Help... tank not level ....

[CHILL]

I just finished filling my tank only to find that the water line shows the tank is not perfectly level!!

One side is almost a 1/2 inch higher than the other. When I set the tank on the stand it was level, but now that it is full it's not (it's in the basement on industrial office carpeting with no pad).

Is this a problem? The water level drains properly, but I've read about massive tank explosion due to uneven water pressure. The tank is a 180 Clarity plus acrylic made of 1/2 inch material.

Really need you're help on this - should I drain the tank and restart?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Avi1]

You didn't mention what the size of your tank is. A half inch difference on an acrylic tank (no seams) shouldn't be a problem but if you're not going to be secure and it's going to irk you, drain the tank and you'll have to level it off in a way that won't allow the tank to shift in the future. That's not all that easy to do. Try calling Clarity Plus http://www.clarityplus.com but their website at says:

The top of an acrylic aquarium is critical to quality and safety. Acrylic can flex and react to water pressure -- It’s part of what makes acrylic safer. It doesn’t crack if it’s not level or padded underneath. Because of this, the sides must be held rigidly in place by a solid top, which also absorbs pressure from the sides. With a solid top, the sides cannot move or shift, which may lead to eventual failure. Any aquarium made with a segmented top or with a metal band/collar to hold the sides in place will usually be a little cheaper; however, the chances of a disastrous failure are much greater with this type of construction.

Their website also says that their acrylic tanks are 17 time stronger than glass tanks.

 

[CHILL]

Sorry, the tank is a 180 with museum rounded front corners. That means the 2 sides and front are manufactured from one big piece of acrylic formed to the tanks shape.

I am new to this hobby, and might be over-reacting, but just don't want to start off on a bad foot just to see it get worse. Am I worrying needlessly?

Thanks
Chris

 

[candide]

Go to a hardware store and get some wood shims. These are wedge shaped skinny/flat pieces of wood. Use a hammer to tap some in on the low side of the stand and raise it until it is level. Once level, you can break off any part of the shim still sticking out.

 

[Avi1]

Give Candide's good shim suggestion a try, but you might have to empty or drain the tank a good bit for anything, even a thin shim, to fit under that kind of weight. Still, a half inch isn't very significant at all and so don't be overly concerned.

 

[SpicyBalls]

think i saw another post similiar to this so not sure if you posted twice, but i suggested in the other post that if you already have fish and what not and can only drain your tank so much, you could always try using a car hydraulic jack.. i used one of them hand crank ones and was able to lift, one side at a time, my 110 gallon tank, full of water.. so that i could replace the foundation.. you could use the jack to lift the lower side and put in the shimmies or whatever you want to even it out.
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