New 55 gallon. Uneven floors.

[ccross]

I just got my new 55 gallon tank set up and it seems my floors are slightly uneven. The water seems to sit about a quarter inch lower in the back on the right hand side and about an 8th of an inch lower in the front of the right hand side. I believe it’s level on the left side. The stand is brand new and rated for up to 75 gallons and 900 lbs. I checked the top to make sure it wasn’t warped and the top is perfectly flat. I tried shimming the stand but it just isn’t helping. If I leave it as is, am I flirting with disaster? All of the floors in my house are uneven. It’s just the nature of an older house.

[Aiken Drum]

How can shimming the stand not work? If its lower on one side, packing that side will raise it.

[ccross]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

How can shimming the stand not work? If its lower on one side, packing that side will raise it.

I think it has to do with the flooring. I think it’s putting more weight on the area that shim is on and it’s pushing down on the piece of flooring. The stand without the shim’s distributes the weight more evenly.

[Aiken Drum]

So its the weight of a filled tank that distorts the floor? Without a tank full of water the stand is level?

I would look for somewhere else to put the tank. If the tank isnt level i wouldn't trust it. You might get away with one side, or the back being out of level with the front, but if the tank is being distorted thats just asking for the seams to fail and deposit all the water on the floor.

Really not worth the risk.

[ccross]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

So its the weight of a filled tank that distorts the floor? Without a tank full of water the stand is level?

I would look for somewhere else to put the tank. If the tank isnt level i wouldn't trust it. You might get away with one side, or the back being out of level with the front, but if the tank is being distorted thats just asking for the seams to fail and deposit all the water on the floor.

Really not worth the risk.

The stand is ever so slightly off level when the tank is empty too. When I check it with a level, the bubble stays within the center lines but slightly off. It’s identical when the tank is filled. I made sure there was no distortion or twisting in the top. The tank sits with no gaps, I checked. Can’t get a sheet of paper between the tank and stand anywhere. Also checked with a flashlight to look for areas not touching. It’s definitely the floor. Unfortunately this is the one place in the house we can fit it.

[Aiken Drum]

The way you describe the distortion, its not just front to back or side to side but slopes between diagonal corners. That's the worst possible situation. Its just not worth the risk.

Is the flooring covered with carpet? Might the stand be sat on a gripper rod at one corner? Have you tried moving the stand an inch or two here and there to see if that levels things up?

[ccross]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

The way you describe the distortion, its not just front to back or side to side but slopes between diagonal corners. That's the worst possible situation. Its just not worth the risk.

Is the flooring covered with carpet? Might the stand be sat on a gripper rod at one corner? Have you tried moving the stand an inch or two here and there to see if that levels things up?

No carpet. We just had new wood laminate flooring put in throughout our whole house. I’ve moved the stand around to see if it changed anything and still the same. The more I think about it, the more I’m thinking it may be the stand and I need to return it. It’s made from MDF and I don’t know if it’s taking the weight properly. I don’t know. This is my first large tank and it’s been a nightmare since day one. Lol.

[Colin_T]

Virtually all fish tank stands sold in pet shops are made from particle board or MDF. Both are useless if they get wet, which doesn't help for a fish tank stand

The only way you will get a decent stand is to make one or do a special order for a metal or wood stand. Lots of people are handy with the welder, maybe you know someone who is.

You could try putting some 1-2 inch thick pieces of wood under the stand so each side is sitting on a piece of wood. The wood will spread the weight out more evenly and could fix the issue. Have the piece of wood a couple of inches wider (front to back) than the tank and about 12 inches wide. Have one piece of wood under each side of the tank.

[ccross]

Id rather not jerry rig anything to hat is going to have over 600lbs of weight and 50+ gallons of water in it. That’s a disaster just waiting to happen. I’m just going to return the stand and order a metal one.

[Andy Sager]

I'm having the same issue with my mobile home. With older houses, it may be that you'll need to find the joists and if possible, place the feet of the stand ( the new metal one or your existing one) on the joists or place a piece of 3/4" or 1" wood across the joists to spread out the pressure and place the feet of the stand on that. To be even more secure, if you can get under the house or from your basement, add some support to the joists or flooring from there to make the floor less moveable.
I too just had my flooring redone from the subfloor on up so I was marking everything so I'd know where to and not to put my tank.