried if they get back and say they can't refund.


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## Emil. (5 May 2020)

Richard40 said:


> Yes mine is 3, I've sent an e-mail as clearly this is an issue. At least I've tried if they get back and say they can't refund.


I'm sorry to hear what happened to you, Richard. You might want to try to approach them via some social media instead. In my experience, companies are more inclined to help if you "harass" them publicly. Good luck!


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

Thanks, yes I sent a message on Instagram and instantly received a reply! Currently sending through pics as we speak.


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

So they've offered a reduction in price of a new tank! Wrote back not good enough as has happened before, and threatened with trading standards. It's only 2 years old not 3 like I thought originally.


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## sparkyweasel (5 May 2020)

IANAL but I think the trading standards people would expect an aquarium to last a lot longer than 2 or 3 years.


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

Trading standards put me onto Citizens advice, who told me to contact them within my rights to ask for a repair or refund. Aqua one are putting it on the store I bought it from.


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## John S (5 May 2020)

That's a poor response from Aqua One. I've had 3 of their tanks in the last 10 years but I won't be getting another.

It's a shame I'm no longer in contact with the work mate who also had this problem as I could have got the pictures from him he had on his phone. It may have added a bit of weight to your claim.


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## alto (5 May 2020)

Richard40 said:


> Aqua one are putting it on the store I bought it from.


Contact the store - it may be that while the claim is processed through them, the replacement tank will be supplied by Aqua One


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## Richard40 (5 May 2020)

They are saying it’s not under warranty, so I might be snookered.


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## Fisher2007 (6 May 2020)

Richard40 said:


> So they've offered a reduction in price of a new tank! Wrote back not good enough as has happened before, and threatened with trading standards. It's only 2 years old not 3 like I thought originally.



What level of reduction have they offered?  If it's a fair amount it might be worth considering.  I know some have had issues but I have had the Aqua Nano 40 and 60 for well over 5 years with no issue.  Plus, if there was truly a problem with manufacturing then I'd be pretty confident that would have been remedied by now


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## Richard40 (6 May 2020)

They haven't said what level of reduction tbh. I don't want another really as i'll be worried the same thing could happen again, would always be on my mind.


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