How to level my full tank?

[Snaphook]

I am posting in the DYI forum because you guys are the experts when it comes to finding an easier way. Here is my situation:

My 215g tank is complete full and has been up for about a year. The problem is that it is not level. It's off about 1/4" from front to back. How can I level this tank with out emptying the whole thing out? If I could just get some shims or something under the back of the stand I think it would do it. I was hoping that someone has been through this before and would have some advice.

Please help!

[darkwolf29a]

My advice is not based upon Aquarium experience, just common every day really heavy furniture type experience...But, I would just shim it up. I have used everything from plastics to paper to shim stuff up for years. It works if you're careful. If not, you can make a huge mess with all that water. ;)

[Snaphook]

The issue is how to lift a ton, to put a shim under it.

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9542660#post9542660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Snaphook
The issue is how to lift a ton, to put a shim under it.

Fulcrom and lever just like our ancestors moved heavy objects.

Don

[redspot321]

Yikes!

I would think that if you used shims, the weight goes from being spread across the entire bottom of the stand to just a few points of the stand..

Im no rocket scientist here but I think it may be best to empty the tank and level the surface the stand is sitting on.

Good luck. It would be cool to see some pics of things people have done to level their tanks out.

[RocketEngineer]

With a tank that big I personally wouldnt risk it. However should you REALLY need to move it, I have used the jack from my car to move a tank away from a wall. The jack allows for very minute adjustments under heavy loads (4000 pound car). I just think you will be risking the tank.

[Bebo77]

lol.. i would not lift it with water in it.. it may stress the tank..

[RocketEngineer]

Im no rocket scientist

Rocket scientists are only as good as the Rocket Engineer backing them up.

[Donw]

Your only lifting it 3/8" at most. The fulcrom and lever will do the job. I just did my 8 man hot tub completly full. I'm a wopping 150lbs soaken wet and it was a piece of cake.

Don

[zeusfc]

Hey, snaphook... why do you actually want to level the tank?

If it's just that you can see the water's not level, then run a band of insulation tape below the hood, at the waterline!

215G? too much hassle! it's bound to go wrong! If your stand is wood, I gaurantee you'll b*gger the tank... if the stand is steel box-section, there's only a 50/50 chance! don't risk it!

[zeusfc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9542797#post9542797 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Donw
Your only lifting it 3/8" at most. The fulcrom and lever will do the job. I just did my 8 man hot tub completly full. I'm a wopping 150lbs soaken wet and it was a piece of cake.

Don

sorry to state the bleedin' obvious, but hot tubs are made from glass fibre or acrylic, NOT GLASS!

I've moved them too, and they have a touch more "give" in them!

good example of fulcrum and lever though!

[Snaphook]

The reason that I want to level it is that I want to get a wavebox and they put stress on your tank anyway. I am just afraid that if I put the wavebox in a tank that is not level then I am asking for a disaster.

[redspot321]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9542792#post9542792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RocketEngineer
Rocket scientists are only as good as the Rocket Engineer backing them up.


I just looked behind me....I was right! No body there......

[scbadiver]

I adjusted my 240 gal, 8x2x2 by tapping shims under the one side with the tank full. I moved it over and 1/8 inch up just by tapping shims, a few taps at a time all the way down the side and then back. no effort at all and "so far" the tank seems fine. its been 2-3 years. Be gentle, go for it.

[superedge88]

Here's the way to do it

Get large brute containers that will hold enough water to drain the tank about 80% Then slide a 1/4" piece of wood the whole length of the tank. I know that the idea of taking out 80% of your water sounds scary, but believe me, I have done over 90% water changes on reef tanks before per the recommendation of Anthony Calfo (a big advocate of large water changes)
All you have to do is figure out how to lift the tank 1/4" after you have unloaded all that water (shouldn't be too difficult depending on how close it is to walls and how difficult it could be to get a couple of car jacks working in unison)

[MayoBoy]

I would imagine that if you shimmed under the stand, there would be much less stress on the tank.

[alexb518]

It's easy, so don't listen to anyone that says it's not. I did this to my 150 a few times. Buy a bundle of shims from the hardware store. I prefer wood shims b/c you can easily cut the excess with a razor or knife. just line them up under the tank and start hammering. Hit one of the in a little, then work down the line trying to do it evenly. then come back and hit the first one a little more and continue until you've got it level. Don't cut the excess off for a few weeks because the tank will want to settle into the wood, so you're probably gonna have to come back and readjust it a couple of times.

[jim48]

Attempting to move that tank full of water would be a disaster. Too much stress on all of the siliconed areas. You might not have a leak right away, but somewhere down the road you will and when it happens your going to have a mess.

[cougarguy]

I did it on my 180 full of water I just had my dad get on one end and I got on the other and lifted it while my wife pushed a 1/4" solid surface shim under it.

You cant think of it as lifting a ton versus leaning a ton we both lifted up and pushed back at the same time and it worked great. Also I used the solid surface so I wouldn't have to deal with it compressing the wood and settling.

[woz9683]

You and your dad lifted 1500 pounds of water? Glad it wasn't me.

[cougarguy]

I work at a granite shop and we lift huge slabs everyday.

But like I said it isnt like you are lifting the full weight we only lifted the front so my wife could get the shim under it so we more or less leaned it.

[KH971]

Okay what is your house like, do you have a basement or crawlspace? The floor to your house may have settled also. A jacke on a floor joist under your house and using a support post, may allieviate the problem. By lifting the floor you will put less stress on your stand and tank.
More than one way to skin a cat.

[zeusfc]

Move the house not the tank? now THAT's hardcore DIY!

[newreef8584]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9552948#post9552948 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alexb518
It's easy, so don't listen to anyone that says it's not. I did this to my 150 a few times. Buy a bundle of shims from the hardware store. I prefer wood shims b/c you can easily cut the excess with a razor or knife. just line them up under the tank and start hammering. Hit one of the in a little, then work down the line trying to do it evenly. then come back and hit the first one a little more and continue until you've got it level. Don't cut the excess off for a few weeks because the tank will want to settle into the wood, so you're probably gonna have to come back and readjust it a couple of times.

I completely agree, if your stand is well built and is flat against the base of the tank I don't see the problem. How is placing a series of shims under the stand going to effect pressure on the tank. The volume and weight of water is constant and at worst you will shift the level of water a 1/4". I don't know about you guys but I have made much bigger waves in my tank. Not to mention I used a series of 8 heavy duty thread in legs under my stand in my last set up and made several adjustments to my full 120 G tank after set up due to floor sag.

As well My brother has a 110G tall mounted in a false wall. His stand is on whells and he rolls the tank out 4-6 feet for every water change. (Note: this I don't recommend)

[Adam]

Alex's suggestion seems reasonable. I just wanted to add that you can buy a LOT of cheap insurance by picking up a few plastic 55 gallon drums, draining 3/4 of the water (no need to remove corals or fish) and then tapping the shims underneath. You could complete the whole operation in less than a half an hour which should be no problem for your corals.

Adam

[zeusfc]

good luck snaphook... tell us when you've either moved the tank, moved the house, or got superman to re-align Florida!

[douggiestyle]

btw a shim is a fulcrum and lever, sort of. it is the simpilest mechanical advantage, called the inclined plane.

i would drian some. old garbage cans with a heavy duty trash bag will work. make sure the cans dont have holes.

[jtreath]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9556610#post9556610 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zeusfc
Move the house not the tank? now THAT's hardcore DIY!

Nothing on this site has made me laugh out loud until now!

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9573195#post9573195 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jtreath
Nothing on this site has made me laugh out loud until now!

I had to do that when I put my tank in. Its on a outside wall and the house is 90 years old so the floor dips to the middle of the room. We jacked up the floor to level so of couse the tank is level.

Don