Elos tank following a move: how much stress can it sustain?

[sugartooth]

Hello,

I have a 72" x 34" x 30" Elos aquarium from 2012 that was moved by 6 professional movers (moving company).

During the move, we encountered some issues, and I would like to ask those that have knowledge of Elos design/structure what I should look for in terms of stress and the likelihood of a tank fail in the future. I have emailed EloseAmerica but not response. I didn't realize they are no longer distributing in US.

Below are what occurred in sequence:

- 1 mover rocked the tank back and forth (pushing at the top of tank). That seems to be what everyone wants to do when I tell them to be careful and that it's very heavy.

- Moved tank from stand onto 2 dollies using vacu-cups. When I looked, their dollies were different sizes so one end of the tank was completely on while the other end was just touching the very outer edge of the second dolly. I had to convince the lead to put some cardboard in the middle to have some additional support. Some time was lost due to this. They transported the tank this way on to the truck.

- Getting into the new house, I heard a loud sound so not sure exactly what happened. When I looked, the movers were trying to get one dolly back under the tank. My worst assumption is that it hit the pavement. However, when I look at the tank, I don't see any chips or cracks. There was cardboard over each end of the tank.
- I meant to ask exactly what happened, but then got distracted because right after that happened, there was a fight amongst the movers, almost coming to blows.


- They had to tilt it on it's end on a moving blanket to slide into the house and move it to the room. There, 6 guys lifted it on the stand. At this point it was evident they were tired because they had trouble lifting it high enough.

- Once on the stand, it was not flush and I asked them to move it in place so everything was supported. They tried, but were sloppy (due to fatigue) and I didn't want anyone getting hurt so I told them to stop.

I don't have people strong enough and in enough numbers to help me set it correctly, until one week later, possibly longer if it doesn't work today.

Currently, the tank is crooked going from left to right. The left side is about 1/8" hanging over the front, and the right side is 3/4" over the front, so the front pane is not supported. The glass is 3/4" thick.

My questions are:

- What is the likelihood there is substantial stress to the tank to cause it to fail when I set it up with water?

- What else should I look for when assessing potential stress/damage? I checked the glass and there are no chips. I checked the seams and see some normal wear and tear at the edges, but no bubbles starting. If it's going to fail, what will I see?


I hope someone can offer advice on how to proceed. I wasn't sure which forum was the most appropriate. Thank you in advance!

 

[Bajie]

I have an Elos 120 which I bought 2013 in Japan.
Moved from apartment I purchased in to my apartment with no issues but checked tank and all seams then did a "test fill" with rodi to ensure no leaks.

When I packed the tank to move back to England, the movers were much more careful and once in situ back home did the visual checks then filed with rodi to check for leaks.

In your situation, I would be a bit worried due to feeling the tank had been dropped.
As you have checked visually, are you able to test fill to put your mind at ease

 

[Sounds Fishy]

The only way to tell if it is water tight is to fill it slowly.
I had my 6x24x30 aquarium moved to my new home in July by a LFS.Then it sat on it's end on my deck for 6 weeks before I could get the floor reinforced in the new place to accommodate the installation and rebuild.
I had mine resting on a dolly as well,while it was moved to it's new location.
At this point I am making up some RODI water and I am going to see if it leaks or not.The reason I posted this is because I can relate to what you are feeling.As far as your aquarium being dropped,if there is no visible damage then there is a good chance it's okay,and if it holds water,then you may as well use it,because your other alternative is to replace it.Your choice.I am going to use mine if it's water tight.However,just like any other aquarium,there is always a risk of weakness that may have resulted while being carried,dollies,and jostled,that you will not see but may cause a problem down the road.It happens.
There is no guarantee that if you replace this aquarium with a new one,that the same 6 movers are going to do a better job.
I start filling mine Saturday....it is a funny thing you said about movers ,who start twisting your aquarium to gauge how heavy it is....They do that here in Canada too!
BTW,your aquarium needs to be square on the stand ,with all corners square ,or you may inadvertently stress the overhanging corner,and could fail.If there is no water in it you are still able to put it correct then,that is my advice.

 

[dattack]

Elos is distributed by Coralvue now.
http://www.coralvue.com/elos

 

[sugartooth]

Thanks for posting your experiences and thoughts. It's very helpful.

I was able to get some help to nudge the tank flush so it's supported. However, I won't fill the tank until sometime later. This is because it needs to stay where it is until I find a place for it. Until then I won't fill it.

The suggestion to fill it slow is great, I will do it in phases. I guess I wanted to get a sense of how likely the tank will fail given what's happened during the move. Highly likely, somewhat likely?

Also, are there any tips with regard to the care of the silicone? What I am wondering if I should apply anything (silicone grease?) to keep it from cracking?

Good luck to you, Fishy.

Thank you to dattach, I will plan to reach out to them for any additional info.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

What kind of glass is an Elos tank made out of? Or is it acrylic?
Personally, my biggest fear would be micro cracks and or stresses that are not visible to the eye. These could hold for months or years then one day, water everywhere. If the movers mishandled your tank they need to cover it. This means acting now, not waiting, and filing a claim. You can't logically expect them to cover damages if you wait months until after a move to test the tank or even file a claim. If you even SUSPECT the tank having been damage, file a claim. The fact that they almost got into a fight is ridiculous and seriously leads me to question what kind of people the company has working for them.
Either way--act now, do not wait.

 

[sugartooth]

Crayola, the tank is made out of 3/4" glass, and the bottom is double pane siliconed together.

I'm worried about the stress cracks too, but there is no way to prove it without it being visible. There is no way to file a claim without proof, and I doubt they will cover anything unless I can show damage. All I felt I could do, was to submit negative feedback and tell them what happened.

Initially I was calling back and forth with customer support, but then they stopped calling me back.