Foam Mat under rimless.. Good or bad idea?

[Munchie]

I finally set up my rimless mr aqua 25 gallon and put a drawer liner foam under it after seeing someone do this on another forum, after searching more tonight I see mixes reviews.

I am a little nervous as the one I have under my tank now is a little short on one side thus resulting in the tank not sitting entirely on the foam pad. This is obviously making me pretty nervous.

Any advice? I guess I will need to break it down again and adjust or remove the foam..

What do you use under your rimless tanks?

 

[Sniperhank]

Why would you need a pad under the aquarium? Protecting the table it sits on is hard to believe if you want to put a saltwater tank on it.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Why would you need a pad under the aquarium? Protecting the table it sits on is hard to believe if you want to put a saltwater tank on it.

+1 on why do you need it ?

 

[Munchie]

I read that rimless tanks need them as there could be imperfections on the wood. Mr Aqua, the manufacturer recommends them..but checking around there is a mixed reaction to them. Some use thick foam from a hardware store.. ADA apparently sells foam pads for their tanks too.

The tank is on a homemade stand that is pretty sturdy

After staring at it for a while the water level at the top seemed slanted a bit to one side so I just drained half the water out and into my mixing container so I can get some sleep tonight.. Less water, less weight..less of a chance of something bad happening while I sleep.. I guess once I feel better I will have to drain the tank, figure out the pad situation and level the tank then fill it back up.

 

[Sillyfishies]

I read that rimless tanks need them as there could be imperfections on the wood. Mr Aqua, the manufacturer recommends them..but checking around there is a mixed reaction to them. Some use thick foam from a hardware store.. ADA apparently sells foam pads for their tanks too.

The tank is on a homemade stand that is pretty sturdy

After staring at it for a while the water level at the top seemed slanted a bit to one side so I just drained half the water out and into my mixing container so I can get some sleep tonight.. Less water, less weight..less of a chance of something bad happening while I sleep.. I guess once I feel better I will have to drain the tank, figure out the pad situation and level the tank then fill it back up.

It should be fine for now. The problem is that the wood can cause pressure points in the glass. One night won't break it. But I'd try to get foam or styrofoam ASAP.

 

[Munchie]

Thanks, found this on Marine Depot...

Mr. Aqua is now introducing hybrid closed cell foam mats composed of rubber and foam composite materials.

Mr. Aqua Hybrid foam mat is recommended for use under all Mr. Aqua frameless aquariums or any flat bottom aquariums. The material composition of the mat offers support strength as well as slight leveling aspects. The use of this mat will smooth out uneven surfaces on your aquarium stands ...as well as compensate for leveling to a small degree. It is always recommended to have your stands as level as possible before continuing setup.

Uneven surfaces can add unnecessary stress to the aquarium bottom panel or walls. By having a proper, solid, and leveled stand – you can decrease the stress pressures thus increasing the integrity and longevity of the aquarium. All aquariums will flex to a degree and are designed to do so from manufacturing specifications. As aquarium keepers – we would want our investment to last. It is the utmost importance to make certain your aquarium stand is precisely even and leveled. SevenPorts Hybrid Foam mat will offer you that needed extra protection and make certain of an even stand surface for the aquarium.

Please do not use Styrofoam or any open cell foam as it has the tendency to crush and not regain (rebound) its shape. This does not offer much support or leveling attributes. Rather over time as it crushes, it can create pressure points and uneven areas which may increase the risks of catastrophic failure on the aquarium.

 

[Sillyfishies]

Thanks, found this on Marine Depot...

I've never seen a problem with styrofoam, yet I've never used styrofoam. You can maybe buy one of the foam sleeping mats? I wouldn't bother with the mr.aqua brand mat unless its cheap.

 

[Munchie]

What about a yoga mat? Might be able to find a thicker one.

sucks that i need to drain and breakdown the tank, guess thats what i get for working on it when not feeling well.

 

[Sillyfishies]

What about a yoga mat? Might be able to find a thicker one.

sucks that i need to drain and breakdown the tank, guess thats what i get for working on it when not feeling well.

Even a thinner yoga mat will work.

 

[Munchie]

Shimmed the stand and put a yoga mat underneath the tank... Fingers crossed!

 

[Tkey3425]

Shimmed the stand and put a yoga mat underneath the tank... Fingers crossed!

You should be ok a friend of mine has a towel folded under his and it's been like that for a pretty long time. I'd say at least a year

 

[Munchie]

Thanks for all the advice.. This is my first rimless tank so it's a learning experience..luckily my wife wanted a new yoga mat anyways.. I took the hand me down lol.

 

[Munchie]

Here's a snapshot of the tank while everything settles..