Gaps between stand and tank

[12 Volt Man]

 

[secuono]

The reason that steel is bent like that is because it is angle iron, which should not be used as horizontal or vertical beams, like it is here. It should only be used for brackets and diagonal bracing etc.
It should have been made out of square/rectangular tube or C section.
Both of which are designed to be able to handle a static horizontal and vertical load.
I would personally just shim it with wooden wedges if that makes you more comfortable but ultimately the middle of those steel bars will continue to bend down with not much effort.

It has additional angle iron on the underside, making a square tube.
Idk if that was added later or if it's also bent. Got the tank used with a 75gal metaframe long ago.

 

[secuono]

take a level to the front and sides. If it is level (bubble within the lines) just leave it.

Almost every steel or iron stand is like this. My Aqueon 150g has been like this for 14 years and counting, all my stands are tube steel.

it is true, tanks only need corner support the bottom panel is designed to support the full weight of the tank. Since the rise of the internet and common misinformation that is spread people have the idea that any gap in between a tank and a stand is bad and it isn't always, especially if the gap is in the middle.
if the corners are fully supported and the tank is flat and level it should be fine.

View attachment 1529760

It is level.
Added angle iron along the long sides and sat tank on them. Mostly for my peace of mind.
It's held a metaframe 75 and regular 75 for many years, but a new house makes me paranoid and ignore everything I knew.

 

[secuono]

 

[12 Volt Man]

I think it should be ok.

not sure if the properties of angle iron are much different than tube steel. I do know that almost all long tube steel pieces are never exactly straight so almost every tube steel stand has a gap usually in the middle between the tank and the stand. As mentioned though, the bottom glass is designed to support the full weight of the tank, there is some physics behind it that I dont understand but basically it acts like a girder. There is a thread on cichlid forum that explains the physics a bit better.

Consider too that most modern tanks have a floating bottom where the bottom glass rests in a plastic frame. It never touches the stand only the frame does. The glass that isn't touching the frame is floating in mid air and it doesn't fold and collapse/break.

A lot of people forget this but it reinforces the fact that the bottom of the tank is made to handle the weight without full support.

I think a lot of people since the rise of the internet end up breaking their tanks trying to add supports etc that end up creating pressure points between the tank and the stand. The bottom cracks and they wonder why.

My tanks are all Aqueon tanks (150g and 90g) and they explicitly state on their warranty that you will void it if you put anything between the tank and the stand.

food for thought

 

[secuono]

I think it should be ok.

not sure if the properties of angle iron are much different than tube steel. I do know that almost all long tube steel pieces are never exactly straight so almost every tube steel stand has a gap usually in the middle between the tank and the stand. As mentioned though, the bottom glass is designed to support the full weight of the tank, there is some physics behind it that I dont understand but basically it acts like a girder. There is a thread on cichlid forum that explains the physics a bit better.

Consider too that most modern tanks have a floating bottom where the bottom glass rests in a plastic frame. It never touches the stand only the frame does. The glass that isn't touching the frame is floating in mid air and it doesn't fold and collapse/break.

A lot of people forget this but it reinforces the fact that the bottom of the tank is made to handle the weight without full support.

I think a lot of people since the rise of the internet end up breaking their tanks trying to add supports etc that end up creating pressure points between the tank and the stand. The bottom cracks and they wonder why.

My tanks are all Aqueon tanks (150g and 90g) and they explicitly state on their warranty that you will void it if you put anything between the tank and the stand.

food for thought

I've read warranties that said stand must be by the same company. My 125 has the same stand as the tank, but wow is it flimsy!
The metal stand needed some grinding bc of lumpy welds. At the very least, it's now sitting flat, smooth surfaces.