Need Help: LEVELLING A FISH TANK

[ksiu71]

I've got a 120g that seems to be a bit unlevel on the stand. I can slip a piece of paper under it on the left side but not the right. I have heard that a peice of styrofoam will level it out. HOWEVER, I've also heard that some aquariums, specifically the ones with plastic bracing/trim on the edges (like the one I have) are designed NOT to work with styrofoam because it somehow interferes.

Can anybody provide some insight? Could I just leave it alone?

Thanks,

 

[dominicolas]

I leveled a tank using thin metal strips that I got from a hardware place. Anything will really work as a wedge, as long as it fits. I prefer something that is not very compressable so that the problem only has to be solved once.

 

[ksiu71]

well it's true that wedges and shims will level the tank but that doesn't solve the problem of weight distribution. Because instead of a fully distributed load, now you'll have point loads at any place you have a shim.

 

[dominicolas]

You load should rest mainly wherever there are supports/legs are, usually on the four corners of your stand (for your average stand). Adjust the wedges accordingly. Is the tank unlevel, or is it just not sitting flat on the stand?

 

[crisper]

You need to level your stand.Shim on the corners that are not level. Don't shim the tank. If your stand is level then your tank will be level. And if your tank has the plastic frame then styrofoam is not required.

 

[dominicolas]

He's saying that the tank isn't level on the stand though, not that the stand isn't level, if I'm getting this right. If he tries to level the stand, nothing happens, the tank still won't sit flat.

Is the tank full or empty, and how long has this been a problem/

 

[chesterthehero]

warped/crooked stands wont sit straight without weight on them no matter how much you shim them..

 

[ksiu71]

Well there's actually 2 problems. One is not a big deal. The tank itself is off by less than 1/8 inch from front to back, most likely due to the floor slab not being perfectly level. I had my structural engineer buddy run some calculations and i have roughly 10 additional lbs. of water pushing against the back of the tank. Not a big deal considering it is 1/2 inch glass i think. I'll have to test this when i have it filled and see how much it is off by then. If it's too much, then I'll have to shim the bottom of the stand.

The 2nd problem is that the top of the stand (where the tank sits) is not completely level, I'm guessing cause I didn't sand it perfecty. I'll just leave it alone and hopefully the plastic trim brace will give the necesary deflection to level it out.

FYI this is on a brand new stand and tank, I'm completely new to this hobby and just recently finished building my stand. i'll be posting pics of it in another thread.

THanks for all the info!