# Tank not level AND gaps between tank and stand



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

High density styrofoam always work nicely; the pink kind.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Weather stripping works great to pad a tank and fill slight gaps.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

WELL
my 75 gallon stand IS level.. and the tnak is not.. on the right hand side i can see underneath it for about 3 inches.. i can stick probabl 9 pieces of paper in there
and i know its not the stand because put on flat ground it does the same thing.. so does this mean its not supported or is it just cut that way and the plastic brace will hold it together??


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

interesting ideas. my 125 stand, or tank perhaps, isnt perfectly level either, with the center being the high point and maybe an 1/8" at either side.

we're taking a belt sander to the stand to level it out, but i never thought of using weather stripping or foam to fill in the space. I'm a bit leery of those options though, as I doubt they've been tested to support 1800lbs


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> WELL
> my 75 gallon stand IS level.. and the tnak is not.. on the right hand side i can see underneath it for about 3 inches.. i can stick probabl 9 pieces of paper in there
> and i know its not the stand because put on flat ground it does the same thing.. so does this mean its not supported or is it just cut that way and the plastic brace will hold it together??


9 pieces of paper = 3 inches?  Perhaps you meant 3 mm?

If the tank has the same tolerance issues when it is placed on a (presumably flat) surface (check with a level), then it is likely the tank (unless both your stand and your floor are off). 

If the spacing/gap is only 3 mm, foam will work fine. If it is 3 *inches*, then I would bring the aquarium back and complain.



scapegoat said:


> interesting ideas. my 125 stand, or tank perhaps, isnt perfectly level either, with the center being the high point and maybe an 1/8" at either side.
> 
> we're taking a belt sander to the stand to level it out, but i never thought of using weather stripping or foam to fill in the space. I'm a bit leery of those options though, as I doubt they've been tested to support 1800lbs


I had about that kind of difference on my 90 gallon, and I used foam to level it out.


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> I had about that kind of difference on my 90 gallon, and I used foam to level it out.


still a little scary for long term placement. we're leveling the stand out this weekend, so maybe i'll pick up some of that foam just in case


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I think he means the gap is equivalent to 9 sheets of paper, and it runs for 3 inches lengthwise where the stand and tank meet (or don't, as it were).


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

its a 3 inch run lengthwise
its about 9 sheets of paper thick.. maybe 3 mm is accurate..

and the test floor was a coured concrete slab... tank is in my house now with same results..


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

do you think a 1/2" thick piece of insulation board would do the trick? if you take a look at my thread I don't have much room... that might even be too thick. I've got a 3/4" piece of plywood down that I could remove and replace with the board.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=222962&highlight=


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> its a 3 inch run lengthwise
> its about 9 sheets of paper thick.. maybe 3 mm is accurate..
> 
> and the test floor was a coured concrete slab... tank is in my house now with same results..


Ahhhhh, that makes more sense now; I wonder why I didn't think of it that way at first.

But I stand by what I said earlier, a piece of foam will work wonders in this case.



scapegoat said:


> do you think a 1/2" thick piece of insulation board would do the trick? http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=222962&highlight=


I can take a measurement of the foam I use when I get home...hopefully I'll remember.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Darkblade48 said:


> Ahhhhh, that makes more sense now; I wonder why I didn't think of it that way at first.
> 
> But I stand by what I said earlier, a piece of foam will work wonders in this case.
> 
> ...


 
I had actually put the 1/2 inch thick pink foam under both sections of the bottom brace but after filling, the film got pushed down and looked like glass stress fractures so i immediately pulled it out.. 
i may in the future put it back on a tank tear down but for now, the tank seems well secure and the rise did not measurable drop while filling the tank


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## fred1163 (Jan 23, 2013)

Since my setup is designed to support the tank by it's outer frame only, I don't think I will be able to use sheets of anything. The actual bottom of the tank rests a good 3/4" above where the top of the stand meets the bottom frame of the tank. I may try something similar to wkndracer's idea.

It's a high density closed-cell foam rubber self adhesive strip 1 1/4" W x 3/8" thick. It's the same width as the bottom frame of the tank. Should work?


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

fred1163 said:


> Since my setup is designed to support the tank by it's outer frame only, I don't think I will be able to use sheets of anything. The actual bottom of the tank rests a good 3/4" above where the top of the stand meets the bottom frame of the tank. I may try something similar to wkndracer's idea.


You can use sheets, just make sure they are at least as big as the outline/perimeter of the tank. - it will still be betwixt the frame of your tank and the stand it's sitting on.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

While framed tanks transmit the weight throughout the frame to the supporting edge the majority of the stress (and weight) is on the four corner points. Looking at how the glass panels are joined will help with understanding were the shear load is./

High density foam or rubber works just fine to the nay sayers

4 corner square on framed tanks = no worries


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

fred1163 said:


> Since my setup is designed to support the tank by it's outer frame only, I don't think I will be able to use sheets of anything.


your assumption is incorrect. you're not supported the glass with the sheet, you're supporting just the rim. a typical sheet comes in at 4'x8' and should span the entire footprint of the tank. This is no different than putting a piece of plywood down for the tank to sit on.


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## fred1163 (Jan 23, 2013)

scapegoat said:


> your assumption is incorrect. you're not supported the glass with the sheet, you're supporting just the rim. a typical sheet comes in at 4'x8' and should span the entire footprint of the tank. This is no different than putting a piece of plywood down for the tank to sit on.


Gotcha. I appreciate all the input. I don't want to overthink this, but I also don't want to spring a leak...or worse. Thanks.


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## fred1163 (Jan 23, 2013)

*Got it perfectly level and no gaps!*

Thank you all for your input. 

I hired a pro to level the stand on my my carpeted basement floor. They used 12" x 12" vinyl flooring tiles for shims to level the stand. Once they had it level, they cut off the excess flooring material.

Day before they arrived, I traced the top of the stand on a 3mm thick yoga mat and cut out a padded "frame" for the top of the stand, and lightly siliconed this frame to the top of the stand.

This method works perfectly for me so far!


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## Xalyx (Sep 26, 2010)

That stand looks like it's been sitting up for 14 years =.=

You should wipe down those dusty edges. I would've refinished it though.


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## fred1163 (Jan 23, 2013)

Xalyx said:


> That stand looks like it's been sitting up for 14 years =.=
> 
> You should wipe down those dusty edges. I would've refinished it though.


Thanks! It's a work in progress. Sorry for the bad pics. I won't be refinishing it, but I will get out the Pledge!


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