Tank Leaning, need advice!

[Meniscus]

Ok so here is the situation. My 120 is leaning forward a bit. About an inch to the front. The floor underneath it is uneven. I don't think the shape of the stand helps matters either. The stand is wooden and looks like this from the side...
BACK FRONT
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So there is a lip, I don't THINK the stand is uneven at all, but the floor is slightly bowed under the front of the tank.
Is this a major problem? How long can the tank stand up to these conditions? Could I possibly have to replace the stand as well as relocate the tank? I am currently renting this house with my roommate, but hopefully within a year or so I want to buy a house and move out. So this tank will be in it's current location for about a year.

Can it hold up?????

 

[repair]

The cement floor in my fish room looks like they were drunk when they poured the cement....my solution was to go to the hardware and buy hardwood shims (they use them for shimming doors) and then I put a level on the tanks and move the shims until it is level.

 

[pikeman]

Hi, Was the floor level when the tank was first set up? If so you might want to shore up the floor with 2x4's to bring it back to level. I would also drain at least half the tank before doing anything. Good Luck.

 

[joel]

i would level eveything out. it would be a shame if your tank fell.

 

[repair]

Hi, Was the floor level when the tank was first set up? If so you might want to shore up the floor with 2x4's to bring it back to level. I would also drain at least half the tank before doing anything. Good Luck.

Good point I hadn't gone down that road.

 

[Meniscus]

I don't think the floor was all that level before I set up the tank. But I think the weight of the tank has exagerated the problem. Under the back end of the stand there is a structural beam which is 4 2x10's, I think that part was always level, while the area in front of it was depressed.
Since this is a rental house, I am not willing to or autorized to make any structural changes to the house.
Using the shims, on a flat based stand, won't that put a bunch of added pressure on the front of the stand where it contacts with the shims since the weight will no longer be evenly distributed along the entire base? Have you ever had any problems with shims, or with uneven tanks for that matter? I have had some people say that a tank that is not level will crack and break. Can a single inch or so of lean really cause this??

 

[repair]

I've heard of tanks leaking but thankfully I've never experienced it. Most stands are made from 1x3 or 1x4...I would put a shim under each of them...shims are like $3 or $4 for a pack that should do your whole tank.

When using the shims some times you may need to put two shims facing the opposite direction to get the adjustment you need. If you do this I would put a couple drops of glue on them to keep them from moving.

Nice thing about shims is you can score the shims with a carpet knife and they will break off flush.

 

[guppy]

Are you on the ground floor, ifso can you get under the house and check where the joists hit the sill? If the floor is sagging you will need a couple of screw jacks and a pair of 8' long 2x6 boards nailed together and placed under the front side of where your tank is. place the jacks on concrete blocks and then evenly and slowly jack the floor back to level. This some times happens in older stick built homes and you could have the joists sag enough to pull loose from the sill. Better to check. An inch of lean can cause leaks, two can cause an problem with your stand and them the whole tank can topple.