Need help!

[Yinger]

quick question... when i put my tank on the stand, i noticed that the stand dips a little in the center because the bracing does not touch the top of the stand. Its very minimal. I put some styrofoam between the tank and stand and now I have a slight wobble, however its not too bad at all. My question is should i leave it and let it eventually sink in, or will the water and sand and rock even it out? Also, is it bad for the tank to have something pushing it from the bottom?

 

[laverda]

You have to have the tank sit flat and perfectly level. Other wise it will cause stress and possablely cause it to crack. If it is not level it may cuase other problems.

 

[Yinger]

i only put the styrofoam underneath the middle to brace the center, where the dip is. Will the stryofoam compress enough with the water and rock in there or is that too dangerous and will crack the glass.

 

[NicoleC]

Is this a framed glass tank, acrylic, or some other type? (Like a frameless glass.)

Assuming it's a regular framed glass tank, the stand has to evenly support the frame and NO pressure on the bottom glass. Your styrofoam will make things worse. Depending on the size of the tank, you may be able to get away with a sheet of 3/4" plywood on top of your stand for the glass to rest on.

 

[UnlimitedReef]

I love the Leemar tank, it always attached a foam under the bottom of the tank.

 

[Yinger]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7624533#post7624533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NicoleC
Is this a framed glass tank, acrylic, or some other type? (Like a frameless glass.)

Assuming it's a regular framed glass tank, the stand has to evenly support the frame and NO pressure on the bottom glass. Your styrofoam will make things worse. Depending on the size of the tank, you may be able to get away with a sheet of 3/4" plywood on top of your stand for the glass to rest on.

Hey Nicole, It has a bracing or frame around the bottom and top of the tank. If I put the tank on the stand, its very rigid and does not move at all. I put some stryofoam just in the center to try to distribute the weight a little more and its actually sunken in so now it doesn't wobble at all now. So if its framed, theres no need for the extra support between the bottom of the glass and the stand?

 

[KWoo008]

I'm no structural engineer, but I agree with Laverda that you may be creating uneven stress points on your tank if your stand is not completely supporting the frame evenly. Styrofoam will take care of the wobble, but it is not going to provide any structural support once you fill the tank with water. Unless you're willing to risk catastrophic failure, I would have someone redo the center brace so that the stand is completely level. Nicole's suggestion of placing plywood under the tank may work depending on the size of the tank, but I would rather see you fix the stand properly as I certainly don't want to read a post about your tank splitting open and having to clean up a huge mess. Can someone with woodworking skills on this board help a fellow hobbyist out???

 

[laverda]

Yinger It does depend on how your tank is made as Nicole pointed out. I sould have thought ot that myself.

 

[NicoleC]

No, the opposite is true, Yinger. Since it's a framed tank, it MUST have a rigid base under the frame. No styrofoam, get it out of there. The styrofoam is not strong enough to keep the tank from warping. And any pressure upwards on the bottom glass can also cause the tank to fail -- the tank can and should float on the frame.

You can use styrofoam under an acrylic tank, which is why some people talk about keeping foam under the tank. It prevents pressue spots on the bottom of the tank, is a vibration and shock absorber, and is also good insulation.

 

[Yinger]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7625927#post7625927 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NicoleC
No, the opposite is true, Yinger. Since it's a framed tank, it MUST have a rigid base under the frame. No styrofoam, get it out of there. The styrofoam is not strong enough to keep the tank from warping. And any pressure upwards on the bottom glass can also cause the tank to fail -- the tank can and should float on the frame.

You can use styrofoam under an acrylic tank, which is why some people talk about keeping foam under the tank. It prevents pressue spots on the bottom of the tank, is a vibration and shock absorber, and is also good insulation.

Nicole, the stand is very rigid. The only thing i'm worried about is the dip in the center. its not even noticeable until you put the tank on there. the brace on the center back is about 1 mm above the stand itself. i guess its being supported mainly on the sides. Its hard to describe. its probably about a good 3 feet. I guess the poplar sheet on top isn't completely flat...

 

[NicoleC]

Nicole, the stand is very rigid. The only thing i'm worried about is the dip in the center

Those two statements are mutually exclusive. You've got a dip in the center, therefore your stand ain't working right.

I know exactly what you are talking about, having unfortunately been there myself when a stand started to warp under my tank in the center. (And still have the replacement stand I purchased from Laverda!) You must be supporting the [n]entire bottom frame edge [/b], just the ends won't do.