Manufacturers of aquariums must hold Public and Product Liability insurance of at least £1,000,000.

Each aquarium should be sold with full instructions for its correct installation. These instructions should be prepared by each manufacturer. (They should include the following: weight when empty, weight when full of water-a table of weights should be used- and a warning to the customer that they must ensure that the structure upon which the aquarium is installed must be capable of bearing this weight indefinitely, safe procedures for transport and movement of aquaria, indications of methods to ensure surface on which the aquarium is to be installed is level).

Wholesalers and retailers selling aquaria should be conversant with these instructions.

1. The following glass types should NOT be used in aquarium manufacture:
   1. decorative
   2. toughened glass without a frame

2. Each piece of glass should be inspected for faults:
   1. prior to use
   2. and after cutting and cleaning and prior to gluing

   Faulty glass should not be used. Faults causing the rejection of glass would include imperfections in the sheet, chipping and cracking or unevenness of edges.

3. All glass edges exposed and unexposed, should be arrised to a standard that enables them to pass the test described for the Safety of Toys in EN7l: Part 1:1988 (BS 5665. Part I 1989) Clause 4.18

4. Each sheet of glass should be cleaned in a manner that ensures no film remains, visible or invisible, that may compromise the efficiency of the adhesive. This may be achieved by:
   1. cleaning machinery using ammonia;
   2. hand cleaning using methylated spirits or appropriate industrial cleaner.

5. Aquarium manufacturers should ensure that the silicone sealer used in construction is specifically recommended for use in the manufacture of aquaria and is safe in use (both for livestock and humans).

6. Butt and corner joints should be used for aquaria of 18"x l2"x l2" and above. Fillet joints should only be used, as the sole method of gluing, on smaller aquaria.

7. It is recommended that aquaria should only be repaired by their original manufacturer. Other repairs may invalidate the manufacturers product warranty.

8. This Code of Conduct applies to cubic aquaria up to a length of 72" and a depth of 24".

9. All aquaria designed to have a water depth greater than 17.5 ins. must he constructed of at least 6mm thick glass. Where aquaria are 36 inches or greater in length they should be made in 6mm glass when exceeding 15 inches in height and in 10mm glass where the water depth exceeds 18 ins depth.

10. Aquaria should be packaged to prevent damage in transit. This should include at least enclosure of end faces of glass with semi-rigid materials-capable of preventing accidental damage of these surfaces under normal transit and handling conditions- held firmly in place. In transit care should be taken to ensure that exposed edges remain undamaged.

11. Each manufacturer should submit the following aquaria (or the closest in their range) for test:
    • 8 x 12 x 12"
    • 24 x 15 x 12"
    • 36 x 15 x 12"
    • 48 x 15 x 12"

    plus one other aquaria selected from the manufacturers range by the independent testing laboratory from a previously supplied product list, specifying the glass thickness used in construction.

    If a manufacturer produces no aquaria below 24 x 15 x 12 then only the three other specified aquaria and that selected by the testing laboratory need be submitted for test.

12. Annually after initial testing manufacturers should confirm in writing that the specification of materials used and design of aquaria manufactured has remained unaltered in the previous 12 months. Permission to use the 'Approved Product' logo will then be granted.

    Where this is not the case i.e. when substantive alterations have been made, a full re-test must be undertaken before permission to use the 'Approved Product' logo will be given.

13. Aquaria to be tested should be selected from ordinary stock and not specifically manufactured for the test.

14. The laboratory will undertake the following procedures:
    1. Inspection

       Glass to be inspected visually for flaws and imperfections. Joints to be examined for compliance with Code of Conduct.

    2. Measurement

       Overall dimensions and glass thickness to be compared to those specified on manufacturers lists

    3. Testing
       • Glass edges to be submitted to Sharp Edge Test using the method described for the Safety of Toys in EN7l Part 1:1988 (BS 5665 Part 1:1989) Clause 4.18.
       • Aquaria will be filled to normal working depth and inspected after 24 hours.
       • Aquaria tanks to be tested at twice the intended working pressure for 24 hours.

       This test will be completed with either:

       • double height aquarium (constructed using normal bracing at both the normal height and twice the normal height, also use of front to back bracers is advised, to ensure the rigidity of the front and back plates and thus not allow excessive bowing) filled with twice the normal working depth of water for 24 hours.

         or

       • aquaria fitted with a top plate and tested at double working pressure for 24 hours using a WIRA pressure head device.

       An impact test should be undertaken as outlined below:
       • use of a 5kg rubber ball swung on a pendulum length 1.45 m from a distance simulating a drop equivalent to 25cm height into the mid point of a front plate of the aquarium (this uses the principles only of BS 6206, 1981 for domestic glass)

       • use of a 230g steel ball using the technique described above (this uses the principles only of BS 3193 for oven doors.)

       • (Testing will be terminated if any aquaria fails any test and reported to the manufacturer who will be invited to resubmit as appropriate.)