skinless Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 what sort of tank setups have you seen in above ground apartments? has anyone ever had any problems with aquarium setups and condo boards? what if no board has been established yet? how would you feel if some 'dude' who lives above you kept a couple moderately sized tanks running? remember there is a hella good chance my fish room would be above your computer room/office. halp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauron2 Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Lets just say that i hope you have a good insurance provider. :smokey: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toirtis Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Good insurance is important up front. Condo boards can be hell, and I know of cases where they have passed rules disallowing certain pets well fter a unit-owner had one...and as far as I know, it is legal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osprey Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Sorry to hop in, but I'd like to ask this again... Does anyone know of a good insurance provider for home aquaria? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyb440 Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Your first step should be to check your condo bylaws. When I purchased my condo the bylaws stated that any caged pets, and fish were allowed without approval from the condo board. A few months later, a new set of bylaws was proposed that changed the pet restrictions to "one ten-gallon fish tank, OR two birds." Given that I had 55 and 20 gallon aquariums at the time, I found this rather irritating. So, combined with a few other reasons, I put myself on the condo board. Here are a few things I gathered while on that board. 1. It is unlikely that anyone will really care about your fish tank, or two. It is also unlikely that anyone will ever even know they're there. 2. Size matters. Large aquaria are frowned upon in apartment buildings because of the great flood potential should they spring a leak, and weight considerations. Your condo board will probably object to tanks over 50 gallons or so. 3. Number also matters. You mentioned a fish room. A few small tanks likely won't bother anyone, but putting six 77 gallon tanks into a bedroom will likely raise the ire of your condo board, for flood potential, weight, and humidity reasons. 4. Technically, if your condo board really wants to make things ugly, they can. Hopefully, they have better things to spend their time on than your fish tank (the board I was on certainly had bigger problems than pets), but this is why you need to be aware of the bylaws. If you don't already own a condo, and are looking to purchase, make sure you can live with the bylaws before you get there. Also, be aware that pet restrictions are rarely fair or rational. For example, I was told that cats are not allowed in this building because they might bother people's allergies. However, according to the same set of bylaws, smoking is allowed. 5. As mentioned have insurance. Most insurance policies do cover aquarium leakage, but it's good to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werner Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Does anyone know of a good insurance provider for home aquaria? Your regular renter's (or homeowner's) insurance should let you add additional coverage against water damage- specify to your broker that you have aquariums and need this added to your policy. Several years back, I had a hose pop off the filter of my 130 gallon tank while I was out. The water drained across 3 rooms to reach the lowest spot in the house, then on down a heat duct and into the (unfinished) basement. Carpet and lino had to be replaced, but fortunately no other property was damaged. The fish had a few inches of water left, so they survived Although I had coverage against this, the landlord's insurance ended up paying for the damage because it was considered accidental. I had a "well used" copy of the filter manual to show the adjuster that the filter was being operated according to the manufacturer's specs and I wasn't being negligent. Also, I had the aquarium specifically mentioned the original lease as being allowed in the house (provided it was insured against damage.) The moral of the story: get insurance and approval. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyal to the Oil Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Most new condos are cement so the leak wont go "down" but playing the devils advocate here just dont tell anyone you have a tank. Unless you have the condo board over for tea who will ever know ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinless Posted April 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 great info folks - thanks. the situation i find myself in was unexpected to say the least and i gotta sort matters out by May long. i'm considering a breeder40g and 75g in the second room. with a breeder55g in the main room. that's not nutso right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodogg02 Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 i hav a 45 saltwater and a 30 gallon freash in the corner of my dinning room in my apartment,the buildingis old floors really suck.no probs yet and hope i never hav any,i will be calling my renter ins provider to see if they are covering or if i need additional ins.i want a 130 for my salt tank but think i will be waiting about 20 years till i can afford a house.good info thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molino Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I've got 8 tanks going in my condo, and did check with the board prior to setting up my largest tank (125 gallon). The answer was that so long as I had insurance to cover potential damage they were ok with it and it's a concrete highrise so weight is not an issue. My downstair neighbor doesn't know about the tanks... Not sure how comfortable she'd be if she did :eh: I've been in the same condo for about 8 years (had fish for 6). There have been about 3 or 4 floods that affected my unit to some degree (all due to plumbing issues in other units), none due to fish tanks so I would think fish tanks are a minor concern when it comes to flooding. The amount of water is limited to what's in the tank whereas with a plumbing leak it could go on and on until the water is shut off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jods2518 Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I live in a new condo, ground floor, and I have a 180 gal set up in the dining room and a 55 gal in the den....I'm not concerned....but I'll let you know if I have issues...the board was jsut elected last night! I do have insurance though and wouldn't think of not having it! Jodes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinless Posted April 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 excellent setup examples. thanks, keep em coming. with a concrete foundation, it appears i can proceed with the three tanks i'd like to keep at home. and i can probably bump the 40 and add another 75 down the road. sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetras_corys_loaches_oh_my Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 *chuckle* as a manager of an edmonton apartment building, i have only had problems with tanks owned by a jerk. well, i thought he was a jerk, because do NOT flirt with me and be coy when i ask how big the tank you want to put into a 3rd story suite of a wooden building 40 years old and says its 'only 125G, its light"... sheesh. (his face when he came into my basement apartment and seen the 70G, 55G, 33G and 20G was priceless. light huh?) I tell people that supplementary insurance is mandatory for aquarists, as we all know that 1 tank is NEVER enough LOL. and its VERY inexpensive, and most insurance places give you a combo discount if you have vehicle insurance with them too. i do limit the size of the ones in upper floors... but in a concrete building... man, that'd be... humid to say the least Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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