slanted water line...panic?

[Da Squid]

I finally filled up my 55g and chose a nice spot in the corner of my second floor room. Now that its filled and I can step back I notice the waterline is very much deeper on the one side of the tank (the end that is furthest from the corner). I found a tape measure and the corner end of the tank is three quarters of an inch higher than the other end.
I notice the carpet is slightly higher on that end. Could that be the reason or should I be concerned here?

 

[the_elvish_misfit]

I'm going to say that it isn't a problem ONLY because my friend has had a 55g with the same exact quirk, and he's had it up and running for over 7 years with no problems. The tank was just built funny and it dosen't compromise the integrity.

Though if your carpet is higher then it may be your floor.

 

[ezy33]

IMO I would shim the stand to level then fill the tank 1/4 full and check for level before filling completely. If it's a glass tank I would be stressed, a plexi tank, not so stressed but off level would still bother me. If it's on carpet and it's off level back to front you may be on the tack strip that holds the carpet in place. Moving the tank away from the wall should help.

 

[jsoong]

An uneven tank places stress on the glass, & over time may cause the seam to fail. 3/4" is too much for my comfort. I would shim it just to be safe.

 

[Da Squid]

Thanks all,
I will be emptying most of the water and will try moving the tank a few inches off the wall. I wanted to try out my shiny new python anyway . Is the preferred shimming method just a piece of foam?

 

[WhiteDevil]

Thats funny, same issue here except mines on a tiled over cement floor, I was nearly an inch off from side to side, I had to use shims and felt under them so it didnt slide easy.

I used wood shims, I think the weight might crush the foam

 

[ezy33]

I have used wood shims. There tapered so if you need a small amount (1/8 to 1/4) you use one, for more use 2 from opposite sides. Try a LHWS (local hardware store) in the lumber department. Good luck.

 

[ezy33]

An uneven tank places stress on the glass, & over time may cause the seam to fail. 3/4" is too much for my comfort. I would shim it just to be safe.

IMO a blown seam would be a big but easily repairable problem. A cracked butt glass would be a major disaster. Especially if it blew out the whole pane.

 

[Yellow Eye Tang]

They make nylon door shims too that wouldn't break up if any water got to them over time.

 

[ezy33]

IMO wood won't break up unless soaked for a very long time. While plastic is a great medium it has its limits. 1 it can be slippery. 2 it can become brittle. 3 it's a byproduct of the petrochemical industry. Just my 2.5 cents.

 

[Da Squid]

Whew, I emptied just about all the water last night, but with all my soggy substrate its still to heavy to pull out from the wall. I suppose I'll give the wooden shim's a shot. Fortunately I needed to make a trip out to home depot anyway. Thanks again everyone! I'll keep ya posted .

 

[WhiskeyD]

An uneven tank places stress on the glass, & over time may cause the seam to fail. 3/4" is too much for my comfort. I would shim it just to be safe.

Definitely shim if its a 3/4" difference. I've gotten away with 1/8-1/4" of an inch difference but even that is risky.

 

[Da Squid]

Just an update. Success! I purchased some cheap shims and a level from my local store. It took two shims under both iron legs on the right side of my stand. As soon as we set the load down they gave a loud 'crack' noise...but still seem to be doing the job. The tank is about a third full of water and the difference between the two sides is maybe 1/16th off... but that could just be my imagination. The level has it almost perfect.
I suspect the problem is that I put the tank over the tack strip on my carpet.
Anyway, this is just to thank you all once again for helping out. I couldn't do this without ya!