Most basement floors are slightly pitched, to allow water to run toward a drain somewhere in mid floor.
At least where I lived in Wisconsin, no basements were ever level.
At least where I lived in Wisconsin, no basements were ever level.
Stand wobble safe?
- Thread starter fishmarket
- Start date
Man, if you actually ratcheted the tie-down straps so tight that you bent a steel aquarium frame, you deserve to have it collapse! 
As mentioned, basements are actually pretty tricky places to set up tanks because they usually aren't supposed to have level floors. Worse yet, the floors are all sloped in multiple planes; it's not just a flat surface that is tilted, but rather the entire floor is created in a slight "cone" or "funnel" shape to direct water to a single drain or sump hole. Shims are mandatory.
This doesn't seem possible. If all four sides of the stand are level, then they are by definition all in the same flat plane. The water level in any container is also level, by definition. So, is your tank built out of square? Seems very unlikely. Is it built with front, back and ends that are not cut square at the top edge. Again, unlikely. Is it contacting the stand completely on all four sides? Is the top frame mounted directly and correctly down onto the top edge of glass, rather than perhaps being partially lifted up at some point? If it is, and if the water level is still not even all the way around, then the stand is not level...but you state that it is. Sorry, but something here is amiss.
Are you using a $1.99 plastic torpedo level from Dollarama? Are you reading it directly from the side, rather than from some weird angle to the side? Are all the surfaces being read, and the level itself, clean of debris?
When you read the level on the stand...and then rotate the level 180 degrees, does the reading remain the same, or is it now changed?
As mentioned, basements are actually pretty tricky places to set up tanks because they usually aren't supposed to have level floors. Worse yet, the floors are all sloped in multiple planes; it's not just a flat surface that is tilted, but rather the entire floor is created in a slight "cone" or "funnel" shape to direct water to a single drain or sump hole. Shims are mandatory.
This doesn't seem possible. If all four sides of the stand are level, then they are by definition all in the same flat plane. The water level in any container is also level, by definition. So, is your tank built out of square? Seems very unlikely. Is it built with front, back and ends that are not cut square at the top edge. Again, unlikely. Is it contacting the stand completely on all four sides? Is the top frame mounted directly and correctly down onto the top edge of glass, rather than perhaps being partially lifted up at some point? If it is, and if the water level is still not even all the way around, then the stand is not level...but you state that it is. Sorry, but something here is amiss.
Are you using a $1.99 plastic torpedo level from Dollarama? Are you reading it directly from the side, rather than from some weird angle to the side? Are all the surfaces being read, and the level itself, clean of debris?
When you read the level on the stand...and then rotate the level 180 degrees, does the reading remain the same, or is it now changed?
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As everyone is stating concrete that looks flat really isn't. Grab several stacks of composite shims and start sliding them under the base while checking for level. Check left to right, front to back and front right to back left and front left to back right. My fish room floor has two drains and I had to borrow a laser level to do one of the stands because of the multiple slopes involved.
This is all good advice. I would only add one thing and it was an anomaly. I have a recently purchased 125 gallon tank that drove me nuts levelling it until I realized the front, top left corner of the top bracing was pitched up in that corner. it was not installed correctly & pushed down entirely in place probably from too much silicone applied. The tank was indeed level but did not appear so in that one corner due to the top bracing sticking up a bit.Man, if you actually ratcheted the tie-down straps so tight that you bent a steel aquarium frame, you deserve to have it collapse!
As mentioned, basements are actually pretty tricky places to set up tanks because they usually aren't supposed to have level floors. Worse yet, the floors are all sloped in multiple planes; it's not just a flat surface that is tilted, but rather the entire floor is created in a slight "cone" or "funnel" shape to direct water to a single drain or sump hole. Shims are mandatory.
This doesn't seem possible. If all four sides of the stand are level, then they are by definition all in the same flat plane. The water level in any container is also level, by definition. So, is your tank built out of square? Seems very unlikely. Is it built with front, back and ends that are not cut square at the top edge. Again, unlikely. Is it contacting the stand completely on all four sides? Is the top frame mounted directly and correctly down onto the top edge of glass, rather than perhaps being partially lifted up at some point? If it is, and if the water level is still not even all the way around, then the stand is not level...but you state that it is. Sorry, but something here is amiss.
Are you using a $1.99 plastic torpedo level from Dollarama? Are you reading it directly from the side, rather than from some weird angle to the side? Are all the surfaces being read, and the level itself, clean of debris?
When you read the level on the stand...and then rotate the level 180 degrees, does the reading remain the same, or is it now changed?
In this case, with these apparently-contradictory readings, you should try taking level measurements from the actual glass panes...bottom, front, back, ends...rather than from the top edge. That would eliminate the sort of problem you are describing with the top frame.
Sorry,
aussieman57
, I just noticed that the post to which I responded above was yours and not the OP's.
Funny you mentioned that thing about the top frame. I bought a 70gallon tank a few days back, and just picked up another one yesterday. First tanks, other than very small ones, that I have purchased in many years. I just checked the top frames on both of them; one is off-level by a small but noticeable amount, and the other is way off, like a half-bubble off. This is with both tanks carefully levelled, reading off the glass surfaces rather than the top edge.
I level my tanks that way to avoid any errors introduced by my own cuts, on either glass or plywood, along the top edge. Wouldn't have thought that commercially-made units would be as bad as or worse than my own caveman creations.
aussieman57
, I just noticed that the post to which I responded above was yours and not the OP's. Funny you mentioned that thing about the top frame. I bought a 70gallon tank a few days back, and just picked up another one yesterday. First tanks, other than very small ones, that I have purchased in many years. I just checked the top frames on both of them; one is off-level by a small but noticeable amount, and the other is way off, like a half-bubble off. This is with both tanks carefully levelled, reading off the glass surfaces rather than the top edge.
I level my tanks that way to avoid any errors introduced by my own cuts, on either glass or plywood, along the top edge. Wouldn't have thought that commercially-made units would be as bad as or worse than my own caveman creations.
Yeah I had to shim my stand when I setup my 75g in my basement. Try to level it as best you can with a 3ft level. Fill it up and let it run for a week. You’ll know when you level it how cockeyed the flooring is. Mine tapered to the center just enough for my level to reveal it. Instead of styrofoam I used 1/8” rubber sheeting which gave great support for the tank and the stand that I set on it.
Thanks for all your guys' inputs. Sorry for disappearing for a while as I got busy with life. Anyways, just wanted to give an update if anyone cares. Lol
So that piece of folded up cardboard that was initially placed in one corner when setting up the tank due to a wobble basically flattened into nothing over time and now the water is level when looking across the tank. I guess the frame is back to its original shape after having the full weight of the filled tank on it for a while as there is no wobble present anymore. Also, I'm not very tool savvy so I couldn't do much with advice requiring tools, still appreciate the advice though!
So that piece of folded up cardboard that was initially placed in one corner when setting up the tank due to a wobble basically flattened into nothing over time and now the water is level when looking across the tank. I guess the frame is back to its original shape after having the full weight of the filled tank on it for a while as there is no wobble present anymore. Also, I'm not very tool savvy so I couldn't do much with advice requiring tools, still appreciate the advice though!
