Floor Protection

[Bunny13]

The place I'm moving to has carpeted floors and I am looking for away to protect them, and the floor underneath from water damage. Does anyone use anything under their tanks for protection? The tank is in the living room so I would like it to look at least somewhat decent.

[johnpeezy]

My girlfriend and I wrapped our custom tank stand in a waterproof table cloth, It seems to work pretty good. so that 2' x 3' section of carpet is dry but everything else gets wet when we do a water change

[TwoTankAmin]

I just keep a couple of bathmats and towels handy.

The problem with trying to put something waterproof down to protect things is the water will always run off the edge and onto whatever you thought you were protecting.

[Bunny13]

Originally Posted by TwoTankAmin

The problem with trying to put something waterproof down to protect things is the water will always run off the edge and onto whatever you thought you were protecting.

That is so true. Maybe some extra towels are all I need then. They make those super absorbent towels...maybe I should look into those.

[DaisyTattoo]

I have my tanks on hardwood and the only time I've ever had water hit the floor was when my filter had issues. And that is only on 1 of the several tanks I have up. As long as you have a python for waterchanges, it shouldn't be much of a worry.

[TwoTankAmin]

Well......
Until you syphon out 4 gals into a 3 gal bucket, or do a 1/3 waterchange on a 45 and pump 20 gals back into the tank....

Keep the towels handy

[DaisyTattoo]

I have had the plug fall into the sink while doing a waterchange on a 55, with the faucet on....so I probably dumped 50 gallons on the kitchen floor....But that isn't under the tank, so it doesn't count

[joephys]

I have never done anything special to protect the carpet. Never had a stain or any problem from dirty fish water getting on the floor.

[Trixie]

Well, I can make a mess when I am working with plants. I take a big plastic garbage bag and lay the plants out on it. Still makes a mess coming out of the tank, though. I try to keep a smaller rolled up towel on the teeny little space in front of the tanks, since one is on a file cabinet and the other is on a big desk. Helps a little, but I guess I'm just messy.

[Bunny13]

hehe well it seems maybe I'm just a little messier then others here. But then again, I have never really cared about the place I have lived in up until now. I'm thinking a python will cut down on some of my mess and I like the idea of the trash bag to use under my plants when I pull them out. I'll have to give that a try.

[DeputyChiefJR]

Originally Posted by DaisyTattoo

I have had the plug fall into the sink while doing a waterchange on a 55, with the faucet on....so I probably dumped 50 gallons on the kitchen floor....But that isn't under the tank, so it doesn't count

Been there befre with the 75 gallon. Luckily it's a maintenance garage below my apt. instead of another apt.

[RTR]

We have rugs, not wall-to-wall carpet. Only two of my tanks sit on rugs. No problems in >20 years.

[Trixie]

The "plants on the trash bag" thing also works to help your visual idea take shape as you are aquascaping. You lay them out full length and sorted by species. Aquascaping is a snap.
And I've done all those messy things, plus a few of my own, even with a python. I guess I am a "messy overachiever"

[johnpeezy]

Every time I do water change my living room looks like a water ballon warzone