leveling large tank

[peter predtank]

not sure if this is a frequently ask question or not but here it is .
im in the middle of setting up a 180 gallon 4x4 square tank ,just did floor reinforcement today and have the tank half full of water.
i have been hammering shims under a wood frame that i have the metal stand sitting on.
trying to get it as perfectly level as i can. the wood frame doesnt have legs its like a rail type box so no legs for better weight distribution im wondering if the smacking of the shims can bother the silicone seams at all ? and just how level does it have to be ? i mean wen looking at the bubble on the level ? its in the middle of the level lines but could maybe go a hair to one side or the other to be exactly in the middle is it ok to be like a hair of ? im wondering if all the shock waves from the hammering of the shims could be worse then the bubble being a hair off ? any advice would be nice thanks..

 

[jsodwi]

So if bubble in the middle but may be touching a line or leaning more toward one line I would say your good I like to keep checking as I add more water to see if something shifts

 

[peter predtank]

thanks for the reply johnny O .
ya maybe was over thinking it a bit , i have it all up and running now . i was also checking the perimeter of the tank, like all four sides. when i check east west and north south with bubble in center of tank it appears much better.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; The notion of doing what you describe with 90 gallons of water in a tank seems risky to me. I always level a tank empty. In fact I level the stand alone and then with an empty tank.

That you posted the question after pounding shims under a half filled tank leads me to suspect something must have triggered your concern. While I cannot predict what may happen when pounding on the support of a glass container with over 700 pounds of water in it, the images that come to mind are not pretty.

As to your question of how level it should be, I try for as level as possible with tanks over 50 gallons. I would likely settle for fairly close to level before pounding wedges under a half full tank.

Good luck anyway

 

[peter predtank]

its not like i was smashing the crap out of it lol . and i did level it empty before i put any water in it it was pretty much bang on but then as i started filling it it started to settle just a wee bit . this is when i tried adjusting the already in place shims . which brought to the point of wondering after a few smacks . just like i mentioned made me wonder if the little hair shy of exactly level would be a better idea then smacking the shims more . how you imagine the way you make it sounds like i was smashing away or something gives me a good laugh thanks also there is Styrofoam between the tank bottom and plywood on top of the metal stand

 

[skjl47]

Hello; I know it is a pain but another way is to fill it most of the way up and check for where it has settled. Then empty and shim to compensate. Mostly work if you can have a use for the extra water. I also have had tanks settle a bit when full. Usually has not been a problem.

My take is that out of level side to side or front to back is not so bad. Out of level corner to corner might be a concern due to the twist.

One other thing came to mind. ("any advice would be nice thanks."). While I have never used styrofoam under a tank myself, there have been posts related to the subject. This should be searched to confirm, but I seem to recall a few posts saying using some types of foam under a tank will void a warranty. I do not have the specifics from memory so a search might help.

 

[peter predtank]

ok well i have read about the Styrofoam. from my understanding if the tank is a flat glass bottom then styrofoam is good incase of any little bumps or irregularities on the stand. but if there is a trim around the bottom that raises the bottom glass up , then styrofoam is not needed . and could even put an unwanted pressure on the bottom of the tank . my tank has a glass bottom so i used the styrofoam and figured it would help with the shock waves if i had to hit the shims to compensate for any leveling while filling but it still made me hesitate when i did it , figured i would ask here thanks..

 

[DN328]

I have glass bottom eurobrace tank, and, I use plywood and styrofoam as that was advised as well. Is actually used MDO, but basically plywood.