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03/08/2018, 02:06 PM | #26 |
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Foam is for between stands and tanks for wall on bottom glass tanks with no trim. It supports the tank from pressure points.
Putting foam on the floor under the stand isn't going to really do much, you need to shim. Also, shimming only needs to be done under vertical members on wood framed stands and around the entire stand if the stand is a ply construction without a frame.
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03/08/2018, 02:45 PM | #27 |
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All you people against foam, with all your excuses against it, do realise that I'm talking about polystyrene foam, and people have been putting their tanks on top of thin sheets of it, successfully, for years!
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03/08/2018, 02:49 PM | #28 | |
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Right, but putting the foam between the tank and the stand is totally different than putting the foam between the stand and the floor. If there are minor imperfections in the stand surface or small protrusions then the these will press into the surface of the foam and it will protect the tank, but putting foam between the tank and the stand won’t level the tank at all which is what we are trying to do here. As I said above, trying to level the stand with foam will not work. Either the foam will be too soft and there will be no support on the low spots or it will be too stiff and it won’t compress enough on the high spots. |
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03/08/2018, 03:06 PM | #29 | |
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The OP said "Problem is my floor is tile and the tiles are not level from one to the next" The OP has stated that his floor, overall, >> is << level, and the uneven tiles are the specific problem. And using styro foam on top of these uneven tiles, with a sheet of plywood on top of the foam, will perform the same function as when the foam is used directly under the tank. |
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03/08/2018, 05:41 PM | #30 |
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I wasn’t saying the idea would not work because I’m sure u could make it work that way. All I’m saying is it is unnecessary. If the floor is level but the uneven tile is making the stand rock, slide a shim under the corner that isn’t touching the tile & u are done. It would take about 30 seconds & your finished. Once it isn’t rocking then add a couple more shims if they are needed.
If the tile guy installed uneven tile then I would think it isn’t level eighther. It depends on the size of the tank but it is rare that the floor is perfectly level & the stand doesn’t need to be leveled atleast 1/8” or so. Especially on a bad tile job |
03/08/2018, 06:25 PM | #31 | |
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His stand is not 4 points contacting the floor. The entire circunference of the cabinet is touching the floor,,, or supposed to be. |
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03/08/2018, 06:58 PM | #32 |
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Not to put gasoline on the fire, but I believe Twinfallz has a valid point.
Technically, (on paper) the foam-and-plywood method should work. If the floor is perfectly level, but the only problem is uneven tiles, the foam should fill in the gaps and work well - as illustrated. This also has the advantage of keeping the wooden stand off the floor, preventing moisture from damaging the wood. It will also prevent damage to the floor from the weight of the tank. I actually did this when I installed tanks on customer's hardwood floors. I only used foam, and not plywood, but I believe plywood would actually work better. The weight of the tank will prevent it from being wobbly over the styro. I have had Styofoam™ sheets under tanks for decades and have never seen it loose it's sponginess. |
03/08/2018, 08:15 PM | #33 | |
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Those companies would not gaurantee their products if I just laid a sheet of foam down, and believe me, if I thought it would work, it would make my job that much easier. Our tanks are very much the same principle, and I bet if you contacted the tanks manufacturer they would require a shimmed level cabinet, and some will require foam padding between tank and cabinet to alleviate pressure points of minor surface deviations. THAT part I agree has been done many years(depending on tank manufacturer) I know the foam under a stand may sound like a good idea, but it's not, shims are needed at floor, and foam may be used between tank and stand, and that will vary among tank manufacturers, and usually that is for non trimmed tanks where glass is in direct contact w/ surface of stand only, a protective barrier between the two, NOT TO LEVEL. If you had a tank that was 1/4" low on one side, no matter how many sheets of foam you put under it, it will still be 1/4" out of level.
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03/08/2018, 08:31 PM | #34 | |
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Yes, a sub-floor, then foam, then timber tiles. |
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03/08/2018, 08:32 PM | #35 |
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Wow lots of action on this thread, wish my build thread was as popular.
Ok so I get the foam not providing support on the low spots cause potential stress points. That made me think and now I dont think my foam idea was that great. Shimming it will be and it how I did it when I used to do aquarium installs, just thought I had a light bulb moment. Yes foam under the tank is a good idea especially if the tank has no plastic frame. Thanks for all the help and input. Shims are on my ever grow Homedopt list.
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03/08/2018, 08:37 PM | #36 | |
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03/08/2018, 08:44 PM | #37 | |
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There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD |
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03/08/2018, 08:48 PM | #38 | ||
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Would work perfectly well! |
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03/08/2018, 08:55 PM | #39 | |
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Shimming a cabinet in just the corners, when its meant to have its full circumpherence in contact with the floor, will put stress on the entire structure. Anyhows, I've had my say. Good luck. |
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03/08/2018, 08:55 PM | #40 | |
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I'm done w/ this topic.
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03/08/2018, 09:06 PM | #41 | |
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So good info here on both sides of the discussion.
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03/08/2018, 09:16 PM | #42 |
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If the stand is like the one in the diagram above then a shim in each corner is all that's needed. If there is a 200 gallon sump full of live rock going in the stand then I would add a center shim also for good measure.
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03/08/2018, 09:21 PM | #43 |
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Ok I have a stupid question. If the floor is actually level, but one tile sticks ups more than the one next to it, wouldn't that make the stand not level? So if the foam is just meant to relieve pressure points and not to level the stand, wouldn't it still be out of level?
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03/08/2018, 10:11 PM | #44 | |
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We're talking minor differences between individual tiles I believe. If the predominance of the tiles were approximately the same height overall, with only one of two high spots - responsible for the rocking, the weight on top of the >ply - foam < would pressure force a levelling. The high spots would sink into the foam. The majority of tiles the the same height would dominate. And with ply on top, the entirity of the cabinet will be in contact with the floor it's sitting on. |
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03/08/2018, 10:18 PM | #45 |
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I used a 1" thick piece of foam insulation between the stand and tank for mine. Fill and wait a day or two for areas to compress then check again. Mine was leveled out after about a week but was 90% in two days. Haven't had any issues yet but only lives here three years.
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