MBVette May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 So Im looking at the tank this morning and notice the water level is higher than normal in the display for some reason (above the teeth of the overflow) Not a big deal I just adjusted the flow a bit) but then I realize the water is touching the top of the tank on one side and not touching on the other. So I took out the tape measure it seems the tank is off level by a little more than an 1/8" and I am fairly certain it was perfectly level when the stand was built. Any ideas on what I can do to stop this or make sure the tank doesnt move anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 Yikes. What kind of flooring is the tank on? I am not sure 1/8" is enough to be a major concern, but if the floor itself is dipping on one side or something, that might be a problem. Do you have a level? You could see if the floor is level around the tank that way. As for the water leveling being high - make sure your overflow and return aren't clogged or obstructed. Snails can sometimes get in them causing them not to drain properly, and that would raise the DT water level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 9, 2012 Author Share May 9, 2012 Its on a concrete floor so I cant imagine much shifting there, but I will double check everything. My first thought was a tape measure, now I need to find my level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 Its on a concrete floor so I cant imagine much shifting there, but I will double check everything. My first thought was a tape measure, now I need to find my level. I agree if the floor is concrete, that elimnates the floor as the problem. So it's either the stand or the tank then. Do you have the tank on a piece of foam board? Perhaps that settled a little more on one end than the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 9, 2012 Author Share May 9, 2012 Nope not on a foam board, its on a stand made of 2x4's and a couple steel struts in the back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 Running out of options here! That leaves - the 2x4 on the lower side moved down a little bit under the weight of the tank OR the tank was always 1/8" uneven from the beginning and you just noticed it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 9, 2012 Author Share May 9, 2012 Cant find the level I have here at work, but yeah thats the 2 options I am coming up with now. If it has always been like that its not to big of a deal, but if the 24 shifted I will need to find a way to brace the tank to keep it from moving again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 if you have the room you could always hammer in another 2x4 or two that is the correct length and possibly even raise it back up to level doing that...though id be careful with the vibrations it would cause...maybe a screw c-clamp would work best since the tank is sitting on the stand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 Out of level left to right, or front to back? Could it be that the plastic top (assuming it has one) was not installed level in the first place and that you're just noticing the difference now? Also, is the stand on carpet, or in direct contact with the concrete? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtFully Acrylic (Adam B) May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 How was your stand made? Is the weight bearing on screws (not a good idea) or is the weight bearing on the corner 2x4's? If your frame was built with "screw strips" then weight should be bearing on the 2x4's. If your frame was built without them then the weight would likely be bearing on the screws and this can cause problems. If you have 2x4's running vertically in each corner that are cut short from the top and the bottom of the stand then those are the screw strips (See attached pic for an idea of how this looks). Sandwiched on the outside of those would be the 2x4's that meet inline with the top and bottom of the frame structure. When your stand is constructed this way then the weight bears on these vertical 2x4's and is distributed therefore across the frame better. If your stand was not built with the screw strips it is possible that your weight distribution is uneven and the weight is bearing down through some of the connecting screws. This naturally can cause a problem. I hope I have explained that sufficiently...this is a case where some pictures would help in assessing your problem further if you can get some up. Stand Frame Pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 Check the concrete floor to make sure it is level to start with. Most concrete floors are not level. An 1/8" to me is nothing to worry about. My 7' long tank is over an 1/8" off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 Whatever it is, I would look at shimming the tank back to level between the floor and the stand......don't try to level it between the tank and the stand. That's just asking for trouble. You can just hammer shims under the low side of the stand to bring it back to level. BUT......you will need to make sure it remains level from both front to back and side to side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 9, 2012 Author Share May 9, 2012 (edited) it is off left to right. The stand sits on a laminate floor on concrete, so basicaly directly on the concrete floor. The tank sits on the wood itself, since the stand runs about 18" longer on each side than the tank there are no joints or screws under the tank directly. It was made like that to fit an alcove in the lobby. I am not really worried about 1/8", but more of that it could be shifting and cause a major problem in the future. Edited May 9, 2012 by MBVette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtFully Acrylic (Adam B) May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 I'm not stating anything about tank sitting on joints or screws....Just trying to determine if your stand is supporting weight of tank through the 2x4 frame directly as a unit or if it is supporting the weight of the tank through the screws which could potentially contribute to your problem if that is the case. The easiest way to tell this is to see if you have 2x4's running vertically in each corner on the inside of the stand that do not directly connect with the top and bottom of the stand and have a bit of a gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 it is off left to right. The stand sits on a laminate floor on concrete, so basicaly directly on the concrete floor. The tank sits on the wood itself, since the stand runs about 18" longer on each side than the tank there are no joints or screws under the tank directly. It was made like that to fit an alcove in the lobby. I am not really worried about 1/8", but more of that it could be shifting and cause a major problem in the future. So are you saying that the beam under the tank is otherwise unsupported except at the ends which are 18" out to either side of the 6-foot tank? That is, 9-feet long? And that the beams are 2x4's? That would be a huge span for a 2x4 if that were the case. If this picture is accurate (a picture would help), how many beams are there under the tank spanning this distance? Too few and you'll get sagging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypertech May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 If there are no supports directly under it, then the top may be sagging. If you can post a pic, it would help in figuring out if the screws are holding up the weight or if it is properly supported by the verticle 2x4's. A lot of people build stands and don't realize that the screws are holding the weight when they should just be holding the boards together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 If there are no supports directly under it, then the top may be sagging. That's what I'm wondering.... Sagging could definitely be a problem since this tank sits directly on the wood. If it's not sagging and simply tilted, then I would not worry too much about 1/8". However, sagging is a different concern that puts uneven stresses across the tank's bottom and panes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almon May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 (edited) I would bet that it's always been like that and you have only recently noticed it. I would bet there is no problem. So Im looking at the tank this morning and notice the water level is higher than normal in the display for some reason (above the teeth of the overflow) I think this is more concerning. The water level should not rise unless it's been raining inside the house. It sounds like the water flow through the overflow is restricted. Do I hear water splashing on the floor? Edited May 9, 2012 by Almon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind May 9, 2012 Share May 9, 2012 Post up some pics of the stand so we can see what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 10, 2012 Author Share May 10, 2012 Im not at work today so I will post some pics up tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite May 10, 2012 Share May 10, 2012 My 75g tank is on a concrete floor that slants down toward the wall by about 1/4th", but it's only a 75g tank (my old apt was he exact same way). I have heard the bigger tanks can lose their integrity if off kilter long term. Does the tank have some kind of plastic lower trim that may have cracked on one end? That would make one end of the tank higher than the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 11, 2012 Author Share May 11, 2012 ok just checked with the level. Horizontally the tank is 100% level, so no problems there. Vertically it seems to be just off that the top of the tank is slightly left of the bottom, but it is within the center lines so Im not worried about that. So I imagine that the tank has always been like this and it was built slightly off in some direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypertech May 11, 2012 Share May 11, 2012 If the water is higher on one side than the other other you have a powerhead pushing it up or the tank isn't level. The only other possibility is that the tank isn't the same height on both sides. Without a force (like a powerhead) applied, resting water is level. So, if the tank doesn't match the water line, its not 100% level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now