Is my tank safe to fill?

[reeftanker3295]

Hi everyone. I've had quite the dilemma on my hands for the past few weeks. Long story short, my 150 gallon rimless tank seems to not be square on the bottom, causing a gap in two corners and along the front pane to the center. I am 100% certain that the stand is square and level. Because of this problem, I can see through the bottom panel that the weight of the bottom panel is not being evenly distributed to the foam beneath the tank. It appears slightly raised near the 2 higher corners, while the yoga mat under the tank is basically smashed down under the lower corners and bottom panel surrounding it. The manufacturer says that this is fine, and that the tank is still under warranty, but I'm still unsure of how I feel. Am I ok to fill this tank or do I have to scrap it? https://photos.app.goo.gl/iyT9MYq29Q8TQZPi7
I appreciate any help greatly!

 

[wrott]

The board under the mat looks bowed.
It should flatten with water weight.

 

[reeftanker3295]

It's not, it's screwed down to the stand and perfectly flat, I made sure before the tank went on the stand. Hence why I'm concerned.

 

[dkeller_nc]

Curious - is it a Red Sea? I ask because someone else ran into this problem. You'll have to ask him what the eventual outcome was, but at least in his case, it appears the tank itself was bowed.

You'll need a straightedge and a couple of friends to check, as you'll have to take the tank off of the stand, flip it over, and check the bottom for flatness. If it's flat, then there may be an issue with your stand, which should be fairly easy to rectify. If it's the tank, don't fill it - send it back to the vendor.

 

[reeftanker3295]

How do I safely flip a tank this size with plumbing glued into the back of the tank? (Unions 2' from bulkhead so good amount of pipe will still be there)
It really sucks to go through this because I know it isn't the stand, and I can tell on one side of the tank that the side panels are not square, so I know it's the tank, just can't tell if the bottom panel is flat on the bottom, however I can tell the foam is compressed a lot more under 2 corners, and hardly touching the foam on the other 2. By the way a level on the bottom panel inside the tank shows perfectly level and flat, but not sure if a level would pick up such a small discrepancy or if the bottom of the panel is flat.
Tank is an SCA and they will not be replacing it. They are basically telling me whatever I want to hear and told me my warranty is good for 5 years. But they don't replace my house if the thing cracks. Just trying to err on the side of caution here and get an informed decision, as I really have no idea if it's safe or not.

 

[outssider]

So you're saying you are convinced that the tank is not square/twisted ….SCA agrees with you and still wont do anything about it ??

 

[reeftanker3295]

Well, basically, yes. Specifically I asked if it was safe (attached many detailed photos). His response was that the factory said it looked ok and that it was normal, then extended my warranty.

 

[Zalick]

Well, basically, yes. Specifically I asked if it was safe (attached many detailed photos). His response was that the factory said it looked ok and that it was normal, then extended my warranty.

Does the warranty cover lives stock and damage to your house?

If the tank is truly not square, and you can get a new one, I would.

The cost of the tank (and value of the warranty) is peanuts compared to the livestock and damage to your home.

 

[reeftanker3295]

Does the warranty cover lives stock and damage to your house?

If the tank is truly not square, and you can get a new one, I would.

The cost of the tank (and value of the warranty) is peanuts compared to the livestock and damage to your home.

That's the way I'm looking at it. Problem is it's on a second floor and just getting this one out and a new one in is a nightmare of a job. Not to mention it's taken me years to save up for the equipment so it would take a while to get a new tank. Just trying to think of a way to measure it and determine if it is safe on my own, I think I will have to slide it off the stand on one side to get a square on the bottom of the tank along the corners and accurately measure how far off it is, as well as how flat the bottom panel is.
If I could get a new tank easily I definitely would have at this point.

 

[Zalick]

To clarify my comment I meant if you can get a new one under warranty I would. just looking at your picture I would not buy a new one as it's probably fine.

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[reeftanker3295]

I'm really hoping this isn't an issue, I'm torn whether to fill it up or scrap it. Anyone else have any input? Seems like the front right corner is 1/16" higher than the back right.

 

[PCguy21]

Id wedge a thin peice of steel sheet metal under both corners of the plywood and fill it up.. They sell really thin steel at lowes.. you can cut with sheers

 

[nodak]

I had same issue with my 125. I used composit shims between stand and plywood. Tank has been in use like this for 10 years with no issues.

 

[PCguy21]

Is yours rimless tjough

 

[reeftanker3295]

Yes it is rimless. The bottom panel is partially floating. I recently found a thread where a red sea reefer had the same problem and sure enough the bottom of the tank curved up towards the ends. Not even sure how this is possible but it looks to be my problem as well. Just need some help getting it off the stand so I can confirm with a straight edge on the bottom of the tank. Doesn't seem like SCA plans on replacing it however.

 

[PCguy21]

No i ment to nodak who said he filled his with a gap.. a gap in a rimmed tabk is fine well sorta but yea.

Id honestly shim the corners that are in the air under the plywood of course and fill it up.. but thats just me

I hate acrylic and rimless tanks for this reason..