How much sway is safe and how much gap between tank/stand?

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Catnkit

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 8, 2011
270
1
18
Toronto
So I've set up a new 80ish gallon tank. It's 62" long, 20" tall, and 16" wide. It's 2/3rd full of water on a wooden stand. When I push lightly on the tank (more specifically, when I push to rotate the whole thing in a small circle) I can see the whole unit rocking slightly (probably about a millimeter). There is also a gap between the tank and stand lengthwise as wide as the thickness of a quarter at the widest (although it reduced a touch, the quarter doesn't fit anymore but it looks like it should). All four corners are supported. I can see little ripples in the water when I walk by.

Is this tiny bit of sway, gap, and rippling within reason?
 
In my experience narrow tanks seem to sway more when you push on them. My kids both had tanks in their rooms when young and I ended up bolting the stands to the wall because I was paranoid they would pull them over i have had tanks where you can slide paper between the stand and tank in spots but that was about it
 
Personally, I'm very uncomfortable with any swaying. Is it glass with a plastic frame or acrylic? Is it on a uncovered floor or on carpet with padding?
 
jsodwi said:
In my experience narrow tanks seem to sway more when you push on them. My kids both had tanks in their rooms when young and I ended up bolting the stands to the wall because I was paranoid they would pull them over i have had tanks where you can slide paper between the stand and tank in spots but that was about it
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Maybe I'm just too used to breeder style... and smaller tanks. :/
 
Rio Kaiju said:
Personally, I'm very uncomfortable with any swaying. Is it glass with a plastic frame or acrylic? Is it on a uncovered floor or on carpet with padding?
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Same. Even if it's just a milimeter. A petstore guy told me that wooden frames can usually have atiny bit of sway but it's just more than I'm used to. It's glass with plastic frame and the floor is not carpetted (though I did have to put a piece of cardboard under the right back corner to get it to be even that stable. I forgot to mention that in the original post).
 
We're talking millimeters here. Any tank will move a bit if you push on it. I wouldn't worry too much as long as the stand is solid and people won't be pushing pulling on the tank/stand.

As far as the gap, were exactly is the gap? Center of the lengthwise side? If so, it may not be an issue, but it certainly is a pretty big dip in the stand. If the four corners are supported and level, you'll likely be fine.
 
I have had the same experience as the others, anything smaller than 18" in depth seems easier to sway when on wooden stands. Never had the issue when steel stands were used.
 
Pharaoh said:
We're talking millimeters here. Any tank will move a bit if you push on it. I wouldn't worry too much as long as the stand is solid and people won't be pushing pulling on the tank/stand.

As far as the gap, were exactly is the gap? Center of the lengthwise side? If so, it may not be an issue, but it certainly is a pretty big dip in the stand. If the four corners are supported and level, you'll likely be fine.
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That's reassuring. And yeah, based on what I'm hearing here I'm probably over-reacting because of the height. I've only ever had tanks that maxed out at 16" with the breeder-style making them solid like bull.

The gap runs lengthwise, front and back. Right up until about an inch from the corners where they all meet the wood. The sides of the tank do not have a gap at all as far as I can tell. The tank was on a sheet of corkboard for a very long time before I got it days ago.
 
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