Help!

[Jconner3]

Before work this afternoon I noticed that there was a crack in the bottom corner of the black border on my 60 gallon tank and it was slowly leaking onto the stand. Since I was heading out to work I grabbed a 55 gallon from petco during my lunch break. Will the tank hold over night without exploding or something? I won't have anyone to help me move it until tomorrow morning and I would hate to wake up to an exploded tank and half eaten dead fish everywhere.

 

[Mebbid]

Sadly, it doesn't sound like you have much of a choice. With that big of a tank you would need a lot of buckets to keep all those fish in with bubblers for each of them. You could however use a rubbermaid tote or 2.

 

[Jconner3]

I got the new tank set up And partially filled but I just noticed that the water level is slightly higher (about .25-.50 an inch) higher on one side of the tank. Could this have caused my tank to crack?

 

[Mebbid]

It's the most likely reason for the crack.

 

[aquandrew]

yep definitely you need to make sure the tank is level before filling it

 

[Jconner3]

I don't why I it's not level, could it maybe be the carpet or something? I have it in the only spot I actually have room for

 

[aquandrew]

take a level and check the stand and maybe put something under it to even it out. also putting a layer of foam under the tank will help even it out and prevent it from cracking

 

[nataz]

you could try to put some shims under it. Only cost a few bucks.

 

[Jconner3]

take a level and check the stand and maybe put something under it to even it out. also putting a layer of foam under the tank will help even it out and prevent it from cracking

I checked the stand earlier with a leveling app and it was more or less level.

 

[Mebbid]

A small difference in how level the stand is makes a surprisingly big difference on the water level over a 4ft span.

 

[Jconner3]

What type of foam would I use under the tank and where would I find it?

 

[aquandrew]

foam is a last resort try and get your stand perfectly level and then put the empty tank on it and see if it is level

 

[Scotty01]

I level new tanks by filling them up to just above the bottom rim, checking all sides to make sure the water level is the same all around, then using door shims to level it if it isn't. Fill it to about half, use a tape measure to check again, re shim if necessary, then finish filling. Works well if you don't have a proper level. I personally wouldn't bet on the accuracy of a leveling app if it meant a blown tank and 60 gallons of water on my floor if I loose.

 

[Jconner3]

I level new tanks by filling them up to just above the bottom rim, checking all sides to make sure the water level is the same all around, then using door shims to level it if it isn't. Fill it to about half, use a tape measure to check again, re shim if necessary, then finish filling. Works well if you don't have a proper level. I personally wouldn't bet on the accuracy of a leveling app if it meant a blown tank and 60 gallons of water on my floor if I loose.

Do the shims go under the tank or under the stand?

 

[Mebbid]

Under the stand.

 

[Aquamandan]

you could try to put some shims under it. Only cost a few bucks.

+1 on the shims

 

[Jconner3]

Ok, so I'm in the process of putting shims under the stand legs to get the tank level, but even with them, I still can't get it 100% level. Is stacking the shims a bad idea?

 

[Mebbid]

Ok, so I'm in the process of putting shims under the stand legs to get the tank level, but even with them, I still can't get it 100% level. Is stacking the shims a bad idea?

Nope, it's perfectly fine. There will be enough weight on them that they wont shift.

 

[Jconner3]

After 3 hours of me being dumb and forgetting how water moves I got it figured out and my fish are finally back in a big tank after hanging out in a 10 gallon for a few days