Built a stand, is it going to work okay?

[ReefTECK]

So I put together this stand for a 120. It was really built like a beast, but it has a little diagonal wobble, not quite flush with the ground. This variation is less than 0.5cm. Is this going to be a large concern?

Otherwise it seems like it will support 1200lbs. The top rail is fortified with a header topped by a flat top, the two front vertical supports are constructed of three 2x4's. The rear vertical supports are each only built with two 2x4's, a center brace on the back wall, and diagonal side braces. I feel a bit more confident in this stand than I did in a out of box All Glass Aquarium stand I've been using.

Thoughts?

Actually the corner I'm sitting in below is the corner that isn't flush with the rest of the construction.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs137.snc3/18466_1363250401744_1246129485_1081701_1171987_n.jpg

Thanks for your input,
Andy

[stugray]

Use a decent 4-ft level & try to determine if the stand is just Out of level, or NOT FLAT.

If you built a nice flat rigid stand & it is rocking on an uneven floor then you shim under the stand.

It looks like you made a custom pad for your tank ( as I did ).
After I did mine & got my tank out of level, I wished I had leveled the Underlayment BEFORE laying the tile...

Stu

[iamwrasseman]

it will definatly hold the tank but you need to make sure there are not any high spots and the easiest way to do that will be to cover the top with 3/4" plywood then a 1/2" to 1" styrofoam slab under the tank will take up any of the hot spots and everything will be fine . also if its wobbly because its not completely square it will sit flush once the tank and the water is on top of it for sure .

[Lobb4920]

I think it will work also when the tank gets on it the weight will sqaure it up.

[ReefTECK]

it will definatly hold the tank but you need to make sure there are not any high spots and the easiest way to do that will be to cover the top with 3/4" plywood then a 1/2" to 1" styrofoam slab under the tank will take up any of the hot spots and everything will be fine . also if its wobbly because its not completely square it will sit flush once the tank and the water is on top of it for sure .

I thought you only had to do this for acrylic tanks?

The wobble again is very very minimal, it might be 3-4mm at most

[schatzi]

It looks like you made a custom pad for your tank ( as I did ).
After I did mine & got my tank out of level, I wished I had leveled the Underlayment BEFORE laying the tile...

Stu

I would be interested in hearing more about what people have done for a pad under the tank. Pictures maybe?

[Chris27]

That stand looks like it would hold up a medium sized VW....nice work.

As others said, get the tank on there, fill it with FW and see how it sits. Using that as a guide you can shim and shave where you need to.

[username in use]

then a 1/2" to 1" styrofoam slab under the tank will take up any of the hot spots and everything will be fine . .

Dont ever do this on a tank with trim. This is only for rimless tanks and acrylic tanks.

[stugray]

I would say DO NOT just fill it and see what happens.

Shim it & get it level first before filling it.

You can put the tank up there to "load" the stand but if it is truly NOT FLAT, but you might break the tank just filling it & seeing what happens.

Stu

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Clearly this subject borders religion. Here's what my approach would be:

1) Check the TOP of the stand to be sure it's in-plane and level. In other words, there are no irregularities, and no spot is higher than any other spot. A good way to do this is to get some fishing line or fine string and tape. Tape the line across the stand diagonally from corner to corner, and across the stand in a few other places - the strings should all lie gently against eachother, no gaps and no strings pulling others up/down. Also, check with a long level, if you have one. If there are any problems, fix them now. Get the top of the stand perfect before you proceed.

2) Set the stand in the desired location. Put a long level on the top.

3) Shim the bottom of the stand (between the stand and the floor) until there is no rocking, and the level set on top of the stand reads dead flat.

[ReefTECK]

Okay, I will use a long level from corner to corner to ensure the top is flat and shim the bottom as needed. Even if there is a high point by such a small margin will it really stress the tank load of a 120 w/frame?

Thanks for all your input so far.

[davocean]

Dont ever do this on a tank with trim. This is only for rimless tanks and acrylic tanks.

I think alot of people say this as a general statement, but from my understanding the real issue is using padding thicker than the space/gap created by trim resulting in reverse pressure on bottom glass panel.
So like my tank trim keeps bottom glass panel a 1/2" off subtop, so I went w/ a 1/2" foam pad, and not any thicker.

As to OP's Q, stand looks fine(looks like how I build mine) and I'm guessing floor may not be perfectly level and you may need to just shim stand to keep it from rocking.

[Hudzon]

easy check, turn stand 180 and see of same side is low??? even if it's not the big area of concern is the top if you can shim the bottom and the top is flush and level then you are OK, if you can not get the top flush and level I would plane it till it was.

[Rensmif]

good job thanks for sharing

[luckydud13]

As long as the stand is flat, and the floor is flat, that thing could hold a small car if build properly :)

[jmski333]

looks good, i know most people will disagree but no matter what you do the your tank is going to sit how it wants, 9/10 times its gonna be level. That is unless your stand or floor is really outta wack. But if your stand is a hair off the weight of your tank if going to level it out. Your stand is overbuilt for an aquarium, thats a good thing.

[Amp2020]

First thing I do is take strips of styrofoam about 1" wide and place them under the plastic tank frame. With the tank empty, test if the frame is making even contact by pushing on the foam. In spots that are under pressure the foam wont budge but if there's a gap then it will. Just place something under the foam in the loose spots to wedge it tight. Once you have no more loose spots with the foam, you can be sure that the tank is sitting on the stand with even pressure along the entire perimeter of the stand. With this meathod, it doesn't matter how thick your foam is or what type you use. I like to use white regular styrofoam because I think its softer than the pink or blue wall insulation foam. By placing the wedges under the foam and not between the tank trim and foam, you are creating pressure over a wider area with out any pressure points. Forget about trying to make the top of your stand perfectly flat. Unless you have wood skills or a lot of time don't bother. This method will save you a lot of time and effort.

As for the whole stand rocking. Just get a spirit level and use some shims under the stand to square it up. Looks like the tank is on carpet so don't be surprised when you fill it up with water and it leans forward. The carpet tack strip along the wall and the foam under the carpet can cause this to happen. Just drain the tank and wedge it so the stand leans towards the wall a bit and fill it up again. Good luck.

[iamwrasseman]

what ? you need to foam the entire bottom with foam and do not worry about the rocking as the stand will comform with the weight of the tank and the water .