New tank purchase

[eianson]

OK...they say the only stupid question is the one not asked. Well, I am about to test that theory.

I bought my 75 gallon glass tank and stand today. My stand is an AGA Cherry Modern Series. The LFS I used was out of AGA aquariums, but had Perfecto tanks. I believe AGA and Perfecto are basically the same tank (same manufacturer) and the price was right ($99), so I figured why not.

Now here is my stupid question (or more correctly series of stupid questions):

- I thought the stand top would be a totally flat surface, but it is really a rectangular "hole" with a wood "rim". The tank just barely overlaps the the "rim" of the stand...especially on the left and right sides. Is this normal?

- One of the books I read recommends placing a thin styrofoam or dense furniture-cushoning felt pad in between the tank and stand to act as a "shock absorber". Any thoughts on this? Also, should I try to fill the rectangular "hole" in the top of the stand with some foam padding?

- The top of the stand is unfinished. My guess is they want you to buy the canopy, which includes the finishing trim. Any reason I shouldn't try to cover this area entirely with the padding listed above?

Thanks in advance,
Eric

[OrionGirl]

The only portion of a glass tank that should be supported is the rim. Perfectly safe, standard operating procedure. Foam actually doesn't cushion much--when you're dealing with 300-700 pounds, there isn't much styrafioam can do. What will happen is that it will allow the tank to self level to a certain extent. Not a bad thing, but not required--I don't have it on any of my tanks. I prefer making sure the stand is level.

No reason to cover the top of the tank--if you want, I'd buy some nice molding, stain it, and knock together a square trim to cover it instead of using foam (if I read that right).

[eianson]

OrionGirl,

Thanks for the reply. What I am really concerned about is the amount of overlap on the rim. I put together a simple diagram in the attached gif. The red represents the rim of the stand. The blue represents the tank itself. Not the front sides of the tank. There is almost no overlap. Is this OK or am I jsut being paranoid. With the live rock and sand I am planning this tank will weigh over 1000lbs.

Thanks,
Eric

[OrionGirl]

Okay--I see what you're saying--sorry! The stand is not supporting the edges of the tank, or barely so. I'm with you--I would worry about that. Contact the LFS and make sure they gave you the correct stand for your tank. For all of my tanks, I make sure the full edge area is making contact with the top of the stand.

If they say that is the right one--I would look into extending the stand inward. Probably a peice of plywood, sealed or painted, cut to match the outside of the stand would look best.

[eianson]

Glad to see AC back online.

While the site was down, I called AGA and apparently this is common problem (this does not make me feel like less of an idiot).....the stand was upside down. I flipped it over low and behold....the Perfecto tank fits just fine.

However, I did notice there is a slight (maybe 1/16") gap between the tank and the rim in some locations. I think I am going to put some foam rubber weatherseal around the rim to minimize tank stresses and make sure it stays level. Any thoughts?

Eric (sitting in the corner with his dunce cap on).