How important is balancing a tank?

[Jen-gineer]

Ok,

I picked up a 180g tank for an amazing price and now that my final exams are over, I need to balance/level the tank and/or stand. Sadly I'm not strong enough to pick this tank up by myself, so I have to wait a few days to get some people together to help me.

 

In the meantime, I've been doing research about how to balance a tank and some people swear by using styrofoam under the tank to solve the problem completely, others say you have to build your own stand or use shims, etc. So, really what is the right way to balance a tank & stand? I've checked with a level and the tank, when on the stand, tilts forward about 1/2-3/4" and tilts to the right about 1/4-1/2".

 

I was planning to take the tank off the stand, shim the stand until it's level. Then put styrofoam where the bottom of the tank would be and then put the tank back on the stand. It's an AGA aquarium. Is this the wrong way to go about it? And how crucial is it that the tank & stand be perfectly level?

 

(I understand the risks involved with applying torsional moment to something as brittle as glass, and those involved if too much of the force/weight is put on one corner as opposed to another, etc. I want to know HOW level does this thing have to be? and does it have to be level from all sides?)

 

Thanks!

[ctenophore]

Welcome to Wamas!

 

I think the key is that the glass is evenly supported, which does not necessarily mean level. Assuming the stand is reasonably well built, shims should work fine. You probably want to put a shim every 6" or so (shims are cheap after all), in case the stand can't handle any span longer than that. Most stands are ridiculously overbuilt so probably not much to worry about.

 

Justin

 

 

Ok,

I picked up a 180g tank for an amazing price and now that my final exams are over, I need to balance/level the tank and/or stand. Sadly I'm not strong enough to pick this tank up by myself, so I have to wait a few days to get some people together to help me.

 

In the meantime, I've been doing research about how to balance a tank and some people swear by using styrofoam under the tank to solve the problem completely, others say you have to build your own stand or use shims, etc. So, really what is the right way to balance a tank & stand? I've checked with a level and the tank, when on the stand, tilts forward about 1/2-3/4" and tilts to the right about 1/4-1/2".

 

I was planning to take the tank off the stand, shim the stand until it's level. Then put styrofoam where the bottom of the tank would be and then put the tank back on the stand. It's an AGA aquarium. Is this the wrong way to go about it? And how crucial is it that the tank & stand be perfectly level?

 

(I understand the risks involved with applying torsional moment to something as brittle as glass, and those involved if too much of the force/weight is put on one corner as opposed to another, etc. I want to know HOW level does this thing have to be? and does it have to be level from all sides?)

 

Thanks!

[Rascal]

You want it as level as possible, but I think you are right that torsional forces are most concerning. A tank that tilts uniformly by 1/8 - 1/4 inch probably isn't any big deal, but if it sits low in the left back and right front corners that would be asking for trouble.

 

I think your plan sounds like a good one. The styrofoam is more important for lessening the impact of pressure points than for leveling, IMO. Be prepared to adjust the shims again once you get the tank back on the stand, and again once it gets filled with water, and possibly even again once things have had a chance to settle for a couple of weeks.

[Jen-gineer]

Well,

someone on RC just posted saying that using the styrofoam will end up putting undue pressure on the bottom pane of glass later on down the road. So alternately, I'm thinking about putting a sheet of plywood along the bottom of the tank, just to be sure everything is as level/evenly distributed as possible. Plus there are some little nail heads/nicks in the wood of my stand, so this would prevent any of them from possibly touching the actual tank.

[LiVEWiRE]

I would get any hard or sharp nail heads etc hammered in before I place the plywood on. I place plywood or osb board under all my reef tanks. It seems to help with the weight distribution and also adds a layer of protection in case of unexpected spills.

[YBeNormal]

Well,

someone on RC just posted saying that using the styrofoam will end up putting undue pressure on the bottom pane of glass later on down the road.

 

Doubtful... There is usually quite a bit of spacing between the bottom edge of the tank trim and the bottom section of glass. You'd have to have a very thick piece of styrofoam under the tank for it to even touch the glass.