after seeing pics of this triple stack, all I can say is what a hassle that would be to service the tanks and forget about putting fish in and out...
180 gallon acrylic tank buldge......help?
- Thread starter Tokay
- Start date
The structure has alot more support beams they you can actully see in the picture.
The 180 is actully sitting on 5 beams alone, and shares the 4 main beams as well.
I had mounted safety beams where it may bow and left a small space to check if it starts to bow. So far it hasn't moved at all, no shifting, bends, bows or problems.
Its pretty sound structre so far, i even climb on the top of it to work in the 60 often.
A triple stack is really a sound project( i did spend alot of time planning and double checking). This is about my 10th stand i have built and so far all of them haven't had any problems. So many people thought it wouldn't work. Everyone thought it was going to collaspe and all.
I would love to spread my tanks around my room but the purpse of the triple stack was to conserve space. I had a 210, triple stack and double stack allll in my bedroom, way to much going on, this is alot better.
I know the tank wasn't bowing from previous use, it might have been on the bottom because it wasn't sitting fully on plywood.
I think it developed this bow becasue i used plywood across the entire thing.
Since i have added the foam under the tank the bow seems to be lessened.
The back of the tank doesn't bow at all and the front seems alot more natural.
I will def be using foam under all my actylic tanks from now on.
Should u put foam under glass tanks? Prob just for insulation i bet.
There was foam under my double stacks when i bought them.
thank you for your time.
The 180 is actully sitting on 5 beams alone, and shares the 4 main beams as well.
I had mounted safety beams where it may bow and left a small space to check if it starts to bow. So far it hasn't moved at all, no shifting, bends, bows or problems.
Its pretty sound structre so far, i even climb on the top of it to work in the 60 often.
A triple stack is really a sound project( i did spend alot of time planning and double checking). This is about my 10th stand i have built and so far all of them haven't had any problems. So many people thought it wouldn't work. Everyone thought it was going to collaspe and all.
I would love to spread my tanks around my room but the purpse of the triple stack was to conserve space. I had a 210, triple stack and double stack allll in my bedroom, way to much going on, this is alot better.
I know the tank wasn't bowing from previous use, it might have been on the bottom because it wasn't sitting fully on plywood.
I think it developed this bow becasue i used plywood across the entire thing.
Since i have added the foam under the tank the bow seems to be lessened.
The back of the tank doesn't bow at all and the front seems alot more natural.
I will def be using foam under all my actylic tanks from now on.
Should u put foam under glass tanks? Prob just for insulation i bet.
There was foam under my double stacks when i bought them.
thank you for your time.
Hahaha that been the weakest part of the entire setup.
Not being able to work in the tanks well.
Im planning to make some tools to make it easier to work in and clean the setups.
I was planning to have 6" of space to work with but i have to change it to 4" due to all the extra support needed.
There is space about the 180 i can reach alot better but i dont know to have fish in and out of there too much.
And will prob take out he tigs before they get to big to take out.
Not being able to work in the tanks well.
Im planning to make some tools to make it easier to work in and clean the setups.
I was planning to have 6" of space to work with but i have to change it to 4" due to all the extra support needed.
There is space about the 180 i can reach alot better but i dont know to have fish in and out of there too much.
And will prob take out he tigs before they get to big to take out.
Tokay;3238391; said:
So your acrylic tank doesn't bow as much now that you put foam under it?
I have a few acrylic tanks and I never used foam. I always thought it was to distribute the weight evenly across the bottom acrylic piece which is usually thinner, there for, a weaker part of the aquarium. Don't get me wrong, I believe you. I'm moving soon and I will put foam under my current tanks when I set them up in the new house just to see for my self. I can't stand the bowing but I love the clarity so I'm sticking with acrylic!
I just don't understand the physics behind it? How could the weight being distributed on foam vs... plywood impact the sides bowing???? Maybe your plywood had such a bad warp one end was much higher than the other and the tank settled forcing a bow??? odd??? I'm going for it, I will report out on this thread in one month on my results. I will do a pre measurement on my current 360 and then after the move I will do a post move measurement. Everything else will be the same. Tank, stand, amount of water and so on. Can you tell I'm an engineer?
I use 1/2" styrofoam board...It's insulation that you can find cheap at HomeyDepot or Lowes...just ask for styrofoam insulation, comes in 4' x 8' sheets, from like 1/4" up to 1" thick...gangster;3884726; said:
Bowing can be mistaken for twisting...
If you take a straight edge, Like a level or a large square, and put it against the front pane which runs for 8' and see a 1/4" of deflection throughout the entire distance, how possibly can you be troubled by that?
If you think 1/4" over 8' is very much at all, try picking up a 1" thick piece of Plexi, 4' wide and 8' long, one guy on each end, just with the weight of the plexi it's going to have flex to it.
Glass will have deflection as well...
If the panes that make up a tank didn't flex and "work" the tank wouldn't hold up to standing there full of water.
Imagine the stress on the joints if the panes, either glass or plexi didn't flex and give...they would blow out in an instant...
Foam under a Plexi tank is what gives the tank room to do it's flexing and not put pressure points on the imperfections of the stand it is setting on.
The idea is to build the stand "FLAT" then 'level'...Flat is much more important than level...
More importantly 1/4" of deflection seen by the eye looking down an 8' run is near flat. No need to worry about a blow out...
I'd be looking at the chemical welds of the seams for seperations, places in the joints that do not look clear and have imperfections, that is where the start of a blow out could occur... for sure not mid pane where there is no seam...
If you take a straight edge, Like a level or a large square, and put it against the front pane which runs for 8' and see a 1/4" of deflection throughout the entire distance, how possibly can you be troubled by that?
If you think 1/4" over 8' is very much at all, try picking up a 1" thick piece of Plexi, 4' wide and 8' long, one guy on each end, just with the weight of the plexi it's going to have flex to it.
Glass will have deflection as well...
If the panes that make up a tank didn't flex and "work" the tank wouldn't hold up to standing there full of water.
Imagine the stress on the joints if the panes, either glass or plexi didn't flex and give...they would blow out in an instant...
Foam under a Plexi tank is what gives the tank room to do it's flexing and not put pressure points on the imperfections of the stand it is setting on.
The idea is to build the stand "FLAT" then 'level'...Flat is much more important than level...
More importantly 1/4" of deflection seen by the eye looking down an 8' run is near flat. No need to worry about a blow out...
I'd be looking at the chemical welds of the seams for seperations, places in the joints that do not look clear and have imperfections, that is where the start of a blow out could occur... for sure not mid pane where there is no seam...
I have a acrylic tank(180) not set up yet. I picked it up from CL. The owner said it was custom made and it came with a stand which I also believe is made out of acrylic. If this is the case one do I need to use foam under it and second do U guys think the stand is strong enough. The owner said he had it running for 3 years.
I ALWAYS use foam under Acrylic tanks, for the reasons mentioned above...Acrylic Stand?!? for a 180g??!?cichlid fiend;3887040; said:
Need pics, got any of when the tank was still his??!?
