View Full Version : Stand got wet--will this be a problem?
breaker_1113
05-02-2003, 1:35 PM
I woke up this morning and i looked at my 45G long tank and i saw that my water lvl droped by.... an inch
i took a look at my filter and everything and there was no water leaking.
well any ways water was all over the back of the stand and i had a small puddle.
my stant is made out of particle board that has a coating over everywhere but the back.
now water went inside the wood and some parts of the wood is inflated and kinda rippled.
i dried up all the water and is there going to be serious problems?
will i have to drain my tankand get a new stand?
plz help me
JSchmidt
05-02-2003, 1:42 PM
When particle board gets wet, it loses the little structural integrity it has to start with. If the board has swelled, it is beyond saving. You might be able to replace just the side (sides?) that are damaged, but the safest thing would be to get a new stand.
A 45 gallon tank with water and decorations will weigh upwards of 400 pounds... do you want that resting on weakened particle board?
I wouldn't...
Jim
OrionGirl
05-02-2003, 1:44 PM
I'd watch it for a while. The particle board will dry, but it's probably going to be warped, and weakened while still wet.
Did you figure out how the water got out? Don't think I would trust the filter! Any airlines that might have slipped off?
I can't see your stand to make an assessment, but offhand I would err on the side of caution and say yes.
My advice: drain the tank to about half way while continuing to filter and over the weekend build a 2X4 stand with screwed in 5/8" plywood sides for lateral stength.
Then drain & move tank on to new stand.
Or you could just buy a good stand. ;)
breaker_1113
05-02-2003, 1:58 PM
i figured out why the water was leaking and it was my fault and not the equipment
i looked at my tank and i see no warpage on the side boards but only on the big bottom peice
waoud that still be a problem
Do you know how long it has been leaking? Let it dry and see if it has bloated at all. It might help if you got a fan with heat on the damp wood. I would say that if it hasn't bloated, then it should be no problem. IMO, tank stands should not be made of particle board or even MDF.
JSchmidt
05-05-2003, 9:01 AM
Have you ever handled particle board that has been soaked and then dried? It has the consistency of styrofoam and about as much strength. I just cannot imagine why it would be worth risking it. At the very least, I'd replace the damaged section.
Good luck,
Jim
Originally posted by JSchmidt
Have you ever handled particle board that has been soaked and then dried? It has the consistency of styrofoam and about as much strength. I just cannot imagine why it would be worth risking it. At the very least, I'd replace the damaged section. If you can catch it before it soaks you should be OK. After that, forget it. :(
breaker_1113
05-05-2003, 6:28 PM
well its not really "soaked" and the only place thats bloated is the bottom peice a bit
is that a major problem cause im a little 1 year old boy with a tight budget lol
thnx
breaker
Measure the thickness of the untouched wood and also measure the bloated part. Maybe it can be saved.
Charone
05-06-2003, 1:49 PM
I'm imagining your stand as a an 'II' shaped one. that is, 1 large top, 2 uprights, and 1 large bottom peice. Correct? you said that the water pooled on the large bottom peice. If it pooled on the large upper peice, and the affected area was say, the diameter of say, a CD, then I'd say forget it. If it's less, I'd probably try re-enforceing it with a brace that went at least 1.5x the length of the affected area, off to each side. So, if your area was say, 6cm, then I'd cut a 24cm peice (9cm on either side of the bad spot), screw it in from the top down (at least 4 screws in each side) through the particle board, then through the bracing section. Then, I'd cut a new upright, to go from the large base all the way up to the middle of the underside of the peice I just screwed in.
If it is the base, and it's, say, 12cm from either upright, then I'd just cut a peice and screw it down over the area. Agian, 1.5x the length of the bad spot, to either side. If it's near the uprights, you're probably gonna need to either get a new base, or a new stand altogether. In time, the uprights may punch though the weakened base that supports them, resulting in either a cracked tank or a tank on the floor. It's also possible, that since the ends of the uprights are just unfinished particle board mated to the base, that they themselves sucked up some water. If that's the case, I'd just go get a new stand.
Good sound advice Charone. Real wood is much better than particle board or MDF if you are getting a new one.