New tank not sitting totally flush on stand surface. How should I handle this?

[hb1547]

I'm setting up a 55 gallon long tank on a DIY stand. The DIY stand has a 3/4" maple plywood top. The tank is a plastic rimmed Aqueon tank.

I found that the tank is leaning on its back rim and most of the front rim is not touching the stand. There's a small gap of about 2mm between the tank and the stand surface -- enough that I can slide an index card under a good portion of the tank rim. I can very slightly rock the tank front to back on the stand.

My interpretation is that even if I level the tank, it's the tank still can't sit totally flush on the stand.

Not sure what the best path forward is. My guess is the surface of the stand is very slightly warped, but I feel it's beyond my basic DIY skills to find and fix such a small variation.

I could put some kind of foam under the tank, but since it's a rimmed tank I understand that's not the best approach since it would put pressure on the glass bottom.

One thing I've read is that plywood tops can flatten out a bit once they become accustomed to the weight. My current best plan is to load up the tank with the substrate and heavy hardscape that I planned to use, then see whether the issue resolves itself. However I think it'll be tough to tell whether the issue resolved because the plywood top became flatter or because the tank twisted...

Any other ideas?

 

[Andy Sager]

Are the 4 corners of the tank sitting flush on the stand?

 

[hb1547]

No, not initially. Basically 3 corners are sitting flush at any given time, and I can rock it back and forth to change which corner is slightly elevated (back right VS front left).

I did add 50lbs of sand and a little water (enough to start leveling) and it definitely did reduce the gap. I can add another 50lbs later today once I finish prepping it.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Just be careful. Loading the aquarium will put stress on the glass the same as filling it with water would, twist it, and could cause failure. Id replace the stand.

 

[hb1547]

Thanks. My current plan is to load in the sand and hardscape initially, which will probably be ~150 lbs total or so (I figure sand would be easier to clean if the tank burst than water). I'll check regularly to see whether the tank is twisting or leveling out.

Replacing the stand is an option but it's an expensive one. Would an alternative to be to add a second layer of plywood between the current top of the stand and the tank? Again, the current stand top is already a 3/4" plywood top.

 

[Airborne 82nd]

I would cut another plywood top before leaving it like it is.

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks. My current plan is to load in the sand and hardscape initially, which will probably be ~150 lbs total or so (I figure sand would be easier to clean if the tank burst than water). I'll check regularly to see whether the tank is twisting or leveling out.

Replacing the stand is an option but it's an expensive one. Would an alternative to be to add a second layer of plywood between the current top of the stand and the tank? Again, the current stand top is already a 3/4" plywood top.

I would check if the floor is level first. If it isn't, you can try shimming it and that should help. If it is, I'll say this: I use styrofoam under every tank I set up. From 10 gallons on up. I don't care if they have the plastic trim or not. I have 40 year old tanks with trims that still hold water. I use this styro: 3/4 in. x 1.25 ft. x 4 ft. R-2.65 Polystyrene Panel Insulation Sheathing (6-Pack) 150705 - The Home Depot. It's thick enough to make up for any small gaps so that the base sits level. This is a pic of my 40 gallon long ( same dimensions of a 55 only not as tall) which I have had since the 1980s. It's been moved at least 5 times since then. Notice it's sitting on double pieces of styro " just in case" the single thickness wasn't enough because the floor is purposely slanted to drain water from the floor in my hatchery. The second pic is of a 30 gallon long that I've had as long as the 40. It's the tank under the 40. You don't have to styro the whole base, just the edges.
The choice of course is yours.

 

[hb1547]

I added in the sand. The wobble is reduced and the tank does seem closer to flush with the surface. I no longer see light gaps at the corners, though I'm still able to pass a piece of paper under one of them (but just an inch or two away I cannot).

I spent some time leveling the stand and got it pretty close, or at least closer than it was before. Here are the current relative heights of each corner. I'll check again tomorrow and see whether it's changed. Thanks for the recommendation on the foam, I may take that route on the edges if needed.

 

[Karen LeQ]

The first thing I would do is to check the tank itself to ensure the rim is not warped as in a manufacturer defect.

Then I would check the surface of the stand to determine its overall flatness.

Use a bubble level to determine where the gaps are and whether or not a good wood filler (suggest floor levelling compound) can be used to flatten out the surface. If that is not an option then I would install a new piece of plywood over the existing. Ensure its going to be level before completely fastening down.

Cheers

 

[Airborne 82nd]

You have a lot of good things to try. You have to check 3 things tank bottom stand top and your floor. When you loaded up your tank what did you flex? If it was the tank that is bad news. The best way to check the tank is with a sheet of glass it is the flattest thing you will find turn the tank upside down and put a sheet of glass on it to see if it sits flat on all corners. If it does it is one of the other two.

 

[hb1547]

Thought I'd give an update here. I did wind up filling the tank, and the tank no longer wobbles at all on the stand.

I've been measuring any differences in height of the tank and, so far as I can tell, it's pretty flat and level. The two left corners are both 0.5mm higher than the right corners, and there's no front to back tilt. I'm still able to slide a thin piece of paper under some sections of the tank, but the corners are supported.

I'm going to continue to keep moving forward with cycling the tank and setting it up. If this backfires on me, I'll make sure to post and let you all know.

 

[Andy Sager]

Thought I'd give an update here. I did wind up filling the tank, and the tank no longer wobbles at all on the stand.

I've been measuring any differences in height of the tank and, so far as I can tell, it's pretty flat and level. The two left corners are both 0.5mm higher than the right corners, and there's no front to back tilt. I'm still able to slide a thin piece of paper under some sections of the tank, but the corners are supported.

I'm going to continue to keep moving forward with cycling the tank and setting it up. If this backfires on me, I'll make sure to post and let you all know.

The corners are most important so you shouldn't have an issue. As you saw with my 40, only the 2 side ends are supported and the tank is fine.

 

[Paul1792]

I have the same/similar problem with the aquarium not being flush with a piece of furniture ... a buffet table. I found that there are actually products that are made for this dilemma ... which I found on Amazon:

TEHAUX Aquarium Leveling Mat, Fish Tank Mat Under Aquarium Mat Black Foams Non-Slip Shockproof Fish Tank Pad Universal Aquarium Mat for Under Tank Aquarium Accessories - 40.7X30.5X0.6cm/16X12X0.23inch​

TEHAUX

Home

www.amazon.com

Aquarium Leveling Mat- Compressible Neoprene Foam, Water resistant, Heavy weight support, and Easy to Cut for Fish Tank Stability, Black (24x48 in)​

NemoHome

NemoHome Store, we design, manufacture a life style home products

www.amazon.com

Has anyone tried/used any of these?

 

[Aiken Drum]

I have the same/similar problem with the aquarium not being flush with a piece of furniture ... a buffet table. I found that there are actually products that are made for this dilemma ... which I found on Amazon:

TEHAUX Aquarium Leveling Mat, Fish Tank Mat Under Aquarium Mat Black Foams Non-Slip Shockproof Fish Tank Pad Universal Aquarium Mat for Under Tank Aquarium Accessories - 40.7X30.5X0.6cm/16X12X0.23inch​

Aquarium Leveling Mat- Compressible Neoprene Foam, Water resistant, Heavy weight support, and Easy to Cut for Fish Tank Stability, Black (24x48 in​

Has anyone tried/used any of these?

Be careful when using levelling mats. Some aquariums are designed specifically for use with levelling mats, some expressly are not for use with levelling mats and some while not designed specifically for use with one are OK with them, but you may void the warranty if you use one, so it's entirely at your risk. Consult the manufacturer of your aquarium.

Essentially some aquariums are built with only the front, back and sides in contact with the cabinet. The bottom is elevated with a gap between the underside of the base and the cabinet and therefore only has loads imposed on it from whatever is in the aquarium. If you use a levelling mat with these aquariums you will put pressure on it from below that it isn't designed to take that can cause the aquarium to catastrophically fail. These types of aquariums are usually clearly labelled as such, but its worth checking with the manufacturer.

Some aquariums are built differently and require a levelling mat to spread out any loads across the whole supporting surface of the aquarium. Again these are usually clearly labelled.

Most aquariums are neither one way or the other. As long as a suitable cabinet is used it doesn't really matter. But the manufacturer may still say that sitting the aquarium on anything other than an aquarium specific cabinet made for your size of cabinet (or even their own cabinet specific to the aquarium) will void any warranty.

Always check with the aquarium manufacturer first.

Yoga mats are often used as a cheaper alternative to an aquarium specific levelling mat. You can buy an non-branded 6mm yoga mat twice the size of those levelling mats for about 25% the cost.

 

[Paul1792]

Thanks Aiken Drum for the advice
Be careful when using leveling mats. Some aquariums are designed specifically for use with levelling mats, some expressly are not for use with leveling mats and some while not designed specifically for use with one are OK with them, but you may void the warranty if you use one, so it's entirely at your risk. Consult the manufacturer of your aquarium.....
********
My tank is an Aqueon 29 gallon frame 12&3/8 X 30&3/8 inch. And the bottom frame extends level those directions. The "second" frame on which the glass sits is 1/4 above that and is only just over 1/16 inch inch thick. So the glass itself is about 5/16 above the top of the buffet table. So the one Tehaux brand is 0.23 inches thick (the other is 0.06 so too thick). But the problem now is that the dimensions are such that I'd have to buy two since the dimensions are for smaller tanks and it bothers me to think of the problems I would create. I am looking into other alternatives and will post back if I find a decent solution !!!!