discretekarma December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Is there any safe way to have a reef on nice hardwood floors. In my parents basement, the pergo type floors were buckled and the wall was messed up where I had my old tank. Now that I have my own house I'm not trying to ruin it (not that I tried to ruin there house). I ruined there Pergo which is more durable than hard wood. Is there a sure way or should I just have my tank in the basement. That's where my wife wants it. She liked my old tank but doesn't want it to ruin the house. I wouldn't have to be quite as careful down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sikryd December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Basement - I don't think it would be worth having it up on the hardwood unless you planned on cutting out the hardwood and tiling underneath it. I'm tiling underneath mine in the basement when I do the bathroom and entry tile. The rest of the basement is going to be carpet. Plus I think you would make the missus happy - which is ALWAYS a bonus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discretekarma December 9, 2009 Author Share December 9, 2009 That's what I was leaning towards. Happy Wife=Happy Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefunelement December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Or all-in-one with built in refugium so there is no chance of sump overflow. That's what I have on 1880's original wood floors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Don't spill water and you won't ruin the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noobalicious December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 my tank is on hardwood. i bought a section of tan indoor/outdoor carpeting to place under the stand. The color makes it not that noticeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Mine in on hardwood and no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyCDX1 December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 My tank was directly on the hardwood floor for years with no issues. True hardwood floors are much thicker then Pergo type floors and should hold up with no problem. I also drilled through the floor to my basement to for my sump, fuge and pumps. When it was time to upgrade and build an in-wall system and moving the old setup; getting the floor fixed was no problem. M&M Floors spot repaired the floor and you would never know it was repaired. The other advantage to having your support systems in the basement is the zero noise impact for your display tank located in living spaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 I will say that putting your tanks on marble floors is not a great idea. Salt eats marble. I had large pits under my old tank... but I had quite a few stupid floods also. You will probably spill water on the floor at some point so the basement is safer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Ward December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 I put the rubber shower mat stuff (that goes under tile for a tile shower pan) under my tank, hoping that will stop or at least minimize any water damage. I also lined the inside of the stand with it so it would be water tight in case of spill. Ideally, you would also have bamboo floors underneath (mine are oak) since they withstand moisture better than most other hardwoods. I'm hoping to get away with just refinishing the floors when I move the tank. So far, there's no sign of problems, but I haven't moved the tank either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 My tank is on hardwood floor. I cover ecerything during changes. You have to be very vigilant about cleaning up all salt water when it spills. I use a wet cloth, rinse it and wipe over and over, then I make sure I dry the floor completely. Do not let water stand on the floor for more than a few minutes. My floor looks fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyCDX1 December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 One additional important note; leave a small gap between the bottom of the stand and the floor. I used heavy felt and put it on the corners and a couple of places along the edge. When I did have a spill that went under the stand, I used papertowel and slid it under the tank to soak up any water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geofloors December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Ideally, you would also have bamboo floors underneath (mine are oak) since they withstand moisture better than most other hardwoods. Bamboo floors are the worse floors for a moist environment. They grow naturally in swamps but the flooring is dried and laminated into thin strips to make one wider plank. I've repaired some bamboo floors with minor spills and the boards practically fell apart. FWIW. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geofloors December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Or all-in-one with built in refugium so there is no chance of sump overflow. That's what I have on 1880's original wood floors. A house that old would not have a subfloor, or the subfloor is just slats layed on a diagonal, so if you were to spill anything it will just run through the floor into the room below. Chances are slim that even a major spill would ruin your floors. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geofloors December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 My tank is on hardwood floor. I cover ecerything during changes. You have to be very vigilant about cleaning up all salt water when it spills. I use a wet cloth, rinse it and wipe over and over, then I make sure I dry the floor completely. Do not let water stand on the floor for more than a few minutes. My floor looks fine. This is the best advise for anyone wanting or having a tank on a hardwood floor. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geofloors December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 I ruined there Pergo which is more durable than hard wood. This a common misunderstanding, Pergo can withstand a bowling ball dropped from 6' and won't dent or crack the floor. However, you spill a cup of water near a seam and the floor is trash. Pergo floors from 10+ years ago were installed with glue and not the quick-lock glueless system. Those older Pergo type floors would hold up very well because the seams were sealed. Pergo's construction is melamine laminate on top and bottom, the center is MDF. When MDF gets wet it swell substantially. This is what caused your floors to buckle and delaminate. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Ward December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Bamboo floors are the worse floors for a moist environment. They grow naturally in swamps but the flooring is dried and laminated into thin strips to make one wider plank. I've repaired some bamboo floors with minor spills and the boards practically fell apart. FWIW. George Then why is bamboo the only flooring rated to be laid below-grade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geofloors December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 (edited) Then why is bamboo the only flooring rated to be laid below-grade? You got me, I've never seen a bamboo product rated for below grade with out using on-grade or above-grade installation precautions. In turn it will have the same problems as a solid oak floor installed below grade with out the proper precautions. I've installed 100's of floors below grade... maple, cherry, oak, jatoba, teak, etc etc. They are all engineered products made specifically to handle moist environments with out jumping through hoops to meet manufacturer specs to retain warantee. George Edited December 9, 2009 by geofloors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 Just wondering what "below grade" means. Also I have my tank literally sitting in a short plastic tray up on slats of sealed/treated 2x4's it looks a tad funny but since the stand is black and the tray is black you don't notice unless you're really looking for it. The tank is on hard wood and has had 1 leak due to an over active skimmed it dripped down the side of the tank and into the tray. It did its job well and was a saving grace since I wasn't there when it happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geofloors December 9, 2009 Share December 9, 2009 (edited) Just wondering what "below grade" means. Below ground, even a house with a walkout basement is considered below grade. George Edited December 9, 2009 by geofloors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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