To Styro or Not to Styro?

[Pharaoh]

I'm just curious about the personal opinions with setting up large GLASS tanks. I understand that it is very useful with acrylic tanks (which I still question it validity in some aspects), but I want to test the water about glass.

I myself believe that the Styro underneath glass is 95% useless. I will give 2.5% to the leveling factor of foam, although there seems to be this big idea that closed-cell foam will really make huge differences. Then, I will give 2.5% to the warm and comfy feeling factor that everyone seems to have after using Styro.

I contribute my interpretation to the three factors that are generally view when lookin at leveling a tank. Front-to-back leveling, side-to-side leveling, & corner-to-corner leveling. I will adress each individually.

1. Front-to-back leveling - You should attempt to have it as level as possible, but most tank have a stress factor figured it, so some slight variance is acceptable. There is some points that show an unlevel tank that is set up for a while and then moved and re-level might have more of a tendency to have a seam burst.Thoughts & facts?

2. Side-to-side leveling - Basically the same as front-to-back with the exception that the variance may be a little wider of a tolerance.

3. Corner-to-corner leveling - this is the crucial point in ensuring that your tank will not fail. If the opposite corners are off, this will lead to twisting of the tank and ultimate failure by cracking or seams bursting.

Now, I accept that foam will allow for small impuities such as small rocks due to the pressure created. This is somewhat useless when dealing with glass because most tanks are built with a plastic trim. this si what contacts the stand, not the tank. Likelood hood of rock should be non if you dust the stand first.
But what I have a hard time believing is that as the pressure is exerted on to the foam the foam will compensate for the pressure. If a tank is unlevel, with equal distribution of weight the foam should compress the same amount around the entire tank. Whether the tank is twisting or not is almost irrelevent with the foam. How is it possible for foam to account for varience in the leveling of the tank?

If you would like to contribute to this argument, please contribute supportive factual data as I hope this could to be a learning tool. But everyone should feel free to participate in the pole.

 

[Jackd]

Not sure if or what long term benefits the foam has. I never used to use it but now I use it on any tank larger than 30 gallons. Blind use I guess but maybe someone has better information than I do. My acrylic manufacturer recommends it so I figured it had the same benefits for glass.

 

[Newt]

I have styrofoam under my 180 gallon, but that's it.

 

[12 Volt Man]

I was told that with modern braced tanks, they are designed to be supported on the edges (perimeter) only - because they have the bracing across. if you use foam, you run the risk of putting pressure UP from the bottom of the tank as the tank pushes down on the foam, which could lead to a cracked bottom.

so I am weary of foam. I know many use it, and many with no problems, but many don't use it and have no problems either..so...

I have not used foam under any of my tanks and I doubt I will on my next one. my big tanks have been set up for 16+ years straight - no trouble.
but they have never been drained down or moved either...

the problem is that when a tank fails, its very difficult to tell exactly why it failed.

its easy to make assumptions, but impossible to tell the true cause sometimes..unless its obvious - eg. way off level, twisted etc.

We didnt't have the net back when I set up my 90, 65 etc and the fish books at the time never mentioned foam.

now, with the net, what one person does, everyone knows about. and next thing you know, everyone is doing it.

man I feel old. and I am only 30

 

[12 Volt Man]

How is it possible for foam to account for varience in the leveling of the tank?

it doesn't. an unlevel tank sitting on stryo that has compressed will still be unlevel.

only now with stryo under it.

my big concern with the styro is the fact that it is very ugly. that and I am concerned about long term mold/mildew and decay from constantly getting wet.

I want my tanks to be set up for years and years in the same spot. I don't want to have to drain and fill to remove or replace stryo that has gone "funky" with time...

 

[zennzzo]

Large glass aquariums are supported along the edge where the trim is...
I believe that styro isn't going to do much other than compress due to the PSI exerted on the perimeter...you have the whole weight of the tank and contents along that 1/2" of plastic.

Now if the surface that is supporting that frame, is not flat, it will put torsional forces on the aquarium.
The more uneven, the more the force is exerted.
Too much and the tank will blow out...

The only good I see that Styrofoam under a glass tank can provide, is some thermal insulation. The foam should be cut to fit inside the bottom trim and only thick enough to fill in the space between the glass and stand.

 

[Tommydeal]

The last two posts are correct, Styro doesn't do any leveling at all. That is not what it is supposed to be used for. It's used to absorb inconsistencies in the tank frame or stand, for example: If there is a piece of gravel on the stand that you missed and the tank frame is sitting right on it, then it could cause major problems down the road. Or if there is a nail sticking out of the stand right where the frame rests, it could also cause tank failure. That's where the foam comes in but of course you can easily avoid these inconsistencies and unless your tank is recessed in the stand the foam looks ugly. I say no to styro under glass tanks as long as you check the surface of the stand and the bottom of the tank frame for problems.

 

[Pharaoh]

it doesn't. an unlevel tank sitting on stryo that has compressed will still be unlevel.

only now with stryo under it.

my big concern with the styro is the fact that it is very ugly. that and I am concerned about long term mold/mildew and decay from constantly getting wet.

I want my tanks to be set up for years and years in the same spot. I don't want to have to drain and fill to remove or replace stryo that has gone "funky" with time...

I agree. Just for reference though, the foam that is typically used in water resistent. Not too much worry about molding and mildew.

Large glass aquariums are supported along the edge where the trim is...
I believe that styro isn't going to do much other than compress due to the PSI exerted on the perimeter...you have the whole weight of the tank and contents along that 1/2" of plastic.

Now if the surface that is supporting that frame, is not flat, it will put torsional forces on the aquarium.
The more uneven, the more the force is exerted.
Too much and the tank will blow out...

The only good I see that Styrofoam under a glass tank can provide, is some thermal insulation. The foam should be cut to fit inside the bottom trim and only thick enough to fill in the space between the glass and stand.

I agree with both of these statements.

 

[12 Volt Man]

this is a good discussion

 

[Tommydeal]

Maybe I was too quick to judge, I guess you could argue that styro has some leveling properties, but no more than toilet paper and shims are much better for leveling than TP .