rather than going off an old thread, ill start a new level thread

[crankbait09]

i have a tank and stand that is in the living room on a carpeted floor. (strike 1)

i filled with water to test for leaks and found that the tank tilts slightly to the right (strike 2)

so, i will be draining the tank as much as i can in hopes of adding shims or something under the right side of the tank to level this out.
with the tank tilting, my overflow on the right is filling with water and the left overflow is dry......so

with me being on carpet and adding shims, no matter how many shims i add, they sink further and further in to the carpet not lifting the stand what so ever. what options do i have with adding something under the stand to shim it?

it is a 135g tank (6ft long)

sorry for the rotated picture

[Dkuhlmann]

I would start with a firm surface and use a sheet of 3/4" plywood as a platform to set the stand and tank on then check for level. It's at least a solid platform to start from.

Your sump looks way too small for that size tank, it probably will overflow in an electrical outage or pump failure. Need to check that with the tank full and the sump to operating line then turn off the return pump. I'm afraid you will find it will overflow, best to check that now as well after you get the tank level.

[heathlindner25]

6 foot tank without a center brace... The Shims shouldn't be sinking into the carpet..is your stand Bowing up around the shims?

[shifty51008]

My tank is also on carpet but had no issues with shimming sooner or later the weight will compress the carpet to where it wont sink. Of course i rent so i didnt have the option to cut away the carpet in that section. But as stated above the plywood under the stand would help also

[crankbait09]

the minimum and maximum fill line for the sump will be figured out once the tank is level and checked for leaks. all will be well.

stand is not bowing. underneath the tank stand as well as underneath the tank, there is a sheet of plywood.......so there are plenty solid surfaces.......

[billdogg]

Your sump looks way too small for that size tank, it probably will overflow in an electrical outage or pump failure. Need to check that with the tank full and the sump to operating line then turn off the return pump. I'm afraid you will find it will overflow, best to check that now as well after you get the tank level.

Sump is a 40 breeder - plenty big for a 135

6 foot tank without a center brace... The Shims shouldn't be sinking into the carpet..is your stand Bowing up around the shims?

The top frame is made of doubled up 2x6's - it is solid as a rock - I know, because I built it

My tank is also on carpet but had no issues with shimming sooner or later the weight will compress the carpet to where it wont sink. Of course i rent so i didnt have the option to cut away the carpet in that section. But as stated above the plywood under the stand would help also

^^^What shifty said^^^ It may take several shims if left on the carpet but eventually they will work. If it's that far off, then another piece of plywood under the stand so that you can shim between it and the bottom, but the extra sheet will probably just flex anyway.

[crankbait09]

phew, that was a lot of work.....with a few inches of water in the tank i lifted over and over and over. shims in, shims out, shims in, shims out.......i kept flirting with a 32nd of an inch.......but by golly i think i got it......

not sure what was different this time but the shims worked nicely....................water seems to be level on both sides of the tank, as well as front to back.

time to fill it back up tomorrow and continue leak testing

thanks for the quick responses..............

[shifty51008]

Glad it worked, good luck

[Dkuhlmann]

Sump is a 40 breeder - plenty big for a 135.

That's good, it didn't look that big in the picture. Looked like a very small tank. Agreed a 40b should be fine.