Aquarium stability on carpet

[daftsarn]

Hi, all! My name is Sara and I'm new to this forum. I was hoping I could get some advice and such.

I have a 60 gallon aquarium and stand; I've just moved from a place with tile to a place with carpet and the tank seems to be wobbling from front to back. I haven't filled it yet, because I'm not sure how stable it is. When I have the tank shoved closer to the wall vs. out from the wall, there is about a 3/4" difference from the top of the tank to the bottom of the stand and about a 1/2" change in water level. I have the tank shoved back on the stand, with about a 1/4" left in back and 1 1/4" in the front. Does all (or any) of that make sense?

Down to it: Will my tank be more likely to topple forward once I fill it or is it not enough of a tilt to cause any problem? Is there any other factor I may have missed? Am I safe or just being paranoid, or other? I'll have fish in there that have been with me for almost 6 years; I don't want to lose them.

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[MartinBlank]

Well unless your stand is really off balance I think you will be fine. A 60 gallon tank filled is going to weight around 600 lbs... the carpet shouldn't be able to sway it once it is filled... my 2 cents

 

[findad]

The difference when the back is closer to the wall is the tack strip that holds the carpet. you will want to stay off of it or your tank will lean to the front. after you get the weight of the water in the tank, it will flatten the carpet and pad under it and be more stable.

 

[daftsarn]

So it'll be ok if I have the tank stand about 4" from the wall? I'll pull it out more if I have to, but I have kittens and I don't want them to get behind the tank and unplug things.

 

[findad]

So it'll be ok if I have the tank stand about 4" from the wall? I'll pull it out more if I have to, but I have kittens and I don't want them to get behind the tank and unplug things.

a couple of inches should get you far enough away from the tack strip, it is only an inch wide and usually 1/2' away from the wall

 

[daftsarn]

Ok, well the filter sticks out a little further than that, so that'll be super. I moved these fish from Kentucky to Florida and back again, but I've never seemed to have this problem! Thank you!

 

[SeverumGuy]

I have a 55g tank on carpet in my bedroom and I don't have any problems out of it. How well built is the stand?

 

[daftsarn]

Well, I got it at Petsmart. It seems to be...satisfactory. It's not junk, but it's not a brick house.

I'm also wondering if having the tank pushed that far back on the stand is a good idea or a bad one.

 

[melosu58]

You`ll be OK on carpet. Mine has been there for twelve yrs now. The tank and stand will be so heavy it will be nice and firm on carpet. BTW welcome to AA.

 

[SeverumGuy]

I would make sure the tank is centered properly on the stand and just move the whole thing out from the wall. My HOB filters got in the way too and I just move the stand and tank a little further from the wall. It won't make much of a difference doing that. You'll be okay.

 

[daftsarn]

Omfsm. You guys call this place "AA?" That's welcoming, lol.

And thanks to everyone! You're true gems.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

It's 'AA' for a reason
I actually think on carpet is probably better, as it's more able to iron out small differences in the height in both the floor and your stand, than you would on hard flooring, less forgiving with leaks, of course!

At least it's not like my living room where the whole space has a definite slope to it!

 

[mfdrookie516]

My 150g is on carpet and has no issues. Granted, my tank probably weighs 3 times more than yours. Oh, and Welcome to AA

 

[daftsarn]

Thanks, guys! It seems to be doing well so far. Not much wobbling at all; less so than when it was on tile.

 

[FishEggs]

Glad to hear. Hope all the fishies are well and happy.

 

[Laurence]

Water weighs 8.35 pounds per gallon, so your 60 gallon tank will weigh 501 pounds, not including the stand and tank itself. I have a 185 gallon tank which rests on a heavy red oak stand. Beneath the stand I placed a 4 foot by 6 foot sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, to avoid stresses on the stand and the tank. If your stand wobbles that is a sure sign it is off balance and could fail when the tank is filled. Also, what is the composition of your flooring? Wood or concrete? If the flooring is wood the underlying trusses might be too weak or warped to support so much weight in a small area. I would suggest putting a heavy sheet of thick plywood under the stand to even out the stresses, and also put a sheet of felt or styrofoam under the tank itself to further avoid stresses that might crack the tank. You don't say if your area is on the first or second floor of the home or apartment. If it is on the second floor with only wood trusses then you should check to see if they can support the weight of the tank and stand. By all means make sure your tank is level and firmly supported before filling it!

 

[kingman8610]

Yeah, my 10g is on carpet and a metal filing cabinet and it def. leans forward, about a 1/2-1 inch difference btwn the front and back water lvls lol so i just go by the middle