# Petco stand supports tank under corners only - problem or not?



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Sounds like trouble. 
I would add a similar strip of something along the full length of the stand so the whole tank is touching down before it is filled, then filling it should compress the material. 
Some ideas about something thin (similar to the resin) would be 
Go look at some of these, see what works...

Floor mats, but you want a thin rubber sort. Not a lot of cushion. Perhaps sold as a stair runner, or hall runner. 
Near me is a place that specializes in accessories for pick up trucks, and one of the materials they have is intended as a cut it yourself floor mat. Thin, black, and just enough cushion for an aquarium.
I think there are also exercise mats, but they might be a bit too thick. 

I use 1/2" Styrofoam that I usually find at the big box stores, sold for insulation. I have not shopped for it in a while, don't know if they still carry it.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

I agree it sounds odd.

I haven't owned a metal stand in decades, so it's hard for me to comment here, but it just doesn't sound right. I'm just guessing that those little round objects may be something that was used in packing and shipping the stand to keep surfaces from rubbing? And they should've been removed in the store or before it was sold?

Whatever the reason for them being there, I would go back to the Petco and look at some other stands, compare, and then ask someone. The bottom line is that tank should be supported along the entire bottom edge on an even plane. No gaps. I wouldn't even fill it until you resolve this.


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## Gplus (Apr 2, 2012)

I too have a feeling the resin pieces aren't suppose to be there. I took a close look at the picture from the petco.com link and their no where to be seen.


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## Oso Polar (Apr 22, 2015)

Well, these self-adhesive pieces of rubber (or something very similar) were provided with the stand in a separate small plastic pouch and I put them on the corners myself - as stand assembling instructions told me to do. I guess their intended purpose is for tank to not slip from the surface of the stand.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

Oso Polar said:


> Well, these self-adhesive pieces of rubber (or something very similar) were provided with the stand in a separate small plastic pouch and I put them on the corners myself - as stand assembling instructions told me to do. I guess their intended purpose is for tank to not slip from the surface of the stand.


That thing isn't going anywhere once it's filled. Remove your weird rubber corner pieces and let the tank sit flat on the metal. Only touching in the corners is very sketchy.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Oso Polar said:


> Well, these self-adhesive pieces of rubber (or something very similar) were provided with the stand in a separate small plastic pouch and I put them on the corners myself - as stand assembling instructions told me to do. I guess their intended purpose is for tank to not slip from the surface of the stand.


Hmmmm. That sure puts a spin on it.

But in principal I still think you're better off without them. As already mentioned here, that tank isn't sliding anywhere once filled and I don't see them doing much while it's empty either. They''ll just create pressure points that will make the bottom of the tank bow to the middle at the bottom edge. Because of the way tanks are constructed, that's to be avoided at all costs. I know what's going through your mind though: why did they go through the trouble of providing for them and instructing you to put them there? I don't think anyone here has the answer quite frankly. Not all manufacturers have there "stuff" together.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

If you could get enough of them, or a long strip of the material, then line the whole stand with them. Otherwise do not use them. 

Would they work on the feet? To minimize scratching a hardwood or linoleum floor?


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## Oso Polar (Apr 22, 2015)

Bushkill said:


> I know what's going through your mind though: why did they go through the trouble of providing for them and instructing you to put them there?


Exactly. :confused1:

Found in Internet some more questions from people with the same problem with this stand, for example, this one: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/new-40-breeder-setup-urgent-260777.html

Seems the consensus is that these rubber pads should go. So, I went to Home Depot and bought a roll of self-adhesive vinyl foam insulation tape, 1 1/4 wide x 3/16 thick (exact one I got is called "Camper Mounting Tape"). The plan is to remove the pads and instead of them put this tape along the whole perimeter of the stand. I believe 3/16 inch should provide enough cushioning for surface imperfections. "Self-adhesive" part probably means that it'll be very easy to apply it and put tank on top but in case I'll need to remove the tank from the stand, I'll need a knife to separate them from each other. Guess I'll need to live with this.

This is the tape:


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

I'm with Diana, I think the resin pads were meant for the feet. 
I also remember reading somewhere that a tank only needs to be supported on the four corners and you're good to go.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Not to be argumentative about this, but why do you think you need to put "anything" between the tank and stand?

My only reason for asking this is that metal stands were the first stands in the hobby years and years ago (I'm dating myself, and proudly so, lol!). So that if you simply put the tank on the stand as is, and the bottom trim is supported along it's entire length, there's really no need for anything between tank and stand. It's going to weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 lbs full of water and it's just not gonna slide a bit.

Will that tape do any harm? Not at all. Really all I'm trying to do here is save ya a few bucks.

Bump:


Diana said:


> If you could get enough of them, or a long strip of the material, then line the whole stand with them. Otherwise do not use them.
> 
> Would they work on the feet? To minimize scratching a hardwood or linoleum floor?


Doh! 

It takes a clear head to figure out the simple stuff. Re-read Diana's post after Scott's and BOY did the light bulb go on, lol! Floor-savers. Also, metal stands will rust in spots, but always at the feet. Those things will keep a minimal separation between stand and floor, but should minimize rust stains if you ever move it.


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## Oso Polar (Apr 22, 2015)

Hey, come on, I'm not *that* stupid! Of course, these rubber pads are not meant for feet. Assembling instructions are really very clear. BTW, this stand has very nice adjustable feet. They seem to be done from stainless steel with plastic coating on the bottom part (to not scratch the floor).

New plan: I'll try to put tank first with nothing between stand and tank. If some space will still be visible due to less than perfect stand parts alignment then I'll install it on top of the tape.


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 13, 2007)

Dead2fall said:


> I'm with Diana, I think the resin pads were meant for the feet.
> I also remember reading somewhere that a tank only needs to be supported on the four corners and you're good to go.


The support of a tank only on the four corners is something that seems to get repeated a lot but there's isn't much basis for it. Yes you can technically only support a tank on its corners but that doesn't mean you should.

Harry


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Oso Polar said:


> Hey, come on, I'm not *that* stupid! Of course, these rubber pads are not meant for feet. Assembling instructions are really very clear. BTW, this stand has very nice adjustable feet. They seem to be done from stainless steel with plastic coating on the bottom part (to not scratch the floor).
> 
> New plan: I'll try to put tank first with nothing between stand and tank. If some space will still be visible due to less than perfect stand parts alignment then I'll install it on top of the tape.


Too funny! I'm sitting here thinking they just threw you a bag with these plastic discs and instructions written in the usual horrible English (some of those were memorable!). I forgot that everything comes with "pictorial" assembly instructions now.


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Harry Muscle said:


> The support of a tank only on the four corners is something that seems to get repeated a lot but there's isn't much basis for it. Yes you can technically only support a tank on its corners but that doesn't mean you should.
> 
> Harry


None of my metal stands support any of my tanks totally. Some do just support the corners. And a few have been doing it that way for 34 years.
I never put anything between the tank and the stand. It's not needed.


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 13, 2007)

GraphicGr8s said:


> None of my metal stands support any of my tanks totally. Some do just support the corners. And a few have been doing it that way for 34 years.
> I never put anything between the tank and the stand. It's not needed.


Rimmed glass tanks can be supported in just the corners, but whether they should be is another question ... probably a better way to phrase it is are you comfortable with supporting just the corners or would you rather reduce the chances of a seam letting go and/or glass breaking by supporting the tank all around which does make a difference. By not supporting the glass along its full length you are using the glass to transfer loads to the corners instead of straight down.

As for putting something between the tank and the stand ... if both are perfect (which is rare) then you don't need anything, otherwise using some sort of material to smooth out imperfections is a wise thing to do ... again you have to judge how much risk you're comfortable with.

Thanks,
Harry


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## Canis (Jun 4, 2014)

Glad I read this thread, I just got the same stand and I wasn't sure about those little foam pieces either.


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## Oso Polar (Apr 22, 2015)

Status update. 

Removed foam/rubber disks and put tank right on top of the stand. Not good - better than without foam but there was still some space remaining between the tank and the stand - I could put an index card in many places. So, added this insulation tape between the tank and the stand and now, obviously, there is no any space between them. This 1 1/4 inch tape fits *perfectly* - this appears to be the exact width of the top frame of the stand.

Thanks everybody for help!


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Harry Muscle said:


> Rimmed glass tanks can be supported in just the corners, but whether they should be is another question ... probably a better way to phrase it is are you comfortable with supporting just the corners or would you rather reduce the chances of a seam letting go and/or glass breaking by supporting the tank all around which does make a difference. By not supporting the glass along its full length you are using the glass to transfer loads to the corners instead of straight down.
> 
> As for putting something between the tank and the stand ... if both are perfect (which is rare) then you don't need anything, otherwise using some sort of material to smooth out imperfections is a wise thing to do ... again you have to judge how much risk you're comfortable with.
> 
> ...


What you fail to realize is the tank itself is actually a torsion box which is inherently strong.

That being said I've still got my original 29 gallon tank and stand I bought 34 years ago. And no, the tank is not fully, totally supported by the metal stand. My 55s are about 30 years old same thing. In 34 years of keeping fish I've had 2 leakers on tanks I had since new.

Hell when my aunt and uncle had their fish hatchery they had hundreds of tanks supported on just the short ends.

Bump:


Oso Polar said:


> Status update.
> 
> Removed foam/rubber disks and put tank right on top of the stand. Not good - better than without foam but there was still some space remaining between the tank and the stand - I could put an index card in many places. So, added this insulation tape between the tank and the stand and now, obviously, there is no any space between them. This 1 1/4 inch tape fits *perfectly* - this appears to be the exact width of the top frame of the stand.
> 
> Thanks everybody for help!


All that tape did is hide the discrepancy. It is still putting more pressure on the areas that the tank hit and less where it doesn't. The tape won't make the tank last any longer than if you left it off.


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 13, 2007)

GraphicGr8s said:


> What you fail to realize is the tank itself is actually a torsion box which is inherently strong.
> 
> That being said I've still got my original 29 gallon tank and stand I bought 34 years ago. And no, the tank is not fully, totally supported by the metal stand. My 55s are about 30 years old same thing. In 34 years of keeping fish I've had 2 leakers on tanks I had since new.
> 
> ...


Yes glass tanks are torsion boxes but to take advantage of the strength such a torsion box provides you are putting extra unnecessary strain on the seams. Again it comes down to how much risk are you comfortable with. I've been in this hobby for a long time too and I've never had a tank leak. In my books two leaks are three too many.

As for the tape used whether it will help or not all depends on how easily it gets compressed. It's true that in this situation it will be of only limited benefit. The main reason for putting something between a tank and stand is to deal with small isolated imperfections, like a grain of sand or small piece of gravel.

Thanks,
Harry


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I had this same problem with my 55 gallon. Was supported only in the corners. Was really nothing I could do and couldn't return it so I just threw it in the trash.


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## lucky644 (Jul 12, 2015)

I recall someone telling me once that if the tank is all glass, you can just support the corners. But only all glass tanks.


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## terran2k (Feb 24, 2009)

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...uarium-support-under-the-corners-only.353909/


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## aquapadawan (Dec 5, 2019)

sorry to bump an old thread, but my petco stand just purchased clearly shows the foam pads being used on the top of the stand where the corners rest on the directions. Could post a picture if anyone doesn't believe me. And I'm struggling with this one. The stand is not even, and needs some shimming, so I figured the pads couldn't hurt, along with some polypropylene shelf liner along the whole rim. It's only a 29 gallon tank so hoping I'm overthinking it. The foam corner pads compress enough that with 300 lbs of weight pretty sure their pressure point effect will be pretty low


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## fish+plants (Aug 16, 2019)

Hi, I have the metal stand and put a 1/4" piece of plywood cut to fit and painted black on top with a rubber pad made for fish tanks under the tank for support. Looks good and works!


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## Matt69 (Jul 9, 2017)

I have bought the 55 gallon and Brooklyn metal stand before and it was the same way and worked fine. The aquarium is designed to be supported evenly at the four corners.


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