Tank Leveling Gap HELP!! Please

[DN328]

^ this may be likely. The tank glass may be fine, the stand itself may be level, BUT the stand surface may be warped, especially around the edges.

Not sure how the tank stand was designed, but you could test by cutting another plywood for the top and place the tank on. At least to get an idea if it's tank or the stand. I used 3/4" MDO plywood (don't mistake for MDF ;-)) as I found it to be more flat and true. They make outdoor signs with this stuff.

Either way, I would take it somewhere else to do the fill test in case it does leak since you've not tested yet.

 

[pops]

I agree, any used tank should be water tested same where safe before putting up in your house.

 

[skjl47]

Either way, I would take it somewhere else to do the fill test in case it does leak since you've not tested yet.

Hello; First let me give my warning about tanks on carpet. Do not do it. I am speaking from experience. Enough of that.

That you have carpet is useful to know. If the tank is to be near a wall there is a good chance you have "tack strips" nailed about an inch or so from the wall. These strips are wood and do rise above the floor a 1/4 inch or so. These strips can affect the level of furniture and also tanks.

Let me be more specific in my question about the floor. Good that it is solid, but is it level?

 

[Drstrangelove]

Couple questions:

1) how long is your level? Using a 1-foot or even a 2-foot level for example, is not necessarily going to easily show you issues that you could clearly see with a 3 or 4-foot level on a stand this size.

2) when it was examined, was it front to back, left to right, and at diagonals, or just one or two of those?

Given your post, I think the problem is less the floor and more the tank or the stand. One of them sounds as if it may be warped, and if so, my bet is on the stand. However, it seems to me that I'd want to know which, since a slightly warped stand has more options than a slightly warped tank.

 

[vonRies]

Have you filled the tank? may find the stand will relax to accommodate the weight.

No I haven't filled it yet. I wanted to see if anyone (hopefully several) had any "monstrously" good ideas first. Hopefully, someone (hopefully several) who had already been through the problem already and fixed it with no problems and great results, before I flooded my house. It's a name brand glass tank.
As you can hopefully see (from the second pic.) it appears to be one long slow taper.

 

[vonRies]

Sorry I didn't see all of the post, and skipped some.

I'm sorry either my mistake or there was glitch! I

It happens to us all, or maybe admin moved it.

Let me be more specific in my question about the floor. Good that it is solid, but is it level?

It is 3- 1/4" away from the wall.

1) how long is your level?

It is a 4' carpenters level.

2) when it was examined, was it front to back, left to right, and at diagonals, or just one or two of those?

We checked it both front to back and side to side.

Was it made by a reputable manufacturer

Yes, it was made by Aqueon.
Sorry If I missed anyone and thanks for the help thus far.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

It looks to me like one of your horizontal supports is warped. It is super common for wood to be warped at the lumberyard. You need to hold up on end to your eye and look down it to really see if it's straight before you buy. Again find a straight edge and lay it down on the top. it will take 2 seconds to diagnose the problem if it is warped. You could also try moving it to a non carpeted flat floor and see if the problem persists. If it doesn't than its your floor...if it does than its your stand.

You may get away with filling it and it flexing back but it may also put a lot of stress on the center of your tank and pop a seem or burst one of the long sections of glass.

I would also like a more detailed picture of how the legs meet the top surface and support beams. There is a right way and a wrong way to do these things.

 

[DN328]

Based on your picture, I really would do what I suggested above to rule out the tank. As it appears your stand platform does not look even. Drop another plywood on top and see it helps. Keeping this short so you'll read it ;-)

 

[skjl47]

It is 3- 1/4" away from the wall.

hello; While this is likely enough to avoid the tack strips I mentioned, the question still remains as to the floor being level. Over the years it has been rare for me to find a floor to be level and true. Even when a stand is true in all directions it is often the case that a stand must be shimmed due to an out of true floor.

To the photo. Looks like the stand is not true. My guess is that the dimensional lumber used had a crown that was placed so as to be at the top of the stand. While it is a bit hard to see in the picture with the black paint, looks like there is a sheet of plywood covering the top of the stand. May be that the plywood sheet needs to be removed and the crown of the dimensional lumber planed down. This will be a tedious job with hand tools and messy. As mentioned by others a long straight edge laid against the stand will help show up the flaws.

based on the photo, I would not use the stand as is. Hate say it but may be time to start over with another stand or do some serious work on the one pictured.

good luck

 

[vonRies]

I would also like a more detailed picture of how the legs meet the top surface and support beams. There is a right way and a wrong way to do these things.

The 4x4 goes full length from the floor to the bottom of the plywood and the 2x4 (2 on each corner) run from the top of the bottom stringers to the bottom of the top stringers (if that is the correct terminology). Any of the 4x4's that were a little proud of the supports were planned with an electric hand planer to make everything flat, level and smooth.