How much unlevel is too much?

[Anonymous]

Just got through this weekend setting up my new tank (72"x18"x30" ~165 gallons custom made tank I bought used). After sand, rock, and water addition, I am seeing a difference in water level of 1/2 inch from right to left (right being higher). I know an unlevel tank tank can stress the joints, but is this too much? Tank is on a carpet with a concrete slab underneath. Stand was also part of the purchase being built out of 4x4, so it is more than sturdy. It was level until all the weight was added. TIA

 

[electric130]

i would get some shims from HD or Lowes ($.99 per pack) and shim it up just to be sure. that's a lot of water to clean up if something were to happen and the tank leaks.

 

[MarkO1]

The most important issue is whether the surface that the tank sits on is FLAT as opposed to level. If your stand is perfectly flat, you should be ok with it not being perfectly level.
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Honda CM series

 

[Will C1]

i agree with marko i ave seen tank as much as 1" out of level that have been running fine but i would shim it up a little just in case. my 125 72"x18"x22" is about 1/4" out of level and it dosent bother me a bit.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. Since I know the stand is nice and flat, I should be ok.

 

[ReeferAl]

I really think that (if this is a glass tank) you need to be concerned about it being level as well as flat. Sheer stresses on an out-of-level tank can cause the glass to crack. An acrylic tank will be a bit more forgiving.
Allen

 

[MarkO1]

SKBok, if you are going to adjust your tank, I'd shim between the stand and the floor instead of between the tank and the stand. You do not want to create any tensile stresses in the glass... that is how it will fail if it does!
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Ryan Podesta

 

[Marrowbone]

... shim between the stand and the floor instead of between the tank and the stand ...

Exactly! the back of my 75 sits almost on top of a floor joist, but in the front there is no direct support, just floorboards. When I filled up the tank it began to lean forward - quite scary. The front was about 1/2" lower than the back. Assuming the top of the tank is 5' high, it was leaning into the room about an inch.

I took some fairly thick wedges (HD shims should do the same thing) and tapped about a dozen of them in across the front a little bit at a time till it was level (the waterline makes it easy). Then I drew a line across them with a pencil tracing along the bottom of the stand, took them out one at a time, cut them, colored the ends black with a marker, and repaced them, pushing them in just a little farther and out of sight. Worked pretty good.

HTH

 

[M.E.Milz]

Something doesn't add up. The tank was level when empty, but then settled 1/2" at one end when filled. So either the carpet or the concrete floor settled 1/2". That seems like a lot. I would make sure that something more serious isn't happening.

As far as leveling the tank, the easiest way is to remove as much of the water as you can into a bunch of garbage cans, then quickly shim between the floor and the stand by pounding wedges in with a hammer every 3-4". If you move quickly, your rock and corals should only be out of the water for 30-60 minutes. I had to do the same thing to level a 200g tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I agree, Milz. Earthquake country can really teach you a thing or three about the dynamics of a full tank in motion.

 

[Marrowbone]

ROFL seamaiden. Do you have your tank supported by those nifty little things they use for building foundations? It's a foot that rests in a cupped plate that lets your tank just slide back and forth gently during a quake.

 

[Mogo]

My tank was out of level by a quarter inch over the 72 inch length of tank. And I was worried. I shimmed my home made stand to get it more level. The weight of water took care of the rest. I think you need to worry with glass tanks as you don't want extra pressure on the lower side.

 

[baseman]

A 1/2 in really isn't much for a carpet to settle, depending on the carpet and the thickness of the pad. What suprises me is that it didn't settle evenly. Are you sure that everything was level before you added the sand, rock and water?

I had to shim my stand because the floors in my (old) house aren't level, but I was able to put a thin strip of wood under the length of the stand (front). Mine wasn't level front to back. I also added some wood strips on the sides to make sure there were no spaces where the stand would sag.

 

[Anonymous]

ROFL seamaiden. Do you have your tank supported by those nifty little things they use for building foundations? It's a foot that rests in a cupped plate that lets your tank just slide back and forth gently during a quake.

Nope, have no tanks at the moment. But I had a flashback to the Lander's quake of '92 and my ex-husband trying to HOLD it up himself! 8O

Look at me now, sitting at my computer (I know you can't right now--I'll not blog) set at a large bookcase that should be strapped to the wall, but after I moved it I just couldn't be arsed. :lol:

<sm, with a deathwish..> <Don't believe me?> Lookit this (green Mojave rattler). I picked one up...

 

[Will C1]

lol well sea maiden when i go and visit my relitives in arizona i allways go rattler hunting. so far i have only found a nest with new bourn hatchlings no big guys yet, yes im crazy but i love snakes and fish so shoot me :lol: