Setting up tank on wood floor
- Thread starter kac01
- Start date
CAPT_Dave
New member
You WILL spill water so +1 on sealing the stand. If I had it to do over again, I would paint the inside of mine with Flex Seal or something like it so it can actually hold water. Mine is heavily urethaned, so the wood itself appears to be protected but that is only the exposed surface. Every time I spill enough to pool it runs to the lowest point and eventually seeps through. I've had 2 such incidents in the stand over the last 4 years. I'm not seeing any structural weakness in the stand but I assume the floor under the stand is trashed. So seal it up so it can actually hold water inside it. I'd seal it all around up to the level of the doors. In my stand that would hold 15 gallons of water (48X24X3 = 3,456 cubic inches or about 15 gallons). Even assuming 10 gallon displacement for the area of the sump up to 3 inches, if I cracked the bottom of a 5 gallon top-off water container heaving it in there, all the water would be held inside waiting for my shop vac to get it out.
The second area of concern is the front of the tank. You will also drip and even spill water there when you do water changes or clean the tank, or even reach in to spot feed your coral. That frequent drip and spill on my floor there is showing it. I highly recommend a nice looking rubber backed area rug in front of your tank to catch that.
Finally. call your home insurance company and make sure they cover floods inside the house from a fish tank catastrophe. They probably won't cover the tank itself but even the loss of a high-end tank with lots of valuable coral won't come close to the damage even 50 gallons of salt water will cause to your house if something cracks. It's very unlikely that would happen but why even take the risk when the cost will be tens of thousands of dollars? There are more than a few really sad stories on RC about this one.
The second area of concern is the front of the tank. You will also drip and even spill water there when you do water changes or clean the tank, or even reach in to spot feed your coral. That frequent drip and spill on my floor there is showing it. I highly recommend a nice looking rubber backed area rug in front of your tank to catch that.
Finally. call your home insurance company and make sure they cover floods inside the house from a fish tank catastrophe. They probably won't cover the tank itself but even the loss of a high-end tank with lots of valuable coral won't come close to the damage even 50 gallons of salt water will cause to your house if something cracks. It's very unlikely that would happen but why even take the risk when the cost will be tens of thousands of dollars? There are more than a few really sad stories on RC about this one.
Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
I sometimes wish I had done something with the wall behind because there is a lot of salt splash there. I know Sanjay used FRP a fiberglass board.
lolgranny
The DQ King
Flex seal! Or you can get acrylic pieces and silicone them together. Flex seal will be the cheaper route tho
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I think ur over thinking it. My entire house is hardwood. I just wipe up after water changes. I use to put a beach towel down but I rarely do that anymore. I’m just careful and then clean up good.
I worry more about a leak or tank busting. That’s a different story. But honestly weather it hard wood or carpet it’s not much different. Ur screwed. Most likely have to tear everything out anyway not to mention what leaks through to floor beneath.
I worry more about a leak or tank busting. That’s a different story. But honestly weather it hard wood or carpet it’s not much different. Ur screwed. Most likely have to tear everything out anyway not to mention what leaks through to floor beneath.
Turtlesteve
New member
This hasn't been mentioned yet, but I think it's best to have a small air gap between the stand and wood floor. If the stand completely touches the floor, any water that wicks under there won't be able to dry.
lolgranny
The DQ King
Luke, Are we using the force to keep the tank levitated?
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Turtlesteve
New member
It seems my comment came across as...incomplete.
When I had a tank on wood floors I shimmed the stand at the corners to leave a 1/4" air gap and minimize contact area with the floor. This was beneficial as I spilled water on multiple occasions. Without the shims, water would have sat under the stand with no way to dry or remove it.
When I had a tank on wood floors I shimmed the stand at the corners to leave a 1/4" air gap and minimize contact area with the floor. This was beneficial as I spilled water on multiple occasions. Without the shims, water would have sat under the stand with no way to dry or remove it.
lolgranny
The DQ King
+1 in contacting the insurance company. With my 400g(700g total) I got ahold of them to check and see if Incase the tank broke I was covered. I've got State Farm, I'm covered, I had them write it out Incase something or someone tried to change their opinion. Livestock isn't, but the house is.
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