Uneven floor - front to back

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dmolavi

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Jun 20, 2012
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Sewell, NJ
My new 40B is about to be set up. Side to side, the floor is perfectly level, but front to back, the front is about 1/4" lower than the rear. FWIW the floor is hardwood, not carpet.

1. Is this an issue?
2. If so, is it better to shim the tank or pour a self-leveling platform upon which to place the tank/stand?
 
You can shim it. My tank is uneven because of the floor. I didn't shim it so you can see the water level as an issue, but it's been like that for years without issue. It is supposed to be stressful on the tank and not recommended.


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Should i just put a piece of 1/4" ply under the front of the stand, or somehow get a shim cut that will be able to support the sides as well? I'd think having all the weight on just the front and back would be bad.

Edit to add: This makes me wonder if 0.22 inches (the actual amount over a 19" front to back run, equating to 0.8 degrees) is worth worrying over: http://www.oscarfish.com/oscar-forum/viewtopic.php/t,85801/ FWIW I had a 56 gallon in this same spot for years with no issues...
 
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Also, there is no "twist" to things. In other words, the tank isn't more unlevel on the left front than on the right front. So there will be no torque on the stand/tank.

If I'm doing my math correctly, the 0.22" difference in height equates to approx one quart of water
(0.22" * 30" (width of tank) * 18" (front-to-back)) * 0.5 (since it's a "wedge", it's only half))

This is 59.4 cubic inches, or about one quart. Even without the factor of 1/2, it's a half gallon. So worst case, less than 4 pounds extra on the front of the tank.

Just makes me wonder if it's something to worry about for 0.22 inches...I suppose I could get the wooden snap-off shims and just shim my way around the front and sides...
 
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