Tank NOT Level in New House

F

fl4ian

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Feb 22, 2009
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I have a 6' 100g tank. I've put some water in it to test the level, and it's about .75 of an inch different between the front right and front left corners.

The back corner is another .25 off (so from front left to back right corners, there is a full 1" difference).

I'm worried.

The tank is on 2x10's which rest on 3 columns of cinder blocks.

How much of a difference is acceptable? Is this amount of "not-levelness" dangerous or am I being overly concerned here?

How would you guys fix this if you think it needs to be fixed?
 
With that size of a tank the amount of torque that you are describing is not acceptable. I would not put water in it if I were you.

You will need to shim up the corners of you cinderblocks until the tank is as level as you can get it. Less than 1/8 inch difference is acceptable.

If you leave it like it is you are asking for large puddle on the floor of you new house when the tank cracks.
 
THE V said:
With that size of a tank the amount of torque that you are describing is not acceptable. I would not put water in it if I were you.

You will need to shim up the corners of you cinderblocks until the tank is as level as you can get it. Less than 1/8 inch difference is acceptable.

If you leave it like it is you are asking for large puddle on the floor of you new house when the tank cracks.
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:iagree:
 
Heck of a twist...definitely correct it.
 
This is what I suspected, thank you for the responses.

Would it be any different if I shimmed between the cinders and the 2x10's?

---todd
 
No, but I would want to know if the floor is flexing with the weight or if it is just crooked. This is because the shims may look right with the tank empty but turn out not to be thick enough.

I'd try partially filling the tank and walking around it and looking for water movement.

BTW, I think your twisting is much more of a problem than not being level.
 
If I am understanding you correctly--it would be fine as the surface that the tank sits on is not uneven by sticking shims under that surface area. Placing shims lower down is okay.
 
Either shim the blocks or have a contractor shim the whole house until the stand twist is gone...lol.

After you get the no-load level set; I would suggest you insert 1" closed cell foam between the tank and blocks. That will act as a resilient cushion (much like a mattress) to absorb any full load twisting force; including forces that develop over time as the floors shift and sag.

I double up 1/2" exercise mats to achieve a 1" thickness. Home Depot and Babies R Us sells the 1/2" interlocking mats in multiple colors.

Foam Mat .5 Inch.jpg
 
VFC said:
I double up 1/2" exercise mats to achieve a 1" thickness. Home Depot and Babies R Us sells the 1/2" interlocking mats in multiple colors.
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Great idea! I used styrofoam pads made for insulating builds as support between my tank and stand, but they're pretty stiff and I'm not sure if they're doing as much as they should be doing to level out the tank...

Sorry if this is a hijack, but let's say your tank stand contacts the floor continously across the width (i.e. it's not just a fixed number of legs with feet but rather plywood planks on edge that run from side to side). My concern has been: "If I shim on the side, then the middle of the tank will be lifted off the ground and will sag down, creating a slight 'U' shape." Is that a valid reason to not shim?
 
I use cedar shingles as tapers to level my tanks. I drive them in under the stand until it shows level and then I give a tiny bit extra to allow for compression. Once I am happy with the level I flush cut the unneeded amount.
 
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