Imperfections on wood stands.

[echoofformless]

I have a stand for a 20L/29g where the front strip of pine is somewhat warped inward towards the middle. Is this anything to be concerned about? I've heard that glass tanks need only be supported fully at the corners.

[Plecosterone]

If the tank is EVENLY supported on the corners it should be ok but I personally wouldn't do it. If the top is not perfectly in plane (not twisted) you could wind up with too much strain on the seams which may cause a major problem. The best method for overcoming warped tops is to put some 1/2" -1" white stryrofoam between the tank and top. Only the outside edges of the tank need to be on the styrofoam. This makes up for any uneveness in the top.

[Mgamer20o0]

i use stryrofoam too under my tanks. better be safe then sorry.

[JimInIndy]

If the tank is EVENLY supported on the corners it should be ok but I personally wouldn't do it. If the top is not perfectly in plane (not twisted) you could wind up with too much strain on the seams which may cause a major problem. The best method for overcoming warped tops is to put some 1/2" -1" white stryrofoam between the tank and top. Only the outside edges of the tank need to be on the styrofoam. This makes up for any uneveness in the top.

My friend--This is directly fom Glasscages Web site :)

SET UP INSTRUCTIONS
All aquariums must be set up on commercially manufactured stands only. A sheet of 3/4" styrofoam (reaching completely side-to-side and front-to-back) must be placed between the tank and the surface of the stand. Aquariums should not be set on wood furniture, stereos, telvisions, or other surfaces that have not been designed to support an aquarium. Setting up the aquarium on a homemade stand or on a surface such as the ones mentioned above can result in stress breakage of the side or bottom glass panels of the aquarium. Breakage is NOT guaranteed (CHECK WARRANTY INFORMATION). It is very important to follow the SET UP INSTRUCTIONS:

Each leg of the aquarium stand must sit flat on the floor.
Each corner of the aquarium must sit flat on each corner of the top of the aquarium stand.
If either the legs or the corners of the aquarium do not sit flat then proper shiming is required. The shimming referred to here is the placing of thin strips of tile, wood, or paper under the leg or corner of the aquarium to make the leg or corner sit flat.

IMPORTANT!! Special setup is required on a carpeted floor due to the fact that carpeting tends to cover up uneven floors which can cause stress breakage. If the aquarium is set on capeting, the capeting should be pulled back to expose the bare floor. Then follow setup instructions above. After the stand and aquarium have been checked and proper shiming done, if necessary, the capeting can be put back in place and the stand and aquariumd should be placed in the exact same position as before on top of the capeting. The stand and aquarium should be reset up using the same shims, if any were needed, in the same position that was used when the stand and aquarium were set up on the bare floor.

[echoofformless]

I'm not sure if you are getting what I mean, so here are images. As you can see the stand's top is all in plane and properly flat, but this one beam in the front bows inward.

[Notophthalmus]

That should cause no trouble at all. Using styrofoam is still a good idea in any case.

[Plecosterone]

My friend--This is directly fom Glasscages Web site :)

SET UP INSTRUCTIONS
All aquariums must be set up on commercially manufactured stands only. A sheet of 3/4" styrofoam (reaching completely side-to-side and front-to-back) must be placed between the tank and the surface of the stand. Aquariums should not be set on wood furniture, stereos, telvisions, or other surfaces that have not been designed to support an aquarium. Setting up the aquarium on a homemade stand or on a surface such as the ones mentioned above can result in stress breakage of the side or bottom glass panels of the aquarium. Breakage is NOT guaranteed (CHECK WARRANTY INFORMATION). It is very important to follow the SET UP INSTRUCTIONS:

Each leg of the aquarium stand must sit flat on the floor.
Each corner of the aquarium must sit flat on each corner of the top of the aquarium stand.
If either the legs or the corners of the aquarium do not sit flat then proper shiming is required. The shimming referred to here is the placing of thin strips of tile, wood, or paper under the leg or corner of the aquarium to make the leg or corner sit flat.
IMPORTANT!! Special setup is required on a carpeted floor due to the fact that carpeting tends to cover up uneven floors which can cause stress breakage. If the aquarium is set on capeting, the capeting should be pulled back to expose the bare floor. Then follow setup instructions above. After the stand and aquarium have been checked and proper shiming done, if necessary, the capeting can be put back in place and the stand and aquariumd should be placed in the exact same position as before on top of the capeting. The stand and aquarium should be reset up using the same shims, if any were needed, in the same position that was used when the stand and aquarium were set up on the bare floor.

If that is the ONLY way that an aquarium HAS to be set up then there a lot of people that are going to have broken tanks. I was giving my opinion on what works not what the optimum setup is. I have had tanks on almost anything and not just commercially manufactured stands which are not near as well built as mine are and have never had a tank break yet.