Tank Leveling Question

[JPagliai]

We're getting ready to fill the tank with water now, but before we started, we checked the tank to make sure it was level. The tank has been set up in its location on the carpet for 3 months. When we checked the level last night, it was 1/16" off level from front to back, leaning toward the front. Do you think it needs shimming? Or will the padding and carpeting under the tank level it out the rest of the way once the water and rock are in there?

 

[jjjimmy]

I could be wrong but I think that the back of your stand is really close to the tack strip for the carpet and that could very well be why the tank settled down more in the front than the rear. You will probably need to shim the front to level it back out. However 1/16 off for a 75 gallon tank wouldn't concern me to much.

 

[wolf pup]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12901643#post12901643 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjjimmy
I could be wrong but I think that the back of your stand is really close to the tack strip for the carpet and that could very well be why the tank settled down more in the front than the rear. You will probably need to shim the front to level it back out. However 1/16 off for a 75 gallon tank wouldn't concern me to much.

+1

IMO Most rooms have a slight slope away from the walls due to everything from tack strips to house settling or even wax build up. Since you have an empty tank I would be inclined to shim while it's easy since my belief would be that more weight will cause more settling and possibly more of a forward tilt. I would be happy for 1/16" I think I ran my 125 tank with 1/2" of tilt towards the front for 5 years. I never had a blow out but I did work to get it as level as possible the last time I moved. You could always fill the tank with tap water, check the levelness over a few days to see how it will settle, drain the tank and shim the difference, and then set it all up. I wouldn't do all that work (I really doubt it would change anything in the long run) but I guess a purist might.

 

[flapjack1439]

I would shim it.

You know its not level, why not fix it before it's not fixable.

 

[JPagliai]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12901876#post12901876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flapjack1439
I would shim it.

You know its not level, why not fix it before it's not fixable.

I'm worried that shimming the front of the tank may over-correct the problem. By the time I add water and live rock (which will throw most of the weight toward the back of the tank), will it cause the carpet & padding to crush more on the back side?

 

[flapjack1439]

How big is the tank?

The difference in weight from the front to the back shouldn't be that great, especially when you're talking about compressing carpet pad.

 

[Larry Waughon]

If I was 1/16" off on a 180 gal tank, I would be good to go.
Larry

 

[ReefKeepersCorner]

Under a 1/4" is o.k. My 180 was about 3/8" off for 4+ years with no problem, but I wouldn't recommend it. I would want to shim it for giggles, but that's me. Water displacement is heavier than rock, so it could lean forward more. IMHO.

 

[Fuppets]

Can you conferm it's sitting on the tac strip? Is the measured difference with or without water? Can you test fill it with tap water and see if it leans more, or less?

 

[JPagliai]

It's not on the tack strip. The tank is sitting 6" from the wall. The tank is a 180g and the level was measured before any water was added, though it's been sitting empty in that spot for about 2 months now We added about 1" of water last night and I'll look at the level again when I get home.

 

[jjjimmy]

Is the tank on the first floor and do you have a basement. I had the same problem originally with my 180. If you do have a basement, it is possible that your floor towards the center of the room could be stressed with the weight. I ended up getting a couple of floor jacks and put them in the basement under the tank. Just jack up each corner of the tank until it is level. Unfortunately the jacks will have to stay there as long as the tank stays where it is.

 

[flapjack1439]

I shoot for as close to "on the money" as I can get, figuring that it's not going to be perfect when I'm done and it will end up within allowances.

It's not that I think that an 1/8" is too far out.

 

[Fuppets]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12904367#post12904367 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjjimmy
Is the tank on the first floor and do you have a basement. I had the same problem originally with my 180. If you do have a basement, it is possible that your floor towards the center of the room could be stressed with the weight. I ended up getting a couple of floor jacks and put them in the basement under the tank. Just jack up each corner of the tank until it is level. Unfortunately the jacks will have to stay there as long as the tank stays where it is.

Good point I didn't think about that. Living on a concrete slab home I tend to forget about those type of things.

 

[JNye]

1/16th? overall front to back or per foot. if its overall, I don't now how you can expect much better on carpet. You'll need to fill it to see how it settles then check it. JMHO.

 

[JPagliai]

The tank is on the second floor and it has plenty of support under it. We added about 6" of water to the tank and it's beginning to level out better. We're at 1/32" off level from front to back and 1/16" off from left to right. That's about half of what it was last night.

 

[Roman Ogee]

Good to go.