Yeah, they covered it. The adjuster came two days after the incident, and then the day after that I got a phone call from his supervisor. Seems when they saw "Aquarium Leak" on the claim form, they were figuring small area of carpet damage, maybe some drywall, and when the estimate came back for $8k, they thought something was up. The supervisor and a senior adjuster came and looked at it again, and while they came up with a slightly lower number, they let the initial check ride. A big reason for the high dollar amount is with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom, the entire upper level is uninterrupted hardwood, and they figured the entire surface would have to be sanded and refinished. Plus, the basement was one large empty space, with a finished ceiling -- in a type of sheetrock that they had never seen before (they actually took a chunk of it with them to show the guys back at the office. Pretty hideous stuff...sheetrock covered with a wood-grain contact paper type stuff)
Biggest lesson I learned through the ordeal.... when you're standing in your socks, in front of the tank, with water cascading out onto the floor, be very careful moving the light hood. Don't drop it in the tank. (Amazingly, nothing happened at this point). But also, don't reach THROUGH the waterfall, under the stand, and grab the power strip the whole works is plugged into. Yep. I rode the lightning. Hurt like a SONOFAB___.