Is it possible to level this kind of stand?
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edevingo
Aquarium Advice Regular
Welcome. If you want any ideas on hiding the board let me know. I love repurposing furniture.
We gutted our kitchen and I made our center island out of our bedroom set. Everyone thought I was crazy, until i was finished. Lol
Wow! That's absolutely stunning! (Who'd a thunk it?!) All I was thinking was some fabric and magnets but it you have any ideas I'm all ears! Thanks!
King Fisher
Aquarium Advice Addict
This is the best site out there for advice and I've been a part of quite a few.
Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Back to the scratches/cracks and silicone.. if they're scratches? Dont worry bout it.. I'd theyre cracks you'll be able to feel them with your nail on the bottom too. Throw the tank out. Silicone wont do anything in that situation.
King Fisher
Aquarium Advice Addict
Duct tape if it's a crack.....it binds the world.
King Fisher
Aquarium Advice Addict
It depends on where the scratch is, how long it is, and what side of the glass.*
Worst case, it's a long deep scratch on the outside of the tank.*
Glass facts! Glass has no compression limit. It can be compressed infinitely and will not fail.Eventually it will liquefy and flow, but it won't "break" under compression. It takes >1,000,000 psi to compress glass to the point of any phase change.*
BUT! Glass has almost no resistance against tension. The slightest amount of force in expansion can cause breakage. The presence of a scratch in the glass will weaken the surface integrity of the glass and cause a breaking point to open up.*
In a plate of glass, when bent the inside of the glass is put under compression, and the outer surface is under tension. In a pristine state the forces will balance for a long time before rupture, but with a scratch on the tension side you'll get an immediate break.*
Since water pressure is pushing out the glass from the inside a scratch on the inside will be held close in compression and not want to break, but if it's on the outside its just the opposite and can break.*
Also pressure increases with depth, so the further down the scratch is the more pressure it on it, the more likely to break.
Oh, and water disrupts silica bonds in glass, so a wet scratch is even weaker than a dry one.
From a guy who loves glass.
Worst case, it's a long deep scratch on the outside of the tank.*
Glass facts! Glass has no compression limit. It can be compressed infinitely and will not fail.Eventually it will liquefy and flow, but it won't "break" under compression. It takes >1,000,000 psi to compress glass to the point of any phase change.*
BUT! Glass has almost no resistance against tension. The slightest amount of force in expansion can cause breakage. The presence of a scratch in the glass will weaken the surface integrity of the glass and cause a breaking point to open up.*
In a plate of glass, when bent the inside of the glass is put under compression, and the outer surface is under tension. In a pristine state the forces will balance for a long time before rupture, but with a scratch on the tension side you'll get an immediate break.*
Since water pressure is pushing out the glass from the inside a scratch on the inside will be held close in compression and not want to break, but if it's on the outside its just the opposite and can break.*
Also pressure increases with depth, so the further down the scratch is the more pressure it on it, the more likely to break.
Oh, and water disrupts silica bonds in glass, so a wet scratch is even weaker than a dry one.
From a guy who loves glass.
Yikes! Thankfully there's nothing on the bottom of the tank so it's just a scratch (now coated in silicone). Kinda makes me want to coat the entire inside bottom of my tank in silicone... is there any value in putting some kind of silicone or plastic layer under the gravel to prevent future scratches? Or is that virtually impossible, scratches on the tank bottom from gravel are just a fact of life and you deal with it? Perhaps I'm navel gazing too much on this, but as a newbie, just curious.
Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Huh?? No... not going to last
King Fisher
Aquarium Advice Addict
Lol. Tough as steel
King Fisher
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nah don't silicone the entire bottom. Just be more careful placing the gravel in the tank use a scooper or cup. Add gradually, move it carefully. Your tank will be ok.
You’re tank is fine. if it wobbles shove something under it. As far as not being level the worst that will happen is the higher side of the aquarium will be an eye sore. I couldn’t see a 20 gallon aquarium giving out because its a little unlevel I’d buy a canopy that over hangs so I can’t see the waterline and call it good . As for the scratch I wouldn’t even worry about it my 44 gallon has some pretty deep scratches and never had a problem and I had it going like that for 5 years. If you’re concerned mark it on the outside with a marker and fill it with water outside or in the garage or basement for a few days and see what happens
Not sure if a leveling mat would be of any help for your stand. I used it on my flat-top solid wood stand and it was excellent. Still leveled the stand, but once I filled the tank, the mat took the unbalance in stride and my water level is even all the way around. Floor has about an 8 degree slope.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auqa...Eg1EWUWQZfyRlueCpQp38A7s7WkcXK7oaAsZdEALw_wcB
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auqa...Eg1EWUWQZfyRlueCpQp38A7s7WkcXK7oaAsZdEALw_wcB
Interesting, thanks for the tip. I have a rimmed tank, I've heard these are mostly for rimless but it probably doesn't hurt to add some cushioning. How long has yours been set up? Has the mat maintained the 'level' you started out with or has it compressed any further? Thanks!
That particular tank has been up for around 5 months, I think, with water in it. The mat has kept things level quite nicely. That tank is also rimmed. I'd tried to find a foam sheet to put under the glass inside the rim on the bottom, but they were way too thick and I didn't think it would compress enough for the rim to touch the top of the stand. So I went with the leveling mat with a double-layer. So far, so good, and nothing seems amiss.
Here's a photo of the tank setup where you can see the mat under it. No water in it during this stage of the build, but it has been fine since I've filled it.
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Cool looking tank. The mat sounds like a good idea. When you say double-layer, what do you mean? (Did you put 2 or is this an option when purchasing?) Thanks
I bought two and put one on top of the other. I estimated based on how bad the floor was that one thickness wouldn’t accommodate the disparity. Still used shins on the stand’s feet but the mats madei t perfect.
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