DIY stand problem need help
- Thread starter JT9
- Start date
With homemade wood stands there are some minor imperfections.
If the floor the stand is on is solid and overall the tank is level and supported by the stand.
I would fill slowly and keep an eye on it.
Usually these minor places will touch once some weight is added.
It’s also a plus that the tank has a frame to rest on. If this where a flat bottom I Wouldn’t suggest filling it without some foam underneath.
If the floor the stand is on is solid and overall the tank is level and supported by the stand.
I would fill slowly and keep an eye on it.
Usually these minor places will touch once some weight is added.
It’s also a plus that the tank has a frame to rest on. If this where a flat bottom I Wouldn’t suggest filling it without some foam underneath.
I still wouldn't dream of filling that tank without a layer of styrofoam underneath. Wooden stands are never perfect, and that one is maybe a little further from perfect than the average. Your tank is not going to flex to make contact; it's either going to break or, if you're really lucky, the wood will compress enough to allow full contact. I wouldn't count on that.
To clarify: I always use styrofoam or rubber as a cushion/gasket under any tank; it's ridiculously cheap insurance. On your frame tank, you don't even need to buy a whole sheet. Strips of rubber cut an inch wide and laid down where the frame makes contact will do the trick.
To clarify: I always use styrofoam or rubber as a cushion/gasket under any tank; it's ridiculously cheap insurance. On your frame tank, you don't even need to buy a whole sheet. Strips of rubber cut an inch wide and laid down where the frame makes contact will do the trick.
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Years ago I built two identical wooden stands for 2 50g breeders, with 30gals below each. One ended with gaps similar to what you have.
I thought it would be ok, specially with the smallish tanks. Well, it was ok for a while. About a year later, in the middle of the night, I heard a big noise. Went downstairs to find the front glass had cracked in a semicircle shape, and water slowly oozing out.
Was it because of the non-flat stand? I don't know, but it certainly was that tank and not the other, which went on for several more years with no issues.
Will yours be a problem? who knows...but 220gal?... I would put some foam layer and a piece of thin wood such as plywood on top, then the tank on top. Any deformation should then be on the foam.
Good luck.
I thought it would be ok, specially with the smallish tanks. Well, it was ok for a while. About a year later, in the middle of the night, I heard a big noise. Went downstairs to find the front glass had cracked in a semicircle shape, and water slowly oozing out.
Was it because of the non-flat stand? I don't know, but it certainly was that tank and not the other, which went on for several more years with no issues.
Will yours be a problem? who knows...but 220gal?... I would put some foam layer and a piece of thin wood such as plywood on top, then the tank on top. Any deformation should then be on the foam.
Good luck.
Wherever you read that...don't go there anymore!
If you are willing to do the work you outlined, that would be great. When you get done, please, for your own sake, lay down a bit of rubber under the tank frame. You can buy rubber baseboard molding by the foot. You cut off the little raised lip along the bottom edge, and can then strip the remaining material in half lengthwise to get long strips that can be placed under the frame. Each foot of molding will convert into 2 feet of "gasket". Enough to do the whole tank will probably cost 5 or 10 bucks.
I have a 220 as well but mine is a flat bottom. It is sitting on 6 concrete block piers (yes, the holes run vertically). I also built a 2x6 frame with 1in thick layer of plywood and then a 1/2in of foam. I have leveled the piers to within a 1/16in of each other. I have the same issue where the is the slightest gap at one corner. My shim materials are acrylic and nylon so they are a stable material.
I would just fill slowly and keep an eye on it. The tank will flex some once its full. I guess the foam wouldn't hurt anything if you wanted to try that.
