how can you be sure the tank is flat on the stand? where would you measure., all this aside my 1 yr old tank is not going to blow anytime soon because it is and inch of? correct?
what causes tanks to break
- Thread starter AussieMonster
- Start date
The only tank I’ve had blow out blew out within 15 minutes after being filled…
If the surface the tank is sitting on is “convex” or “concave” this is not flat…
Likewise, if 3 legs of a stand are 30” and the forth leg is 31”… this would but a “twist” to the stand which also is not flat…
The best way to check to see if a stand is flat is to hold a long straight edge against it.
Another way to check is to set the empty aquarium on the stand and see if it sits flat.
In my fishroom where I had many DIY stands made out of 2x4s which I did not trust to be perfectly true, between the tank and stand I placed 1/8” Styrofoam, ¼” plywood, 1/8” Styrofoam… The foam allowed any small “bumps, knots, screw hears, etc to dent into the foam and the plywood helped to spread out any pressure that could be caused by an imperfection.
I replaced the one tank I had break and added this foam/ply/foam layer on the exact same stand (otherwise unmodified) and that tank sat in use for over a year and didn’t break. The tank has since been relocated and is still holding water just fine.
Note; In my fishroom I do not believe one tank was “level”… in my house now I have 4 large tanks, only one of which is (coincidentally) “level”… none of my small tanks are…
Provided the water level is “topped off” and is therefore hidden by the trim, minor amounts of being “unlevel” are hidden and thus not a problem at all. The only time it’s an inconvenience is when the tank tilts just slightly forward, as this allows the water on the back wall to be just a hair low making my HOBs a touch louder than I like (one of my current tanks has this issue).
If the surface the tank is sitting on is “convex” or “concave” this is not flat…
Likewise, if 3 legs of a stand are 30” and the forth leg is 31”… this would but a “twist” to the stand which also is not flat…
The best way to check to see if a stand is flat is to hold a long straight edge against it.
Another way to check is to set the empty aquarium on the stand and see if it sits flat.
In my fishroom where I had many DIY stands made out of 2x4s which I did not trust to be perfectly true, between the tank and stand I placed 1/8” Styrofoam, ¼” plywood, 1/8” Styrofoam… The foam allowed any small “bumps, knots, screw hears, etc to dent into the foam and the plywood helped to spread out any pressure that could be caused by an imperfection.
I replaced the one tank I had break and added this foam/ply/foam layer on the exact same stand (otherwise unmodified) and that tank sat in use for over a year and didn’t break. The tank has since been relocated and is still holding water just fine.
Note; In my fishroom I do not believe one tank was “level”… in my house now I have 4 large tanks, only one of which is (coincidentally) “level”… none of my small tanks are…
Provided the water level is “topped off” and is therefore hidden by the trim, minor amounts of being “unlevel” are hidden and thus not a problem at all. The only time it’s an inconvenience is when the tank tilts just slightly forward, as this allows the water on the back wall to be just a hair low making my HOBs a touch louder than I like (one of my current tanks has this issue).
AussieMonster;3397676; said:
Most manufacturers state that tanks are built with 1" level factor added in to the design.
nc is correct in defining the difference between an unlevel tank and a tank that doesn't sit flat. A flat unlevel tank won't cause any torsional twist to a tank which is what causes the damage but why not have a level and flat tank to start with. I don't see the sense in setting up a tank that doesn't sit level.
When I set up a tank, I don't use a level. I use the water itself as water always sits level. Only do this with a small amount of water so you don't ever stress the tank itself. I place about about 25-30mm of water in the tank after sitting it on the stand. I always use foam in between as I use all glass tanks. The stand is hard on the ground at this stage. I then measure the water height of all 4 corners on the inside of the tank. The corner with the lowest depth of water is the highest point. I then shim the rest of the stand (between the stand and the floor) to bring it up to height making the stand/tank level and flat. By the time you are done, the water height should be the same no matter where you measure. A perfect level and flat tank
When I set up a tank, I don't use a level. I use the water itself as water always sits level. Only do this with a small amount of water so you don't ever stress the tank itself. I place about about 25-30mm of water in the tank after sitting it on the stand. I always use foam in between as I use all glass tanks. The stand is hard on the ground at this stage. I then measure the water height of all 4 corners on the inside of the tank. The corner with the lowest depth of water is the highest point. I then shim the rest of the stand (between the stand and the floor) to bring it up to height making the stand/tank level and flat. By the time you are done, the water height should be the same no matter where you measure. A perfect level and flat tank
Aqualoon;3396615; said:
Moving the tank with weight in in will cause it to leak faster than it being unlevel
