Will a Reef Ruin my furniture?

[Mad Scientist]

I'm once again thinking about setting up a new reef in my living room. We have a nice leather couch with metal legs, an expensive rug etc. Our insurance will take care of us in the event of a flood (had to set this up when I was running a lg FW system).

The tank and sump will be covered with glass cover/standard canopy. Do you think I will see damage to the leather and metal from arosolized salt/micro spray? Anyone have any stuff ruined without direct contact with SW?
Thanks!!!

[RobSW1]

Fish tanks and rugs are not a good idea.....now matter how careful you are when doing a water change or other maintenance, you will have spills and stains.....

my suggestion is cut away the carpet in just the area where the tank will be, then lay down some tile.....as for other furniture like couches, i dont see how those would be ruined.

[DAMNAGE!]

I HAVE WOOD FLOORING AND ITS INEVITABLE THAT SPILLING WILL OCCUR. MAYBE PLACE SOME PLASTIC BAGS UNDER THE STAND?

[Hormigaquatica]

1) DUDE- CAPS! lol
2) I have had furniture and walls ruined by salt spray. If your tank is at least 4 or 5 feet from everything, I think you will be OK, but I wouldnt put them directly side-by-side. I had a tabletop start to bubble up on me, and found a nice hole in a plaster wall when I moved a 55g a couple years back. I agree with the others though- I wouldnt keep an expensive rug on the floor of any room with a marine tank in it. Maybe hang it up... accent wall kind of thing

[old salty]

I have a nice leather sofa and mahogany end tables in the same room as the tank (which sits on tile and not carpet). Salt spray will pretty much destroy most of what it touches as it is quite corrosive as it evaporates. For this reason, no nice furniture is in harms way from spray. If the tank broke, well I'd rather not think about that....

[bbehring]

Forget about the furniture, a reef tank will ruin your life. Run away fast and don't look back toward that halides!

[Sk8r]

If you have a basement, put the tank [lidless] upstairs with sufficient space around it so no salt spray gets to your furniture: rin the tank with 9" of fiberglass or formica, so there's no splash, run 2 hoses to the basement, and do all your spillage down there.

A reef with all the pumps and equipment runs too hot to afford a lid unless you have a chiller.

My tank is in a carpeted room, in a corner, with good furniture in the room, and while I have spilled gallons belowstairs, I haven't spilled a drop upstairs.

[rssjsb]

Originally posted by bbehring
Forget about the furniture, a reef tank will ruin your life. Run away fast and don't look back toward that halides!

lol. When I saw this thread, I thought the title was "Will a reef ruin my future?"

[SaltyDr]

No, but it'll ruin your wallet!

[ricks]

Forget the tank... Just fill your living room up with water.. It will give you more room for aquascaping...

[areze]

Originally posted by Hormigaquatica
1) DUDE- CAPS! lol
2) I have had furniture and walls ruined by salt spray. If your tank is at least 4 or 5 feet from everything, I think you will be OK, but I wouldnt put them directly side-by-side. I had a tabletop start to bubble up on me, and found a nice hole in a plaster wall when I moved a 55g a couple years back. I agree with the others though- I wouldnt keep an expensive rug on the floor of any room with a marine tank in it. Maybe hang it up... accent wall kind of thing

yeah, the big damage comes in the near area around the tank, from spashing and such, bubbles come to the surface and pop, a little droplet flies up, this will get a layer of salt on everything around it.

but the "salt creep" that comes in the form of honest evaporation; not that strong.

[jeffbrig]

After more than 2 years with a large tank in my living room, in my opinon, NO. We don't get a layer of salt on anything in the room, probably because the canopy over the tank contains everything. IMO, spills and floods are a much bigger concern, you can certainly destroy any type of flooring or damage wood furniture with water.

[tprize]

If you clean every week, you won't have to worry about it. I clean my floors and furniture around my tank every week and I have had no problems. It's how long the salt stays that will ultimately do damage.

[jeffbrig]

Originally posted by jeffbrig
After more than 2 years with a large tank in my living room, in my opinon, NO. We don't get a layer of salt on anything in the room, probably because the canopy over the tank contains everything. IMO, spills and floods are a much bigger concern, you can certainly destroy any type of flooring or damage wood furniture with water.

Update from Jeff's Wife

Actually, our glass kitchen table has been scratched from salt water residue and abrasion, hence the rule - no water tests or coral clipping at the kitchen table.

--Christy

[flyyyguy]

Originally posted by jeffbrig
Update from Jeff's Wife

Actually, our glass kitchen table has been scratched from salt water residue and abrasion, hence the rule - no water tests or coral clipping at the kitchen table.

--Christy

thats ok.......when you arent home I use your best dishes to frag in AND I do it on the table. Im just better at cleaning it up now than I used to be

[miwoodar]

Originally posted by tprize
If you clean every week, you won't have to worry about it. I clean my floors and furniture around my tank every week and I have had no problems. It's how long the salt stays that will ultimately do damage.

That's true. Also, I put a layer of 1/2" hard foam from Home Depot under my stand. I can wipe up what I spill on the wood floor and the foam protects the wood under the stand.