Are you on a raised wood floor? Or are you on concrete slab with wood finish?
If raised, there's likely going to be some floor deflection too.
If raised, there's likely going to be some floor deflection too.
Plywood or no plywood
- Thread starter Jread002
- Start date
As long as all 4 corners are on the wood and there is no torsional flex to the tank it will be ok. I have always used foam on my larger glass tanks. The one time I didnt I came home from a weekend away at a wedding to find about a inch of water left in my 60 cube and a huge crack from the top back right side of my tank to almost the bottom. I usually use the 1/2" or 3/4" foam sheets, the trick is to make sure the bottom glass panel isnt touching the foam. You can also use a workout mat or carpet padding to take up irregularities. Now I have never had an issue with a framed glass tank doing this, but I have heard also its not supposed to be done and ive also heard it should be done. I am not telling you its 100% safe either way. Just telling you what I have done in the last 16 year's of tank keeping. Both my 180 and 90 gals have foam under them. The 180 has been up for a little over 2 years and the 90 we will call it 6 months. I have a 40b also on foam up for the same as the 180. I set up a 75 the same time as the 90 and I did it a little differently from the foam I put composite shims under a piece of 3/4" plywood I did this for two reasons 1 the base stand is not level and it was already bearing weight. The plywood is 100% in contact with the tank trim, so I felt "safe" on this one.
I'm thinking of taking plywood off, putting some kinds of paint on the top of 2x4 frame. Then getting a straight 2x4 that is wider than the stand from to back, putting sticky sandpaper on it and trying to block sand the top of the frame using the paint to tell me the high spots. Think this could work? If I put equal pressure on the sanding board then wouldn't I just sand it uneven more?
Yes I have a basement and the stand is on real hardwood floors. the floors are not 100% level but I dont see how that would cause my problem. Stand doesn't wobble even with alot of force to it. It has to be the top rectangular frame that is the issue. Due I'm wondering if the top frame is twisted just skittle and that's why one corner and half the back is off. I could take the top frame off and build a new top frame. Would have to take out about 30 screws, I worrythat the new top frame wouldn't be as strong due to all the used screw holes. Or I could unscrew the areas that are not level and try to shim between the top demeans the vertical supports. I'm so in my head right now I don't know what direction to go
Your problem now may be minor compared to what happens to the floor later. I think you should have someone knowledgeable look at the situation before you fill that tank.
Are you sure that your wood floor can support this tank where you are placing it?
You might need some more posts in the basement. Impossible to say from here.
Whatever you do to the tank in the way of sanding and shimming it it's still probably going to change a little bit once you put a load on the stand. You can play around with it all day but if you only weigh 200 lb and the full tank weighs 2000 lb this won't tell you how strong anything is.
As far as stand goes, you don't have to get it perfectly flat (and you won't get it perfectly flat) but you can certainly improve the situation. By using wood filler under the plywood you will save yourself from lots of sanding. You know where to put it and about how much.
I have to note that I did refer to DAP caulk a couple times.
This is incorrect.
Caulk doesn't dry. It's supposed to stay pliable.
Dap Door and Window sealant isn't a traditional caulk, but everyone calls it caulk.
It is adhesive sealant, but it cures up as very stiff sponge rubber. Once cured it doesn't ooze out.
Doing this on the tank-to-plywood interface doesn't fix the plywood-to-stand issue.
That gap may close up as you add water. put cellophane in the gap and see if it closes up as the stand relaxes under load. The friction holding it in its current form will slip if you didn't glue the joints. The gap might go away completely with just 6" of water or less.
This is incorrect.
Caulk doesn't dry. It's supposed to stay pliable.
Dap Door and Window sealant isn't a traditional caulk, but everyone calls it caulk.
It is adhesive sealant, but it cures up as very stiff sponge rubber. Once cured it doesn't ooze out.
Doing this on the tank-to-plywood interface doesn't fix the plywood-to-stand issue.
That gap may close up as you add water. put cellophane in the gap and see if it closes up as the stand relaxes under load. The friction holding it in its current form will slip if you didn't glue the joints. The gap might go away completely with just 6" of water or less.
