![\"Standard](\"https:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Types-of-Insurance-Policies.jpg\")
- \n
- Standard Aquarium<\/b><\/li>\n
- <\/b>Marine Life Aquarium<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Exotic Fish<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
#1 Standard Aquarium Insurance Policies<\/span><\/h3>\n
If you have a standard aquarium of any size, including a ten-gallon tank or a fifty-gallon tank, then you should consider getting an insurance policy that covers liability issues<\/a>. So, you need something that includes more than just the aquarium and the fish that live inside of the tank. You also need to think about whether you’d have any liability if the aquarium broke, depending on where your aquarium sits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Companies like Hartford and Progressive often offer these types of policies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#2 Marine Life Aquarium Insurance Policies<\/span><\/h3>\n
If you have a marine life aquarium in a commercial situation, then you’ll need to consider an insurance policy that will cover the property. Unfortunately, most marine life aquarium insurance policies cost quite a bit of money<\/strong>. You’ll need more than just a standard liability plan. Instead, you should consider a zoo policy, which would cover liability for guests, the facility the aquarium resides in, and the animals inside the tank – check<\/a> K&K Insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Crime<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Basic business risks<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Company vehicles<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Emergency vacating<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Workers’ compensation<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Event cancelations<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Crisis response<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Companies like the AARP and Progressive offer zoo policies, and they usually have a $500 to $2000 deductible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#3 Exotic Fish Insurance Policies<\/span><\/h3>\n
If you own any exotic fish, then you’ll need to go above and beyond your standard aquarium insurance policy. That’s because most standard aquarium insurance policies also don’t cover exotic fish. Because of this, most people that enjoy collecting exotic fish also apply for particular procedures that are designed to cover their fish collections. This process is much like when Jennifer Lopez had her famous rear end insured.<\/span><\/p>\n
One exotic fish can cost a few thousand dollars, and they also tend to require extensive costs to keep them alive. So, you’ll need to find an insurance company that has high-risk, high-value policies for specific niches. So, you won’t be able to purchase this type of policy using the same company that covers your car for example. Some companies, like the Hartford, insure fish tank fish for sure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Aside from these typical fish tank insurance policies, depending on whether you own or rent your home, and what type of insurance you have, your fish tank may already be covered. However, much of that depends on the wording in your insurance contracts. We’ll discuss how renters’ insurance and homeowners’ insurance may help to insure your fish tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Fish Tank Insurance If You Rent Your Home<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Get](\"https:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Fish-Tank-Insurance-If-You-Rent-Your-Home.jpg\")
Photo Courtesy: P. Sableman<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n If you rent your home, then before you even <\/span>consider getting insurance<\/span><\/a> for your fish tank, you’ll need to make sure you have permission to place your fish tank (Pet Agreement<\/a>\u00a0 .pdf\u00a0 Example) on your rental property. That’s because some rental properties won’t allow you to have fish tanks due to the damage they can create. If you aren’t sure, you’ll need to check your Rental Agreement or obtain permission in writing to have your fish tank in your rented area from the person that owns the property.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Having permission in writing means you should do the following:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Have the property owner sign the agreement.<\/b><\/li>\n
- Make sure the property owner also dates the agreement<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you have the agreement signed and dated by the property owner, that will keep you safe if an incident did occur. If you put an aquarium in your rental property later only to find out later that you were never allowed to have one there in the first place, then you could wind up being sued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Insurance If You\u2019re Allowed to Have a Fish Tank<\/span><\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s say you do have permission in writing from the property owner, so you know you are allowed to own a fish tank. That\u2019s excellent news. However, what are you going to do if your fifty-gallon aquarium bursts after you\u2019ve gone to work? The person living underneath you now has water dripping into his or her apartment. That is where renter\u2019s insurance comes in handy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
If you are a renter, you should always have rental insurance, whether or not you already own a fish tank. Renter\u2019s insurance will protect both you, your staff, and your landlord. In many states, people are required to apply for renter\u2019s insurance if they rent a space. Regardless, the main thing to keep in mind if you have an aquarium and are looking for renter\u2019s insurance is finding a policy that can also cover your fish tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Most standard renter\u2019s insurance policies cover some of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Damage is done from water if there is a leak or the fish tank bursts.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Protection if a fire takes place because of the fish tank\u2019s equipment.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- You\u2019ll be protected if your landlord sues you\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
However, most standard renter\u2019s insurance policies do not cover the following:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Aquarium replacement costs<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Aquarium equipment costs<\/strong><\/li>\n
- The cost of your livestock<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some insurance companies will allow you to purchase a rider on your plan to cover your aquarium.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
We\u2019ll be breaking down much of this information in great more detail below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Since most of the renter\u2019s insurance policies won\u2019t cover the cost of your fish or aquarium, you may also want to consider getting an additional plan for your aquarium. If you own exotic fish and your fish are worth thousands of dollars, you should also consider insuring your exotic livestock.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Some insurance companies that sell renter\u2019s insurance may want you to take out another liability policy to cover your aquarium as well. Typically, that only costs a few bucks a month and isn\u2019t expensive. However, this concept varies a lot depending on what company you use, and the state with which you reside. So, you\u2019ll need to call up local insurance agents to discover what coverage you can receive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Your typical rental insurance policies usually offer <\/span>additional aquarium insurance<\/span> for about $15 to $30 dollars a month, and that\u2019s for a one 1000 square foot apartment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What Will Renter\u2019s Insurance <\/span>Cover<\/b>?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Risky-Truth-about-Fish-Tank-Insurance-is-it-Worth_-1.jpg\")
Photo by Fernando Mat\u00e9 on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Below we\u2019ll answer some questions about what renter\u2019s insurance will cover, including:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Will renter\u2019s insurance will replace a broken fish tank.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Will renter\u2019s insurance will cover the liability for water damage if your tank breaks.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Will renter\u2019s insurance covers a stolen aquarium.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Will renter\u2019s insurance covers a pump fire.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- If your fish tank is covered by renter\u2019s insurance.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
#1 Will Renters\u2019 Insurance Replace a Broken Fish Tank?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
No, renter\u2019s insurance will not replace a broken fish tank. If your fish tank breaks, you won\u2019t be able to get it repaired just because you have renter\u2019s insurance. While most types of personal property are covered in what renter\u2019s insurance considers \u201cnamed perils<\/a>,\u201d like wind, fire, etc., a manufacturing failure isn\u2019t on this list. So, if your fish tank breaks out of nowhere, you still won\u2019t be covered, and you can\u2019t claim to get your fish tank replaced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
On the other hand, let\u2019s say your home was broken into, and everything inside of it was destroyed, including your aquarium. Then your aquarium would be covered as a loss. That\u2019s because a break-in is considered to be vandalism or malicious mischief<\/a>.\u00a0 Both of these issues fall under standard perils and are therefore covered by your renter\u2019s insurance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#2 Will Renter\u2019s Insurance Cover the Liability for Water Damage if My Tank Breaks?<\/span><\/h3>\n
If your fish tank breaks for any reason, your renter\u2019s insurance may not cover your liability for the water damage that occurs. If the insurance company decides to consider the fish tank breaking as pet damage, then they won\u2019t have to cover the problem. Pet damage isn\u2019t part of renters\u2019 insurance because it\u2019s likely to happen if a renter owns a pet. Unfortunately, we all know that tanks that can break and leak<\/a>, creating damage now and then.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#3 If Somebody Steals My Aquarium, Will Renter\u2019s Insurance Cover That?<\/span><\/h3>\n
If your aquarium was stolen, renter\u2019s insurance should cover the cost of your aquarium. Renter\u2019s insurance does replace stolen property when this occurs. So, if your tank and any of its parts, any of the items inside the tank, etc., are taken, you could have them replaced. While that\u2019s good news, the bad news is that your pricy fish still won\u2019t be covered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#4 If My Aquarium Pump Starts a Fire, Will I Be Covered?<\/span><\/h3>\n
To run an aquarium, you need to use a lot of electricity. That electricity operates:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Your pumps<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Lights<\/strong><\/li>\n
- The rest of your fish tank equipment\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
While those items are typically designed to work well around water, there is always the possibility that the equipment will fail, and you may wind up with an electrical fire. Renter\u2019s insurance policies will cover you if your aquarium pump starts a fire<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#5 Will My Fish Tank be Covered by Renter\u2019s Insurance Liability?<\/span><\/h3>\n
In most cases, you\u2019ll be covered for any liability placed on you if anything goes awry with your fish tank. However, that doesn\u2019t mean your fish tank or any of your fish or equipment will be replaced. What will be covered is the damage that your fish tank might do based on your liability.<\/span><\/p>\n
Remember, when you need liability coverage, that\u2019s typical because you\u2019ve done something negligence that caused the fish tank issue. For instance, let\u2019s say you plugged far too many plugs into a single power strip. We can all agree that\u2019s negligent. If a fire or any damage is caused as a result of your action, you\u2019d have coverage under your renter\u2019s insurance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Even if your pump stops working and you can\u2019t see a reason why that happened, it\u2019s good to have renter\u2019s insurance. Renter\u2019s insurance will cover you if somebody tries to sue you because of something that may have occurred with your fish tank. Even if you are found negligent in court and liable, your renter\u2019s insurance will take care of those claims. So, you can see why it\u2019s essential to have renter\u2019s insurance when you own a fish tank and rent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Fish Tank Insurance If You Own Your Home<\/span><\/h2>\n
If you are a homeowner, a homeowner\u2019s insurance policy may give you some leeway with your fish tank. Homeowner\u2019s insurance typically covers your home and the contents inside of it. You\u2019ll usually be covered by the damage that your fish tank may create, the clean-up costs, and any repairs you may need to make to your home or anybody else\u2019s house that may have been affected by the incident.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
One thing you\u2019ll discover when you talk to <\/span>insurance companies<\/span> about fish tank coverage and homeowner\u2019s insurance will be much like doing the same with renter\u2019s insurance, even when you are talking to the same company. Most fish tanks aren\u2019t standard items that are included in policies. However, if you do encounter an accident with your fish tank, there may be substantial repair costs. Check with your policy and insurance agent to see if there is any coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n
Water Damage and Homeowner\u2019s Insurance<\/span><\/h3>\n
Most homeowner\u2019s insurance policies cover water damage, which is pretty standard. Unfortunately, this type of coverage usually only deals with the structure, not the personal plan inside of the home. Much of that has to do with the language present in your policy. Depending on how things are worded, most homeowner\u2019s policies cover types of direct physical loss, but there are still some exclusions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
However, that means that your personal property is usually only covered by the things that are named right in your policy. So, you may have a much narrower amount of coverage when it comes to your personal property if it isn\u2019t named right in your insurance policy. So now that you know that, would water damage from say, a bed or a fish tank that burst, be part of your plan?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Possibly yes, but it will depend on the language in your policy. Most homeowner\u2019s insurance policies offer personal property coverage for water damage that comes in the forms of:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Water or steam coming from your plumbing or heating<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Water or steam coming from your air conditioner<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Fire protection<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u201cHousehold Appliances\u201d<\/span><\/h4>\n
You also need to check to see if what a \u201chousehold appliance\u201d appears clearly stated in your policy. If there is no clear definition in your plan, then the insurance company would use the term\u2019s ordinary meaning. Unfortunately, that opens the door to a lot of ambiguities, and the insurer or the person that drafted the original document will get to define what a household appliance means.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
If we use the standard dictionary definition of a home appliance from <\/span>Merriam-Webster\u2019s<\/span><\/a> online dictionary, then a household appliance means \u201can instrument or device designed for a particular use or function.\u201d Using the dictionary definition when trying to answer whether a fish tank or a waterbed would be covered upon bursting tells us that these items fit the traditional description of a household appliance.<\/span><\/p>\n
Internal Water Damage<\/span><\/h4>\n
Most homeowner\u2019s insurance policies consider internal water damage to be one of the perils covered in a standard homeowner\u2019s insurance policy. If you have a policy that covers internal water damage, then you are already covered if you incur any water damage inside of your home due to your fish tank breaking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
So, let\u2019s say your fish tank breaks inside of your home and does some internal damage. What\u2019s covered if you have interior water damage coverage in your homeowner\u2019s insurance policy? You\u2019ll have coverage for:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Any destroyed carpeting<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Any wood flooring that gets damaged<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Wall damage<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Personal belongings that are destroyed due to the leak<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
But is the fish tank also covered, and will the homeowner\u2019s insurance policy replace the fish tank? That all depends on why the fish tank initially broke, and your homeowner\u2019s insurance policy as well. Let\u2019s break that down below in more detail. If your tank broke due to one of the following, you most likely wouldn\u2019t be covered for your tank:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Your negligence or mistreatment of the tank damaged the tank and led to it breaking.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- You haven\u2019t been maintaining the tank properly<\/strong><\/li>\n
- You overfilled your tank<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If any of the above circumstances are correct, then your insurance company wouldn\u2019t cover the replacement costs of your tank. Typically, your insurer won\u2019t consider covering damage if the tank broke due to your fault. Most likely, you\u2019d need a separate policy in place to cover the tank itself, while the damage done by the tank would be covered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
The 16 Common Perils<\/span><\/h4>\n
However, if your tank broke due to one of the 16 common perils that are usually listed in a homeowner\u2019s insurance policy, then your tank would be covered. Some of the more 16 common perils include:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Theft<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Fire<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Lighting<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Smoke<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Falling objects<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Hail<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Vandalism<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Explosions<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Riots<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Aircraft<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Volcanic explosion<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For example, if your tank broke when a fire occurred, then the homeowner\u2019s insurance policy would cover the cost of your tank. If you have a more precisely defined homeowner\u2019s insurance policy, then your personal belongings may also be included. However, if personal belongings are excluded in your plan, then they won\u2019t be covered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
However, if you do have a homeowner\u2019s insurance policy that covers the 16 common perils and your children wind up breaking your fish tank, then your fish tank is included. That\u2019s because children breaking a fish tank probably won\u2019t be mentioned as an exclusion in your policy. Some common events are often excluded in homeowner\u2019s insurance policies, including:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Earthquakes<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Floods<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Course negligence<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Let\u2019s say you experience an earthquake that causes your tank to fall and break. If that occurs, then your fish tank wouldn\u2019t be covered because it\u2019s excluded in your policy. The only way you\u2019d have that fish tank covered is if you were also paying for earthquake insurance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
How to Check Your Insurance Policy<\/span><\/h2>\n
The wording in your policy is going to be the middle ground that insurance companies will use to deny individual claims or make things difficult for you to understand. Most homeowner\u2019s insurance companies put your policy in a language that most laypeople will never comprehend. That\u2019s why insurance companies are often able to interpret the language in the insurance document they way they see fit, and that\u2019s usually for their benefit, unfortunately.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
So, what should you be looking for? You want to find wording that includes a fish tank and makes sure your insurance agent then clarifies in writing what the statement means about your aquarium. Ask your agent to explain what might be covered if your tank leaks and damages anything, and what won\u2019t be covered. Look for the following items, like:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Sump Failure<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Water bed or hot tubs<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Flood damage<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Appliances<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
#1 Sump Failure<\/span><\/h3>\n
Sump failure means the groundwater sump that\u2019s found in your house, not the sump that you use with your fish tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#2 Water Beds or Hot Tubs<\/span><\/h3>\n
Some policies place aquariums in the same area of the plan as water beds or hot tubs. That\u2019s because all of these items are considered to be in-home devices for water storage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#3 Flood Damage<\/span><\/h3>\n
Flood damage occurs when water from below rises to the interior of the home. However, that doesn\u2019t include your fish tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
#4 Appliances<\/span><\/h3>\n
Much like we described above, appliances often have their particular clarifications in homeowner\u2019s insurance policies. Depending on your policy, your fish tank may be covered if it leaks, much like you would be covered if your washing machine were leaking, but it has to be a sudden occurrence and not gradual. However, much of that will depend on the wording in your policy. If you aren\u2019t satisfied, ask about what is covered is something does leak, and what won\u2019t be included.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
What Coverage Do I Have?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"You](\"https:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Fish-Tank-Insurance-What-Coverage-Do-I-Have_.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMost homeowner\u2019s insurance policies include the items we\u2019ve listed above. However, what we\u2019ve encompassed here is a generalization of what most homeowner\u2019s insurance policies list. That doesn\u2019t mean your homeowner\u2019s insurance policy necessarily covers these things. That\u2019s where you\u2019ll need to look at your plan and talk to your agent so that you can tell what coverage you have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- You are covered if your fish tank catches on fire<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n
- You might be covered for damages if your fish tank bursts or starts leaking<\/a>. You\u2019ll also receive compensation for any repairs or clean-up that has to be done to your residence or any other properties.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- You\u2019re covered if a thief breaks into your home and destroys your aquarium.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- You\u2019re covered if somebody breaks into your house and removes your equipment or your aquarium and steals it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- You might be covered if you forgot to turn off your water while refilling your tank, and you flooded your house.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- You may be covered if you wind up being sued for negligence by somebody else that\u2019s affected by your fish tank breaking.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- If your aquarium leaks or bursts, you won\u2019t necessarily receive money to replace your fish or your fish tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Say you wake up one morning only to discover that your fish tank exploded. Can you imagine the mess that would create? What do you do in a time like<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1817,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,5,13,8,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faq","category-beginners","category-freshwater-tanks","category-guides","category-saltwater-tanks"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}