How level does a tank have to be ?

[jejton]

Should I ask my question on a whole nother thread? I'm not trying to hijack your thread jejtom!! I would just like to know, because my tank was set up without being level, and you guys have reweaken that nightmare.lol

I dont see how its hijacking since its relevant to the topic.

 

[jejton]

JLAudio - In order to do that I have to fill up the tank. I just put together the plumbing last nite. How long do I have to wait until its safe to add water?

 

[JLAudio]

Sorry didnt read all the details, fill as soon as you get it back level, but because there might be a bit of give with the shims after water is filled, sometimes that side go's down a bit again depending on the material of the flooring

 

[jejton]

I meant how long do I have to let the pvc solvent cure before its water safe. The floor is concrete ( its the basement ) - no tiling or carpet over it.

 

[masterswimmer]

I meant how long do I have to let the pvc solvent cure before its water safe.

15 minutes

 

[jejton]

ok thanks. So I connected everything, filled it up and started filling up the sump when I noticed water in the stand under the sump. I quickly drained the water from the sump and overflow, took out the sump and dried the wood. I can't see where the leak is coming from but its definately from the sump. Whats the easiest way to locate it ( dumb question probably...) and when I do how do I repair it ( its acrylic, and I've never worked with acrylic )?

On another note, I'll take pictures of the water line tomorrow for the leveling question.

 

[KathyC]

Since you already have the sump out of the stand..put some papertowels down on the kitchen counter and place the sump on them.
Put enough water in to cover the bottom of the sump and see if any 'wicks' out onto the paper towels..if so, the leak is in the seams on the bottom.
Drain it, dry it very thoroughly & repair the bottom and then do the same thing again until it's full and you see so leaks and you should be good to go. A dry papertowel will tell you quickly if you have a leak that you may not notice by eye.

Hope others chime in here but imo..I'd first seal it with either Weldon # 3 or # 4 and then I'd run a bead of Weldon #16 inside & out wherever you noticed it leaking.
Wouldn't be the worst idea to put the Weldon # 16 all along the inside edge of the bottom.

Where did you get the sump?

 

[jejton]

I bought the whole setup ( stand, sump, tank, hood ) from meschaefar. It was used. I hadn't checked it until the other day so it could have been damaged on the ride in. There aren't any visible cracks so I'm hoping its just a weak seal. I'll try your idea now. Once I locate the leak, where can I get the weldon? HD, Loews kind of store? Whats the difference between the #3, 4 and 16?

 

[jejton]

Anyone use Tenax 7R? I can't find Weldon anywhere here but one hobby shop sells that stuff and the guy said it does the same thing as Weldon ( which he hasn't carried in years ). He said that he used the Tenax to fix his skimmer's crack and it worked fine but I dont want to experiment on my sump unless it really does the same thing.

 

[masterswimmer]

Weldon

More Weldon

Even more Weldon

Wow, just a bit more Weldon

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Russ

 

[jejton]

Thanks Russ but I'd rather try to buy it locally - i found it online - since I need a small amount and want to get this finished and over with before the weekend so I can be ready when my rocks finally get in. If I have no choice I'll but it online.

 

[jejton]

Ok so the pictures wouldnt come out clear enough to post but I did measure the water level. Side to side its even, but the front is about 1/4" lower than the back. Should I place a series of shims all along the bottom or just one 1.4" ( or a little thicker in case of compression?) strip of wood? If I go with the shims, once I level it off, do I cut off the ends of the shims that protrude from under the stand?

 

[masterswimmer]

How deep (front to back) is your tank? 1/4" is a huge variance if the tank is only 18" or 24" deep.

 

[jejton]

Its 18". I'll try to get a piece of scrap wood 1/4" to run under the length of the stand in front and then use the shims I bought under the sides of the tank. Should that work?

 

[masterswimmer]

Its 18". I'll try to get a piece of scrap wood 1/4" to run under the length of the stand in front and then use the shims I bought under the sides of the tank. Should that work?

Sounds like it should work. And yes, you can cut off the ends of the shims that protrude from the exposed part of the stand.

Make sure you check for level after you're done shimming.......both empty and full with water (fresh tap water is fine, this is just a test).

swimmer