Need help with tank stand

[Pife]

I have built a stand for my tank and I didn't put a bottom in the stand and my wife thinks this will be a problem. Where the tank is going is hardwood and I now don't know if I should put a bottom in the tank to protect the wood floor or not. What do you guys think I should do? I would like to get this solved to day so I can get my sump in and start plumbing and curing some live rock in my sump. I have thought about putting down a rubber mat under the stand.

 

[rackman]

I have built a stand for my tank and I didn't put a bottom in the stand and my wife thinks this will be a problem. Where the tank is going is hardwood and I now don't know if I should put a bottom in the tank to protect the wood floor or not. What do you guys think I should do? I would like to get this solved to day so I can get my sump in and start plumbing and curing some live rock in my sump. I have thought about putting down a rubber mat under the stand.

regardless of what you put under the tank it will at some point get wet, no matter how careful you are. having something under it will hold the water more and do more damage to the wood i would think.

what i'm saying is i don't know what i would do either, so i'm no help...sorry.

 

[kegogut]

Rubber mat would be fine. Just remember,if you play with water you will get wet. You should plan on things getting wet sometimes around your tank,even if its a tiny bit. If your worried about water at all you should get something under there. Try to come up with something like a pan or something with a lip on the edge to keep water contained if it does hit the floor.

 

[leveldrummer]

Add a bottom to the stand, use some good paint to seal the wood, or even some redguard or similar rubber membrane type product. if you leave the stand open, the wood under the sump will get damaged.

 

[SEEMAC]

Salt water and a wood flooring do not go together...my tank warped our wood flooring that was around it but that's just something that you have to deal with. I would just plan on having that section of the floor redone if you ever move or remove the tank.

 

[Mr D smack]

Add a bottom to the stand, use some good paint to seal the wood, or even some redguard or similar rubber membrane type product. if you leave the stand open, the wood under the sump will get damaged.

Yeah what he said :thumbsup:

 

[NaCL H2O StL]

I am in the process of setting up a 200g tank with a 55g fuge on my hardwood floor. It just happens to be by luck, sitting on the I-beam across the house. I cut a piece of linoleum to fit the parameter of the stand. I also put 4x4 (cut-to-fit) under the base of the stand as well. This gives me a little more clearance under the stand to work. Good luck Pife with your project.

 

[Tigé21v]

Add a bottom to the stand, use some good paint to seal the wood, or even some redguard or similar rubber membrane type product. if you leave the stand open, the wood under the sump will get damaged.

+1

You're best bet to hope to have a chance to save the hardwood under the tank is to do everything you can to isolate the tank from the hardwood. Best would be to do as leveldrummer suggests, but also take it a step farther- elevate the bottom of the stand at least 1/2", and at the minimum leave the back of the stand's floor open to allow for ventilation under the stand.

Salt water and a wood flooring do not go together...my tank warped our wood flooring that was around it but that's just something that you have to deal with. I would just plan on having that section of the floor redone if you ever move or remove the tank.

The sump's humidity alone will be enough to cause that section of the floor to warp if you don't do everything you can to isolate it .
Better would be to rig up the bottom of the stand in such a way that you could remove the trim and get under with a towel wrapped around a yardstick or something similar in case of spills... which, inevitably, will happen.:lolspin:

 

[Pife]

Thanks for the help. I have now put a piece of plywood under it screwed and glued it and siliconed the joints corners ect and have two coats of rustolem on it.

 

[kegogut]

Better.

 

[Pife]

And because it didn't happen with out a pic....Before

After

 

[kegogut]

Thats MUCH better and youll be glad you did shortly when you spill some water filling up your tank. lolz

 

[_shorty_]

Pife, I see you have a kreg jig... I love mine!
Looks good.

 

[Pife]

I think they are great tools. I got mine half off because it was mislabeled at Lowe's

 

[_shorty_]

I was think about your putting a tank on hardwood. I think I would get some rubber flooring and put down under your tank and stand, extending out a couple feet (at least) in each direction (or however far out as possible that still looks decent). Then use some sort of decorative rug to cover and hide it. Cut the rug out where your stand will sit (so cut out a rectangle the exact size of your base) so it looks like the tank is sitting on it, but so you can easily remove and clean or let dry out WHEN needed. Itll also act to soak any spills preventing them from reaching the wood, hopefully. I usually get more water surrounding the tank on floor, than under the tank itself... And would have probably ruined any hardwood under/near my tank if there were any by now.

** quick addition - I covered my little fish room area with a rubber flooring I found at Menards.. It's 1/4" or 3/8" thick and came in 3' wide x 6' (ish) roles. It's like thin workout weight room flooring.

... or you could just put down vinyl (without actually gluing it down). Make a frame with well sealed wood trim (matching your hardwood) to staple it to (from underneath), then silicone the edge where the vinal meets the wood, which would add a small lip to hold in small amounts of water.

 

[Pife]

I've come to the conclusion that I will just have to refinish them if I move the tank.