Styrofoam under the tank?

[sheamurai]

Hi All
In another progression of my MTS, I decided to upgrade my cichlid-tank-to-be from the 25gal I bought used to a brand new 50gal tank (there was a sale on, whats a gal to do?).
In the process of shopping around for a bigger tank, I came across a person who told me that the tank would be better supported and the base would never crack if I put it on a peice of styrofoam the same size as the base. Having heard this, now putting a hundred pounds of sand, and another hundred of rock, in the middle of a glass plate has got me worried. But you would imagine that they are designed to handle that kind of stress?

Is it a good idea to put a tank on styrofoam, or might it actually be worse?

The tank is still empty and dry, so I'd like to know before I start loading it up!

aside: Very excited about new tank! Have the filter for it soaking up some bacteria on my 77gal right now!

[Northernguy]

I built a stand for my 135 and its straight and solid!
I used a sheet of the blue styrafoam under my tank for the first time.I does settle into it and will likely take out any differences in the stand. Its not a bad idea but I have never had to use it before.I just thought I would try it out because it came with my tank!
No problems so far! lol

[dragoonwoman]

I've also read that it helps the tank hold its temperature better, because it acts as insulation against cool air getting underneath the tank.

I do believe they design the tanks for that level of weight and the associated stress, or we'd be hearing about tanks failing all the time. But, there's nothing wrong with a little extra support.

Just ask any woman who wears an underwire bra!

Good luck with it!

[MonkeyPox]

Styrofoam is common under large tanks.

[Afk4Jfk]

The only problem i see is if the tank is supported by the styrofoam, iguess if the foam is just the thickness as the gap between glass and stand it would be ok

[sheamurai]

Northernguy - so is the styrofoam "inside" the base of your tank, or does it show on all sides, and is it thicker than the gap between the glass and bottom of the base?

[Northernguy]

The way I built my stand its inset under the tank so you cannot see any of it.
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[sheamurai]

Is it the same thickness as the gap between the glass and the stand?

[Not NEW Not OLD]

nice stand northernguy... i built my stand for my 90 and the tank is right on the 3/4 ply top... no styro and its fine... has about 70 lbs or more of river stone and probably about 50 pounds of Lava rock...I would use the eggcrate plastic inside the tank... then the gravel.... and then your decor... the eggcrate disperses the weight and will also protect the glass if the cichlids dig and upset the stone decor as they always do.

NNNO

[sheamurai]

eggcrate plastic? You mean like bubblewrap? I've never heard of eggcrate plastic...

[Not NEW Not OLD]

no egg crate is a plastic grid that comes in 2foot by 4 foot sheets. its a diffuser used in ceiling lighting... the best one to use is 3/4 inch squares it is made out of plastic hard plastic and goes inside the tank it is a great protector of the bottom glass from falling boulders..
NNNO

[Northernguy]

The styrafoam is 1/2" thick but thins out after loading it with roughly 1400lbs!lol
What size tank are considering using this under?

[sheamurai]

Just a 50gal...but seeing as its for cichlids there's going to be a lot of rock, and mostly in the middle of the tank...

[Crispy]

My 130 has a piece of plywood between tank and stand, and my 190 has styrofoam in between. Good for large tanks.

[sheamurai]

thanks NNNO - I was a bit worried about the odd rolling rock...I will pick up one of those sheets!

thanks everyone, I feel much better about the whole weight thing now! I don't want any worries detracting from me enjoying my tank!

[Afk4Jfk]

Your welcome! Good Luck

[Not NEW Not OLD]

good luck and this place is great for information to cure thw jitters and worries when venturing into new territories...
NNNO

[Northernguy]

Some people like to use eggcrate ot plastic such a plexi under their substrate so they can pile heavy rocks and not damage the glass.It really does stop the pressure from sharp corners on the rocks and disperses the weight of them better.

[Lady Hobbs]

Other things also work. Corkboard for one. And why wouldn't that rubberized shelving stuff work, as well? All we're looking for is something to cushion the tank.

[Sarkazmo]

I use 1/2 inch styro sheeting that's used on the outside of houses as extra insulation. I won't put up a tank without it. If it's 10G larger it gets the sheeting. An 8'X4' sheet is about $9 at most DIY centers. It's easily cut with a razor knife. I cut it a little larger than the bottom of the tank so that it's evenly centered and there's no risk of it slipping in any direction. Stuff works great.

Sark

[sheamurai]

I'll be picking some up this week...