Hardwood Floor Protection?

Becky J.

My husband and I have three fish tanks (90 gal., 65 gal., 55 gal.) on wooden stands, and we're looking at buying a house that has hardwood floors in some locations. In carpeted rooms we always put a piece of plastic carpet runner under the stands to protect the flooring from spilled water. It works well for the carpeting, but I have doubts that it will be sufficient for the hardwood flooring.

Does anyone know if there is a product available sort of like the plastic trays they make to put under washing machines, but sized to fit standard fish tanks?

If not, what does everyone do to protect their flooring?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Becky

ahill3780

Welcome to FishTankForums!

You will want to seal your hardwood flooring with a nice water resistant finish in the area of any tanks. Talk with someone at your local Home Depot or Lowes about what sealant would be right for your floor.

I would also supplement this with a nice water containment mat that the tank can sit on. I am trying to remember where I found the one I was looking at, but I may have to post again later when I get home and can look in the book. In the meantime you may want to run a search over google for "spill containment mats" to see what you can find.

-Aaron

Becky J.

Thanks, Aaron!

I'm still sorting through the links that come up when I search for "spill containment mats". A lot of interesting things come up! ;-) If you do find the info for yours, let me know!

I'll have to check on adding additional sealants to the floor. It'll be one of those new prefinished hardwoods (the house is new construction), so I'll have to look into whether anything can be put on it.

Thanks again!

Becky

ahill3780

Yeah they may not allow extra sealants on a new floor for warranty purposes.

I found the part I was looking for. It is a bit pricey ($200) but it can hold 80 gallons safely. They are made for Haz-mat spill control of toxic cemicals and such but you can use them for practical purposes too. In fact, with a little patience (and a lot of boredom to fuel you!) you can browse all through the site as they have some awesome accessories that can be used for aquariums.

This is a laboratory supply company so you can imagine they have everything from spill control products, to testing equipment (test for evey chemical in your tank!), to gas masks, to medical kits and MSDS kits.

Here is the link to the Berm/Mat spill control. (It looks kind of unappealing, but with some creative decoration you can make it work for your home. If anything it will give you a better idea of what you are looking for.)

Link: ENPAC CORPORATION Yellow Jacket Berms - Lab Safety Supply

And here is a link to the home page for all you backstage onlookers who are interested.

Link: Lab Safety Supply: Material Handling, Industrial Supply, Respirators, Safety Glasses and More!

HTH,
Aaron

Becky J.

Wow, that should definitely do the trick!

Thanks for the info!

Becky

yoshi191

I Would Say put a sheet of wood under the Stand. And under The wood Put laminate foam ( The stuff they put under Fake Hard Wood )..