Help! Tank not level?!

[djs2012]

I just moved and have re-setup my tank...but it appears as though the tank isn't perfectly level. It's a 75 gallon and i'm worried that this could cause pressure on the glass/seams and cause it to crack/leak...It's been setup for about a week and i haven't noticed any problems......

i've never noticed this in any of my tanks, so i'm not sure how level they need to be...attached is a picture from the side...there is a difference of about 1/4 inch between the front and back levels....

any input would be appreciated!!!

[Rue]

I'd fix it before it springs a leak...

Level the stand...and then set it on a thin piece of styrofoam (the denser material)...that should take care of it...

[djs2012]

how do i level the stand?

[Rue]

Since it's not moving anywhere once it's set up, I'd take the easy route and shimmy the leg, or corner with a piece of wood...

...use a level to make sure you've got it right...and then the styrofoam base should take care of any minor oversight...

[djs2012]

any other opinions? this just seems like a lot of work...as i already have fish and water, etc in the tank....and i'd rather not do it unless necessary.

However, i'd also rather prevent the tank from cracking!!! that's my main concern. i just got new carpet and don't want to deal with that, not to mention all my lovely fishies!!

[Drumachine09]

Thats pretty much the only way. As for the water and fish, you could buy a crap load of 5 gallon buckets, or get a couple large rubbermaid containers to store the water and fish in while you are leveling everything out.

[cocoa_pleco]

crap, my 20's a little off too. Ill do a 40% water change and have a buddy lift the stand while i put a book under

[Chrona]

If you don't want to remove the water, I guess you can try bear-hugging the stand up enough to slide a small wooden shim in. You'll want lots of help of course. Yes, I realize that a 75 gallon tank weighs upwards of 800lbs, but on carpet, and with a bear hug lift, you'd be surprised at how much you can lift heavy things a small amount (ie trying to move a 900lb pool table halfway across my basement...lol)

EDIT: Oh, should anything break, I had nothing to do with this.

[djs2012]

you guys are pretty funny (??)...

i hear "last comic standing" is doing auditions.

i guess my basic question was is 1/4" too much, that it needs to be leveled?

i already moved my fish out and am starting to drain the tank...

[Chrona]

you guys are pretty funny...

i hear "last comic standing" is doing auditions.

i guess my basic question was is 1/4" too much, that it needs to be leveled?

i already moved my fish out and am starting to drain the tank...

Well, if you've already done all that, then you might as well level it. Is the stand on carpet or solid flooring? Leveling on carpet is going to be a pain, unless your stand has a solid flat base.

[cocoa_pleco]

EDIT: Oh, should anything break, I had nothing to do with this.


Chrona and all affiliated parties do not condone nor advise this idea.
Chrona assumes no liabilities for any damage for which should occur.

LOL, my legal statement for you, chrona

[djs2012]

yeah, i decided to level it...that's why i've moved the fish to another tank...

of course it's on carpet...i want to make this as difficult for myself as possible...as if the stress of just buying a place an moving wasn't enough! argh....

it's a Sedona series stand..looks like this attached pic (except i have carpet under mine)...solid all the way around except the opening int he front you can see....

so should i get some shims tomorrow morning and just put them under the two sides?

thanks for your help

[djs2012]

there is a spot in my house i can put it where it would be on hardwood floor...do you think this would be easier? (why so?)

[Chrona]

yeah, i decided to level it...that's why i've moved the fish to another tank...

of course it's on carpet...i want to make this as difficult for myself as possible...as if the stress of just buying a place an moving wasn't enough! argh....

it's a Sedona series stand..looks like this attached pic (except i have carpet under mine)...solid all the way around except the opening int he front you can see....

so should i get some shims tomorrow morning and just put them under the two sides?

thanks for your help

Eep, I can see that only the side panels actually hit the ground :X

I would get the shims, preferably wider than the side panels as to better distribute the load in the front. Then I would get a furniture strap, one of those straps that is nailed onto the back of furniture and into a stud on the wall. They are mainly used to secure tall/heavy stuff like bookshelves and prevent them from tipping over when placed on unlevel ground like carpet. You also see them on large TV's.

I had to do the same thing with this giant bookshelf we installed last summer, because the thing was on carpet, and the front edges would sink lower and lower as the books were loaded, causing it to tip outwards towards an eventual fall.

EDIT: Yes, hardwood would be infinitly better. Big/tall things have a tendency to tip and lean on carpet

[djs2012]

Eep, I can see that only the side panels actually hit the ground :X

EDIT: Yes, hardwood would be infinitly better. Big/tall things have a tendency to tip and lean on carpet

So are you suggesting if i move it to hardwood it might be more level? if i still have the leveling issues, would i have to address it the same way as you mentioned above?

this gets more difficult as the moments passs!!!!!

[Chrona]

You may still have to level it on the hardwood, but the adjustments will be much more permanent, and you won't have the nasty tipping forward worries.

This hobby never gets easier lol. The easiest stage was when you brought home that betta in a glass bowl and were completely oblivious to everything about aquariums.

[cocoa_pleco]

i dont really reccomend hardwood. I had my 33 on hardwood for 3 years, and after i removed and sold the tank several boards were dented in and warped from weight.

[djs2012]

i hate to sound like idiot, but what type of shims should i get? wood? and where can i find them...home depot? is there anyway to do this so it doesn't look ugly?

how many do i use? 2? (one on the left side and one on the right?)

sorry for all the novice questions...i've never had to do anything like this before.

[Chrona]

i dont really reccomend hardwood. I had my 33 on hardwood for 3 years, and after i removed and sold the tank several boards were dented in and warped from weight.

It'd be even worse on carpet, since it's plywood underneath that. A properly constructed house would account for a mere 350 lbs in a 4 sq ft area, since that is equivalent to say, a refrigerator/major appliance or even 2 people standing next to each other. I think the problem may have been water from the tank getting into the floorboards, resulting in warping. I doubt it's the weight though, but then again, it depends on the contractor that built your house.

[djs2012]

i dont really reccomend hardwood. I had my 33 on hardwood for 3 years, and after i removed and sold the tank several boards were dented in and warped from weight.

interesting...well the hardwood i would put it on is on top of concrete (ground level), so i dont know how much the wood would warp...?

EDIT: the place where i have the tank now is on carpet, which is on top of concrete (no plywood)

[Chrona]

interesting...well the hardwood i would put it on is on top of concrete (ground level), so i dont know how much the wood would warp...?

EDIT: the place where i have the tank now is on carpet, which is on top of concrete (no plywood)

Oh! In that case, forget everything and cut around the carpet so the tank supports rest on concrete (smoothed out concrete right? Not rough?) So the carpet cutout would be in the shape of the bottom of the stand.

[djs2012]

Oh! In that case, forget everything and cut around the carpet so the tank supports rest on concrete (smoothed out concrete right? Not rough?)

the concrete isn't very smooth...i'd say it's rough. i think the easiest thing to do is to put the tank on the hardwood, and then try to level it on there if necessary...i had asked some other questions, but they may not have been seen up there....:

i hate to sound like idiot, but what type of shims should i get? wood? and where can i find them...home depot? is there anyway to do this so it doesn't look ugly?

how many do i use? 2? (one on the left side and one on the right?)

sorry for all the novice questions...i've never had to do anything like this before.

[Chrona]

Sorry, I should have clarified. The shims you'll find at home depot will most likely be wooden ones that may be too thick for what you need. I was just using shims as a general word for "anything thin and slightly wedge shaped" that you can stick underneath the supports. On hardwood, any material that doesn't compress easily will do, and you don't really need to worry about getting a large piece to spread out the weight (although I would recommend you didn't place any part of the bottom of the stand on or next to the edge of a floorboard slat) So if you have scrap pieces of thin wood or metal, or basically anything about 1-2 mm thick, you can cut that to shape and put it directly under the stand. On hardwood, the tank should be pretty much level, so you'll only need minor adjustments.

[*Sarah*]

yes, you can get shims at Home depot. You slip them in under the stand and then you can break them off so only the part of the shim holding the tank is under it, you won't have a big piece of wood coming out from under your tank. Does that make sense?

OR, like Chrona said, you can use almost anything to shim up your tank.

[djs2012]

So if you have scrap pieces of thin wood or metal, or basically anything about 1-2 mm thick, you can cut that to shape and put it directly under the stand. On hardwood, the tank should be pretty much level, so you'll only need minor adjustments.

i'm just curious as to where on the stand to put them...the back and sides of the stand have support all the way down to the floor, but the front has that big opening in the middle....so do i put the shims/pieces of material just under those two front supports...i've attached a picture...so cut a shim to the size of the black square, and slide it under that support? sorry for all the questions/details, but i wanna get this done right the first time! :)

[djs2012]

yes, you can get shims at Home depot. You slip them in under the stand and then you can break them off so only the part of the shim holding the tank is under it, you won't have a big piece of wood coming out from under your tank. Does that make sense?

OR, like Chrona said, you can use almost anything to shim up your tank.

yes it makes sense. thank you

[Chrona]

Yep, thats basically how it's done. If your tank turns out to be very unlevel on the hardwood and the shims you need are more than 2 mm thick, then I'd also get some thinner ones and stick them further towards the back, and have the thicker ones in the front. This way it provides an even gradient that distributes the load better than if only the front point was in contact. Something like this, except sideways

Back


I
I
II
II
Front

[djs2012]

Got it...Thanks!

[Chrona]

Got it...Thanks!

Oh, lastly, make sure the tank is level on both sides, so you can be sure there is no warping.

[djs2012]

yeah i'll check all 4 sides...

[Chrona]

Good luck and let us know if your tank falls through the floor.


jk :)

[djs2012]

ha!

if it falls through solid concrete we all got problems....i'm just worried about the tank crackin'!

i'll definitely post when the job is complete...
thanks again

[*Sarah*]

Well I hope u get it all taken care of. Sorry I couldn't be of much help, I'm a newbie myself.

[Chrona]

Are you draining the tank completely? Lifting the whole setup by the stand will also help, if you can get some helpers.

[djs2012]

Are you draining the tank completely? Lifting the whole setup by the stand will also help, if you can get some helpers.


yep draining it completely! i will need helpers. i'll prob separate the tank and stand to move it to the hardwood floor...then have helpers lift/tilt the two together (waterless) for me to put shims under...

[Chrona]

Great, let us know how it works out!

[Incredulous_Ed]

uh-oh..........
2 of my tanks left sides are higer than the right sides

[Chrona]

uh-oh..........
2 of my tanks left sides are higer than the right sides

lol, are they on carpet?

[djs2012]

well guys i did the leveling tonight with the help of a co-worker...i actually decided to keep it on the carpet...it's a pretty low pile carpet...i just stuck two side by side Shims (American Moulding Corporation, $1.49 or something at Ace Hardware for pack of 14) on both the left and right side of the stand. It actually made the tank perfectly level having the shims pushed all the way in, so i didn't need to even trim them...kept the level on it while i filled itup....kept measuring the front, back, sides, to see if they were remaining level...and alas they did! i guess i'll have to see if it "settles" at all...but i think it's good. i'll wait a day or two to add the fish back....

attached is a picture of the level.

thanks for all your help.

[Chrona]

Awesome, good to hear!

[Incredulous_Ed]

lol, are they on carpet?
well, the stands they are on are on carpet

[Faith_at_Large]

I had less than a quarter inch bow in the front of my ten gallon tank (its not supposed to be a bow front) and was told to move it by my lps. It was on carpet. It still has a very slight bow of maybe 2 milimeters (never went all the way back, but I feel better). Of course, relocating a ten gallon is a lot easier than a 75 gallon. And, a slightly unlevel 10 gallon is not going to do the damage of a 75 gallon if it breaks. Water weighs a lot, and the more you have, the more pressure there is if the tank is not completely level.

From the novice.

[fat boy]

that tank can crack u have to be care full

[fat boy]

that tank can crack u have to be care fullbut um put like something under the tank to level it or something

[fat boy]

hey what sup

[Chrona]

hey what sup

Cocoa, we all know it's you. Stop spamming. You don't need TWO gold awards





jk :P

[cocoa_pleco]

WTF, i dont have 2 accounts.
Are you high...lol.

THe only thing youre high on is life and aquariums. Im not fatboy. lol

[cocoa_pleco]

and read fatboys info. Hes from lancaster california. First of all, im in canada, and i dont know where the hell lancaster is. I didnt even know that Egypt is in the north part of africa til now. I thought it was linked to kazakhstan.lol

[Chrona]

I'm just messin with ya man :)

[cocoa_pleco]

although, if i did set up another account, i could donate the 100 starter points to my account now, hmmmmmm.....


naw, thats really cheap:1: :1: :1: :1:

[Gelo_USA]

I just realized now tht my 40g is tilted to the right... its about a quarter inch off
( DAMNNN M I TIREDDDD lol I started writting this and I FELL ASLEEP with the hands on the keyboard then I woke up now... 15 mins after I started writting lol)
nite everyone

[cocoa_pleco]

meh, its only 9:30 here

[xoolooxunny]

Here's a cheap and easy way to drain a large tank if you have to level it. go to your local hardware store. buy some big 40-50 gallon heavy duty construction trashcans, siphon the water into them, add the fish, level the tank, get a couple of pitchers and buddies to go with them and pour transfer the water back in. hope you kept the receipts bc now you're gonna take those trash cans back to the store!

[Gelo_USA]

I have some free time to deal with it this weekend but I m not sure how I can do it
my tank is on top of two night stands my floor is messed up its on carpet
its only a quarter inch difference over 30 inches so I dnt think its a big deal what do u guys think?

[Severus]

You can probably get away with it. That isnt a real big weight shift. My 10 gal is off by like a quarter inch as well.

[Gelo_USA]

ohh mine is a 40g so I am alittle scared.........

[Severus]

Yea it is a lot more weight... im not sure how much stress a 1/4 in puts on the tank though..

[Gelo_USA]

I dnt knw I dnt think it is tht big of a deal but the thing is i got it used I checked all the corners and everything seems fine but at night I hear some noises comming from it like clicking noises once in a while it clicks LOUD I am not sure if its my filter or if it is the tank it self........
I will knw next week when i get a new filter......
I just really dnt want my tank to crack open LOL cause I dnt wanna loose my fish I can care less about the floor..... its a basement so under the carpet the floor is concrete.... so whateverrrrrrrrrr