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Will This Shim Work Directly Under My Tank?!


Iamdasauce

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IMG_0241.thumb.JPG.1bea0f665aacca2dd1e32748224cd52e.JPGGood Evening,

 

My wife and I made a tank stand out of cinderblock and 2x10s. It actually turned out well but the problem is our floor is slanted a bit and one of the 2x10s on the top is not even with the other. I am able to get it level placing a shim directly under the tank and underneath the left side front wood piece. The tank is a 25 IM lagoon. Will this be okay or am I going to be in trouble? Picture provided

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Christopher Marks
41 minutes ago, Iamdasauce said:

IMG_0241.thumb.JPG.1bea0f665aacca2dd1e32748224cd52e.JPGGood Evening,

 

My wife and I made a tank stand out of cinderblock and 2x10s. It actually turned out well but the problem is our floor is slanted a bit and one of the 2x10s on the top is not even with the other. I am able to get it level placing a shim directly under the tank and underneath the left side front wood piece. The tank is a 25 IM lagoon. Will this be okay or am I going to be in trouble? Picture provided

I do not recommend doing this, it will place a lot of stress on the lower glass once the tank is full. Level the stand itself instead.

 

A thin foam mat is usually the best thing to place beneath a glass bottomed tank too, it will help evenly distribute the weight and buffer any small variances or bumps in the wood base. 

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Thanks for the feedback. The stand is level now with the use of a few shims according to my level tool. The problem is the wood, there is roughly a 1/8th inch gap between the wood and aquarium. Will grabbing a foam mat fix the issue?IMG_0242.thumb.JPG.99367804131d72ee0bec46bec268983a.JPG

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It might not be the look that you wish, but the supports should be directly below the side panels (so I would move the cement blocks in).

 

The gap is due to warping of the wood.  Try to use the straightest boards directly under the tank.  If there is still a gap, the weight of the tank (with water) might flatten it out.

 

But as Chris mentioned, you level the stand, not the tank.

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I too would move the blocks in to under the edge of the tank. If you put a thin foam mat, it could help too. 

 

The tank is 25 gallons (roughly 200lbs when filled with water). If there is a bow in the wood, it will likely straighten that out under the weight. But put the foam mat under the glass just to help ease stress on the glass at certain points. 

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TerraIncognita
13 minutes ago, paulsz said:

I too would move the blocks in to under the edge of the tank. If you put a thin foam mat, it could help too. 

 

The tank is 25 gallons (roughly 200lbs when filled with water). If there is a bow in the wood, it will likely straighten that out under the weight. But put the foam mat under the glass just to help ease stress on the glass at certain points. 

On the reverse.

 

I’m nervous about that single 2x10 there my friend. I don’t think it is going to be a good long term for 200lbs imo.

 

you have no support in the middle. I think that wood is going to start bowing inward slightly. Idk the long term ramifications of a tank on that.

 

id try to get something in between the boards if you can.


also with live rock and coral and equipment make it 10lbs a gallon I’ve been told. Water weighs 8.6lbs raw per gallon.


 

Didn’t see sea bass post before this but yes I concur with him.

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13 minutes ago, TerraIncognita said:

you have no support in the middle.

Yep, ideally, for a tank with a frame, you'd want the entire perimeter of the frame supported.  For a frameless tank, you want the entire bottom surface evenly supported.  IDK, maybe like a granite top.  I might check with some countertop manufacturers to see if they have any scrap for cheap.  It might look nice too. :unsure:

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18 minutes ago, TerraIncognita said:

you have no support in the middle. I think that wood is going to start bowing inward slightly. Idk the long term ramifications of a tank on that.

 

you're right! i missed that one. Good catch.  

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Hey guys, thanks for all of the replies and input! Why do you guys feel that two 2x10s is not enough to support the tank? The videos we model it after did not have any support directly under the tank. Here is a full picture for comparison so you guys get a full look at it. We can move the cinder blocks inward but we also have cinder blocks in the back. Thanks for any additional input.

 

IMG_0243.thumb.JPG.2cf49ca9da34e1a3923c911b09d161df.JPG

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TerraIncognita
55 minutes ago, Iamdasauce said:

Hey guys, thanks for all of the replies and input! Why do you guys feel that two 2x10s is not enough to support the tank? The videos we model it after did not have any support directly under the tank. Here is a full picture for comparison so you guys get a full look at it. We can move the cinder blocks inward but we also have cinder blocks in the back. Thanks for any additional input.

 

IMG_0243.thumb.JPG.2cf49ca9da34e1a3923c911b09d161df.JPG

Have you ever had a fish tank on a board like this before? 
 

I had one on a dresser that had a 1 1/2 inch top, it also had a a braces in the middle. After 6 months I couldn’t open the top drawers due to weight warping the wood. This was a 10Gallon Nano.

 

thats my only concern, if you’re not then it’s your tank so your choice for sure. Maybe the 2x10 will be fine.

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