A 355-gal reef tank at Florida International University's main campus burst after the seams apparently gave way.
The tank had been installed at the university's food court five years ago, at a cost of $15,000.
As one of the panes became detached, fish and corals gushed out of the tank, along with the water.
No one was hurt in the incident and students were quick to transfer the fish into a bucket with an aerator.
The stock included a Yellow tang, sailfin tang, Skunk clownfish, bristletooth tang, a Regal tang and a fairy basslet, along with crabs and turbo snails. All but the clownfish survived their ordeal and they are now swimming around in a spare tank with live rock and coral, until their original home can be repaired.
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