stand on carpet

[elabar]

When putting my tank on carpet would it be a good idea to set the stand on top of plywood instead on right on the carpet?

[stevie-o]

i don't think so the plywood would crack. you should be fine with it just on the carpet

[MrGoodbar]

Mine is sitting on my carpet and the tank is perfectly level.

[carpenterman23]

carpet is fine. the weight will make it settle into the carpet.

[Dana42078]

I have 2 tanks...one with something on top of carpet (20g) and one with out (46g) There was no way of leveling the 20g stand so i bought REALLY think wood. Its an inch thick, and leveled with shims.....it isnt the sturdiest but i dont have kids running around here either...id def say go without.

[jhawksoon]

I have 2 tanks...one with something on top of carpet (20g) and one with out (46g) There was no way of leveling the 20g stand so i bought REALLY think wood. Its an inch thick, and leveled with shims.....it isnt the sturdiest but i dont have kids running around here either...id def say go without.

agree

[OregonReefer]

One thing to consider...

I just moved the 75 that I'm replacing, it's been sitting on the carpet for about 15 years... We decided we want tile under the new 120...

After cutting back the carpet and seeing the floor underneath I'm not going to be putting a tank on carpet again... over the years I've had a spill or two (overfilling while distracted) and the particle board was shot... After cutting the section I wanted to replace it was so soft it came out in pieces no bigger than a foot literally falling apart...

I won't do another tank on carpet unless it's small enough to move easily so a spill can be cleaned up (like with a carpet shampooer)

[davocean]

You could simply line the stand w/ some kind of liner, pond liner, or even linoleum to prevent probs from spills.
Particle board should never be in a tank stand/cab IMO.
I've had tanks on carpet many many years w/out any problems other than squishing carpet flat, which eventually pops back.

[OregonReefer]

You could simply line the stand w/ some kind of liner, pond liner, or even linoleum to prevent probs from spills.
Particle board should never be in a tank stand/cab IMO.
I've had tanks on carpet many many years w/out any problems other than squishing carpet flat, which eventually pops back.

The problem is when you spill/overflow onto the carpet (and it will happen) The carpet under the stand sucks up water like a sponge and it has no where to go and can't evaporate.

There was a black mold/mildew between the carpet pad and the particle board.. and the particle board I'm talking about is part of the floor, not the stand... nasty stuff

I think if you looked under the carpet where any stand has been on for a long time you're going to find problems with the flooring

Here's the way the layers work

Carpet=porous supporting layer
Carpet pad=Sponge
Floor=Generally particle board or some other non water proof engineered material
Tar paper Stuff=Had disintegrated into a layer of tar directly under the tank
Sub Floor=Thank god had not been damaged (would have been major remodeling/repairs)

Yes your tank is fine on carpet, but after even a single 2-3 gallon spill around your stand the floor under the carpet will not be fine

[c0nspire]

being a carpenter i would not recommend placing it directly onto the carpet unless its on a ground level with concrete under the underlay. I recommend this for the reasons stated above with water damage/mold spores.

Plywood is kind of ugly, but if you made the ply 1' larger than the stand on the front and sides you could glue some linoleum down with a decent end cap/trim.

We just removed all the carpet in the room that i house my fish tank (ground level concrete slab) when i upgraded from my 55g to my 180g so that we could tile the floor. the only thing about tiles is they dont like being point loaded and your better to try and spread the load out across multiple tiles.

[TP123]

I have my 75 on carpet and if I did it again I'd put the stand on something waterproof. Just doing normal maintenance, you drip all over the carpet. I'd much prefer something that can easily be cleaned/wiped off.

I definitely wouldn't use plywood or particle board. Water will destroy it over time and it doesn't look very good to start.

[davocean]

Yeah, I'm a carpenter/general contractor as well, and I've even pulled up carpet, replaced by more carpet and hardwood floors for both myself and other reefers over the many years in this trade and hobby.
Yes, if you are really sloppy there could be issues.
I once had about 2-3g spill in testing a new tank,(fortunately test was FW) I just rented a turbo fan(what they use in flood/water damage situations)
Never became an issue and I did move tank from that spot last year and checked.
Most spills are small, and lining your stand will cover that.
If I'm doing tank maintenance that may cause small spills/drips I lay down a towel, vac after, no big deal.

[Lynnmw1208]

Does it matter whether the bottom of your stand is hollow? The inside of my tank is actually a lot higher than the trim on the bottom, so essentially it is up off the carpet and I know the inside is not completely sealed/waterproof so air can get to the carpet underneath.

[davocean]

^^ That would probably help the area below tank "breathe" a little better.

[deangelr]

Ive got my stand on a piece of plywood on my carpet. The tank has a little less wobble after I put it on the plywood on the carpet.. Also the stand I have didnt have a bottom to it so the plywood was necesary to place things like reactors over.

[Playerdrm]

I removed the carpet and padding where I put the stand. If you plan on leaving the tank in the same spot for multiple years it's not really a big deal removing the carpet.

[pakarinen]

Have you considered using a washing machine pan under the stand? They're big plastic trays designed to catch a fair amount of leakage.

[elabar]

I live in an apartment so I cant really remove the carpet. I'm going to use shims to help with the stand and the little movement it has.I know it is the floor since our computer chair will always roll the same direction when you sit on it.