Need help fixing uneven aquarium once and for all..please help lago77, billdogg

[JingoFresh]

Hello all,

I'm desperate for some help to fix my uneven aquarium. Hoping to give as much info and detail as possible and get my tank back up and running this week.

The problem seems to be coming from two causes. One, is that my apartment slopes downward at an angle. The second is damage to the floor where the aquarium has to sit. I'm in a small NYC apartment, and there is literally no other place my aquarium could go and it be worth keeping.

This is the layout:

This is the floor, and the red ex is where there is a problem with the wood. It's very hard to see and even feel, but the level can not be flat against that section...

This is the levels at the moment, without any support or attempt to correct the level.

Right rear corner:

Right front corner:

Front right:

So, that's the problem. The water pools towards the right front corner, and there is a difference of maybe an inch between the left rear and front right corners.

I have tried shimming, but with the slope and the problem with the floor raising up, I could not get it level. When I would shim one place, it would just cause the tank to be uneven or lifted up somewhere else.

When I finally did get it level by having full coverage of shims, it caused strain on my stand and caused cracks in the stand. I kept it like that for many months and the cracks did not get worse, but I would prefer a solution where that was not happening at all.

I thought a planed piece of wood would be a solution, but was advised against that in my last thread.

Given all this info, I am completely lost with what to do next to solve this. Any help and solutions appreciated!

 

[thegrun]

I'm not sure why a solid pieces of wood planed down to the proper heights would be a bad idea, to me constant contact along the perimeter of the tank would be the best possible solution.

 

[BrokenSpoke]

I used something like this under the stand and another between the stand and the aquarium. Once the aquarium was full of water it settled in darn near perfect and any unevenness in the basement floor was filled by the pink board. It's been a few years so I am not sure this is exactly what I bought but it looks close and you can get the idea

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Co...-Laminated-Insulating-Sheathing-47L/100320298

 

[laga77]

My 120G reef tank sits on a concrete floor next to a floor drain. By design, the floor is over 1.5 inches out of level in 6 feet. Leveling can be done. If the shims did not work for you, try making a 4"x4" block that is the same thickness as the difference from the high spot to the low spot. Example, find the high spot where the tank will sit, using a 4 foot level go to the low spot and stack layers of 1/4" plywood you have cut. You can even get 1/8" plywood in the hobby section at HD or Menards. Set the stand on top of this and slide the blocks under the other spaces not touching the floor. Slide them all the way in so they do not show. This thickness will vary off course. Shim the very small spaces. You can try to plane a wedge shaped filler to fill the void but that will be very time consuming. The pink styrofoam can work if the floor is somewhat irregular but generally flat, but not with a slope like your situation . It does not have to be perfect. An 1/8" in 4 feet is really nothing. Good Luck

 

[JingoFresh]

I'm not sure why a solid pieces of wood planed down to the proper heights would be a bad idea, to me constant contact along the perimeter of the tank would be the best possible solution.

Getting a piece of wood planed seems to be the best for my situation. Others have said it is a more complicated solution then is necessary, so hopefully I can find something simpler.

I used something like this under the stand and another between the stand and the aquarium. Once the aquarium was full of water it settled in darn near perfect and any unevenness in the basement floor was filled by the pink board. It's been a few years so I am not sure this is exactly what I bought but it looks close and you can get the idea

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Co...-Laminated-Insulating-Sheathing-47L/100320298

''

That stuff does look interesting!!!

Question though, with my floor being uneven, won't this just compress down to match the floor, and so where it is uneven will remain uneven?

I'd like to put it under the corner that is lifted, but it seems to be not just a corner but different parts of the floor.

My 120G reef tank sits on a concrete floor next to a floor drain. By design, the floor is over 1.5 inches out of level in 6 feet. Leveling can be done. If the shims did not work for you, try making a 4"x4" block that is the same thickness as the difference from the high spot to the low spot. Example, find the high spot where the tank will sit, using a 4 foot level go to the low spot and stack layers of 1/4" plywood you have cut. You can even get 1/8" plywood in the hobby section at HD or Menards. Set the stand on top of this and slide the blocks under the other spaces not touching the floor. Slide them all the way in so they do not show. This thickness will vary off course. Shim the very small spaces. You can try to plane a wedge shaped filler to fill the void but that will be very time consuming. The pink styrofoam can work if the floor is somewhat irregular but generally flat, but not with a slope like your situation . It does not have to be perfect. An 1/8" in 4 feet is really nothing. Good Luck

So, I've tried shims, and if you have a moment I hope you might have a look here.

I would put shims under one area where it seems they were needed, and a different section would then be uneven.

I eventually put shims along all edges, and got it level, only to have cracking result in the stand.

My floor not being level is half the issue, it slopes at an angle, but having a separate raise in the floor is throwing me off.

In the only area the tank can go, I have to deal with both an uneven floor, and a a specific issue making it uneven in a different way in the exact spot I need the tank to go.

My attempt are all in that link...I'm not sure how to solve it.

Sliding in the layer or plywood...would that work in my situation, or would I need something more specialized?

Thank you for your help and advice.

 

[billdogg]

Somehow I missed this thread when you first posted it, and now I'm at work and can't see the pictures. I'll take a look when I get home and we'll see if we can't figure something out.

 

[T Haynes]

Shims should do the job. They can be difficult if you're not a contractor that's used to using them. First thing I would do is call your land lord. If you have a damaged floor he has a legal responsibility to fix it

 

[billdogg]

I'm not sure why a solid pieces of wood planed down to the proper heights would be a bad idea, to me constant contact along the perimeter of the tank would be the best possible solution.

Exactly what he said!

I used something like this under the stand and another between the stand and the aquarium. Once the aquarium was full of water it settled in darn near perfect and any unevenness in the basement floor was filled by the pink board. It's been a few years so I am not sure this is exactly what I bought but it looks close and you can get the idea

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Co...-Laminated-Insulating-Sheathing-47L/100320298

NO NO NO NO!

It would appear you have a tank with plastic trim. DO NOT put foam under it!!! The foam will compress on the trim, allowing it then press up on the glass bottom. That, in turn, will almost certainly destroy the bottom seal of the tank.

Foam under the stand may sound reasonable, but it, too, will compress unevenly and leave you right where you are now.

FOAM IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!

My 120G reef tank sits on a concrete floor next to a floor drain. By design, the floor is over 1.5 inches out of level in 6 feet. Leveling can be done. If the shims did not work for you, try making a 4"x4" block that is the same thickness as the difference from the high spot to the low spot. Example, find the high spot where the tank will sit, using a 4 foot level go to the low spot and stack layers of 1/4" plywood you have cut. You can even get 1/8" plywood in the hobby section at HD or Menards. Set the stand on top of this and slide the blocks under the other spaces not touching the floor. Slide them all the way in so they do not show. This thickness will vary off course. Shim the very small spaces. You can try to plane a wedge shaped filler to fill the void but that will be very time consuming. The pink styrofoam can work if the floor is somewhat irregular but generally flat, but not with a slope like your situation . It does not have to be perfect. An 1/8" in 4 feet is really nothing. Good Luck

A shim can be anything that won't compress - using strips of plywood to fill the biggest gaps is a good idea, then using traditional shims (either cedar or composite - I prefer composite myself)

There really is not an instance where proper use of shims can't bring your stand to level. It may take a lot of them, but it will work.

One other thing - if your stand has cracks in it from the stress of being out of level, your stand really, really needs to be replaced!

hth

 

[BrokenSpoke]

NO NO NO NO!

It would appear you have a tank with plastic trim. DO NOT put foam under it!!! The foam will compress on the trim, allowing it then press up on the glass bottom. That, in turn, will almost certainly destroy the bottom seal of the tank.

Foam under the stand may sound reasonable, but it, too, will compress unevenly and leave you right where you are now.

FOAM IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!

Interesting as the foamboard was suggested by someone here some 7 years ago. Yes, the tank has plastic trim around the base and the stand it sits on only supports the tank about 2" (from what I remember) around the perimeter of the stand. I also have the foamboard between the stand and the floor. Since it's been there for 7+ years I think I'll go ahead and leave it there.

 

[biecacka]

If it were me, and I've don't this in the past was take very hard rubber matting, like under gym equipment. Trim it to roughly the size of your "dip" and try to get that close to level with the floor. Then get a sheet of plywood and cut it to your stand size and put the stand on it. From there do some light shimming if needed. Fill tank 1/2 way or so and let it settle for a day or two-then shim it. Then fill rest of it and shim then as needed.
Maybe not the most ideal but it worked for me. I used a rubber mallet to get shims under my current tank to level it. D*mn apartment floors....


Corey

 

[billdogg]

Interesting as the foamboard was suggested by someone here some 7 years ago. Yes, the tank has plastic trim around the base and the stand it sits on only supports the tank about 2" (from what I remember) around the perimeter of the stand. I also have the foamboard between the stand and the floor. Since it's been there for 7+ years I think I'll go ahead and leave it there.

If your stand does not have a solid top, you *should* be ok, because the foam can only compress where there is direct pressure on it, but 1/4" to 1/2" foam is more than enough.

 

[JingoFresh]

Somehow I missed this thread when you first posted it, and now I'm at work and can't see the pictures. I'll take a look when I get home and we'll see if we can't figure something out.

No worries, I just appreciate the advice and help!

So, I just now remeasured. The front right corner is about 1.5cm lower than the left rear corner. The front left corner is only 5mm lower than the rear left corner.

I test this with planks of wood the same length as the tank side I was measuring, and lifting it with a level on top to see how much I need to lift in each place to have a level tank.

Maybe I bought the wrong shims..they certainly not high enough in this case though. Is there a specific type of shim I should try?

I just got worried about having gaps between the shims, like in this picture:

If there is uneven support with all that weight, won't it lead to the stand failing?

There are many wood places near me in NYC, and so I thought getting one of them to plane me a base might be the best solution.

A shim can be anything that won't compress - using strips of plywood to fill the biggest gaps is a good idea, then using traditional shims (either cedar or composite - I prefer composite myself)

There really is not an instance where proper use of shims can't bring your stand to level. It may take a lot of them, but it will work.

You can see in the above picture when I tried with shimming. I'm not sure I did it correctly, and was worried about support being distributed. The tank also didn't end up being level, because the shims were not high enough.

I tried again in this picture:

I think the cracking was because I shoved some of the shims in to far(thats why you can't see them on the right side), but that was the only way I got the tank level.....

One other thing - if your stand has cracks in it from the stress of being out of level, your stand really, really needs to be replaced!

I think this was me shimming incorrectly, but I'm not sure.

If it were me, and I've don't this in the past was take very hard rubber matting, like under gym equipment. Trim it to roughly the size of your "dip" and try to get that close to level with the floor. Then get a sheet of plywood and cut it to your stand size and put the stand on it. From there do some light shimming if needed. Fill tank 1/2 way or so and let it settle for a day or two-then shim it. Then fill rest of it and shim then as needed.
Maybe not the most ideal but it worked for me. I used a rubber mallet to get shims under my current tank to level it. D*mn apartment floors....

That sounds like an idea! I have a yoga mat I don't like and don't use....would cutting a piece out and putting under my stand work?

I want to go with what ever is the safest, and I am thinking that is still a planed piece of wood at this stage? I wouldn't be doing it, and surely it wouldn't be too expensive to have done..

 

[Sk8r]

I think I'd go to Home Depot and have them cut a slab of 3/4" plywood 2" larger than my tank, paint it with Rustoleum, then shim it level before setting the tank and stand on it.

 

[JingoFresh]

If I put plywood under the stand, won't that put pressure on the stand in one place, leading to failure?

I mean, because the stand will have a lot of weight pressing down on a piece of wood, and if plywood is stronger than mdf, the mdf might cave around it?