120 Gallon Tank - New

[Rwils24]

Hi all

I may have a dumb question - I am getting a 5ft long, 120 gallon.

I have read with larger tanks, its best to put something between the stand and tank? Is this true? It will be a glass tank.

If it is, what is best to use, and where does it go? Below the glass as support? Or between the bottom rim and stand.

Appreciate any help,
Ryan

 

[jjohnwm]

Contrary to popular belief, there definitely are dumb questions, but this isn't one of them. A cushioning material between the rim and the stand is always a good idea. It prevents any pressure points if there are any slight uneven spots on the stand. Cork bark, styrofoam, rubber, etc. I buy a few linear feet of rubber floor mat and cut it into strips to lay on top of the stand, usually tack it in place with a few dabs of glue before laying the tank on top. If it sticks out in an unsightly manner, just wait until the tank is full and then trim off the excess with a sharp knife.

 

[Rwils24]

Thank you!

So almost like a thin yoga mat? Is it fine to put it on the entire top of the stand, and only have the rim touch, obviously? Or do I need to trim the inside out?

 

[jjohnwm]

I don't do a lot of yoga , but that sounds about right. It just needs to be around the rim, but you don't need to cut out the inside, as long as it isn't thick enough to reach all the way up to the bottom glass, which I'm sure it isn't.

 

[Rwils24]

Awesome - thank you so much. I appreciate your help!

I have never done this/had a tank this large, so I really wasn't sure.

 

[A201]

Be careful, unless the use of a mat or cushion inserted between the tank & stand is specified by the manufacturer, the warranty might be voided.
If your tank is equipped with plastic bracing there usually is no need for a rubber mat.
Proper leveling is important & can be accomplished using a level & plastic shims strategically placed under the stand.
I have a five foot 120 gal. I bought from Petsmart. It's been up & running nearly nine years. No buffer mat.
Rimless tanks can benifet from a leveling mat.

 

[jjohnwm]

Yikes! My apologies if I have given erroneous information. While in high school I worked for a couple summers for a guy who manufactured all-glass aquariums in Ontario; All-Glass? Clear-Glass? Sorry, this was not exactly yesterday we are talking about here. Anyway, he always recommended that tanks be placed on a resilient pad, either full surface for the large frameless tanks or just around the rim for the much more numerous plastic-framed smaller ones. He would only warranty non-padded tanks if they were used on the welded steel frames he also sold; otherwise they were to be padded.

Again, this was 45 years ago; tanks were made with much thicker glass than is commonly used today. Failures were very rare, and the few to which I was privy were traced to wooden stands with slightly uneven surfaces contacting the tank; in one particular case it was a screwhead that was not quite below flush with the wood. The rubber matting he recommended would compensate for slight flaws like that. I've taken it as gospel ever since and have used the padding on all homemade stands without exception and without issue. The only major failure I had was with a 100+ gallon factory tank on a factory stand with no pad! That was my last factory tank over 50 gallons, and my last factory stand ever.

Honestly, I fail to see how a pad could be deleterious...but if the maker says no, then it's no!

 

[A201]

You didn't give erroneous information.
Under tank padding is successfully used by many.
In most cases, if all four corners of a tank rest firmly against the stand all should be fine, w/o an inserted leveling mat.

 

[Rwils24]

Thanks for all the advice.

This is what the bottom of the tank looks like (I need to clean it out).

Should I use a flat mat or something? I have bought a wooden stand for it.

Thanks again!

 

[Rocksor]

Use a level on the stand and see if you can pinpoint any areas of light (for a gap) that would occur between the plastic trim and the stand. From there you can make a decision about whether or not to put a yoga mat. (I'm assuming this is a tank that is no longer under warranty).