A pet store located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago entered the national spotlight after its 2,000-gallon fish tank burst last week.
Security camera footage shared by Something Fishy Pets on Facebook shows the massive tank suddenly bursting and flooding a large part of the facility as a worker runs to help. The video has garnered hundreds of likes as of Wednesday afternoon, with hundreds of social media users commenting their support.
Meanwhile, versions of the clip shared online by news outlets, including ABC and WLFA, have accumulated thousands of reactions.
Chicagoland pet store looks toward recovery after massive fish tank bursts
Store owner Derric Johnson said the store was actually closed on the day the incident happened, with the tank bursting while his team was cleaning the floors.
"I was carrying a stepstool
from one side to the other side and the tank just blew out," Johnson said, adding that the cause of the burst is still unknown.
Of the 350 fish in the tank, Johnson told WGN News he and his employee were able to save about 100. He said over the phone that the remaining fish were divvied up among the store's other tanks to later be sold.
Much of the mess within the store had been cleaned within the day, aside from the tank itself, which Johnson said the store is looking to replace.
A GoFundMe set up by friend of the store Trevor O'Gorman says the 2,000-gallon tank was 20 years old and being transformed into a "slice of the Amazon." O'Gorman, who was leading the transformation, estimated a new tank of a similar size would cost around $20,000-30,000.
"This tank is the centerpiece of the store, and the vision for it was amazing," the GoFundMe says. "They want to see the end results. ... If you can support in any way, it would be amazing."
Johnson said the store is working with a reputable team to build a tank even more impressive than its predecessor, describing the surrounding media frenzy as "insane."
"The amount of support we’re getting from the community is beyond what we could expect," the store wrote on Facebook days after the burst. "The gratitude we have for the opportunity to run a pet store and follow our passion in this community is the best enjoyment we can have ... we are proud to be a part of this community."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massive 2,000-gallon fish tank explodes in Chicago suburb pet store
