150 gallon set-up (BIG TANK USERS)

[garbon2535]

I just placed an order for a 150 gallon AGA. I currently have (2) 55's, a 38, & a 10 gallon. Do I need to do anything differently when setting up and leveling the 150?

I have heard that people put their tanks on foam pads and such to lessen any stress do to bending.

I will be placing my aquarium on short tight carpeting. right where my 55 is. The tank is only 2 feet longer and about twice as deep. Will I be safe just placeing the stand and the ground and the tank on top like my 55 gallon?

Are there any other issues dealing with the actual placement of the aquarium that I should look into? I am not looking at equipment issues/filters/heaters/pumps or anything else, I just want to know about setting the tank and stand up.

[90galfresh]

Hey there - I just got a 150 AGA too, this past weekend - so I'm interested to hear other people's answers. The major thing I put thought into was where the tank would be in relation to the supports underneath it. If you can, take a look underneath where you are planning to put it. I figured it would be about level, because it is in a 5-year old house, so how off could it be, right?

Most people put them up against weight-bearing walls, figuring that the floor next to a weight bearing wall is probably a strong-enough place. In my case, I wanted to use it as a room divider - and luckily I could see that the tank is running perpendicular to the beams, and about 6" away from the steel "I" beam. So, if the tank is 72" long, weighs 1500 lbs, and I have beams running perpendicular every 12", then each beam should be getting 300 lbs in the worst case scenario (weight spread out over 5 beams).

As to the level part, now that it is full of water I see that it is not quite level - it is roughly 1/8 inch lower over 6' length of the tank. Front to back, looks pretty level.

Good luck with your new 150 - and have fun!

[icecubez189]

although i don't have experience with large tanks, people do put a larger than tanks length and width dimesion wooden boards on the floor which i guess it to spread the weight of the tank.

[garbon2535]

Sorry, I thought I was clear enough. I am not worry about the weight on the floor. I live in a one story building built on a cement slab. I am more worried about any possible stress put on the tank by an unlevel surface or stand. Please only reply if you have a 150+ size tank.

Should I be worried about placing the stand directly on carpet or placing the tank directly on the stand? Either way, only if you have a large tank.

[Rallysman]

With glass tanks I just make sure the stand is on a level floor and the stand is level. With acrylic tanks I make sure the stand is on a level floor, plus I add 5/8" foam to the top of the stand to make up for any imperfections.

[jocko007]

I levled my stand first. Then I picked up some hard foam and put it around the base of ths stand where the tank will sit. The foam will compinsate for any levling that may be off. I have a 100 GAL and it is completly level now.

[garbon2535]

Anyone have problems with settling after leveling a tank on carpet? When I setup my 38 gallon tank it was perfectly level. After I filled it up with water it started leaning forward a little bit. After 3 years now the water level in the front of the tank is about 1/2-3/4" higher than the back of the tank. It took about a month to reach that point but it has been the same every sense. This is due primary to the carpet compressing differently from what I can gather. It sounds like I should just set-up my 150 just like my other tanks.

[loaches r cool]

Anyone have problems with settling after leveling a tank on carpet? When I setup my 38 gallon tank it was perfectly level. After I filled it up with water it started leaning forward a little bit. After 3 years now the water level in the front of the tank is about 1/2-3/4" higher than the back of the tank. It took about a month to reach that point but it has been the same every sense. This is due primary to the carpet compressing differently from what I can gather. It sounds like I should just set-up my 150 just like my other tanks.

Sounds almost like you put the back side of the stand on the tack strip perhaps? If your putting it on carpet best to space it far enough from the wall so its not on the tack strip, else youll get the leaning forward effect like just about every boockcase I have in the house lol.

As a side note, I thought the foam/padding underlayment between a tank bottom and stand top was only for glass bottom tanks, I mean with a plastic frame its only touching the stand around the edges anyhow. And if it is off kilter and has foam, there will be more weight on the lower areas making it compress even more - and making it more off kilter.

[Shagmaster]

I had to level my 250. the best way I found is to build your own stand. What I did. You can make it as strong as you like, and even adjust for unlevel floor. and if people are worried about weight a DIY can be adjusted to distribute the weight over a wider area.

[kjf91004]

I just got a 120 long mfg by Perfecto. The insert that came with it specifically stated that rimless tanks require styrofoam beneath them. Tanks with rims (or trim), however, are designed to sit directly on the stand.

Do also remember that (at least with my Perfecto) with their stand you have a 20 year warranty on the tank. With a DIY stand, the warranty is limited to one year.

[legendaryfrog]

as you can see by my sig, i have a few large tanks, and i can say that they are MUCH easier to care for than small tanks. only thing you should know about large tanks is the need to circulate the water.

[kjf91004]

as you can see by my sig, i have a few large tanks, and i can say that they are MUCH easier to care for than small tanks. only thing you should know about large tanks is the need to circulate the water.

:dance: A Few large tanks!!! Wow, it looks like you have it all. Do you have any pics? I would love to see them!

[legendaryfrog]

yeah, no problem. my camera has yet to come back from Sony, so it'll be a while.

[garbon2535]

Thank you all for your help. It is an AGA tank and stand so it does have a rim on it. Sounds like I have nothing to worry about. Thank you!

[vidiots]

Probably overkill, but with my 180gal tank I wanted to make sure the floor wouldn't bow over time. Part of the reason for this concern was that the location I wanted to put the tank had the floor joists running parallel to the lenght of the tank so that all of the tank's weight would only be supported by 2 floor joists.

In my basement I ran vertical 4x4 posts from the basement floor up to the bottom of the 1st floor joists as supports. I have 2 supports on each joist that runs under the tank for a total of 4 posts.

I don't know if it was necessary, but I haven't had any problems which was the whole point of adding the braces.

[kjf91004]

How long has your tank been in that location?

I am in process of putting a 120 on an upper floor (perpendicular however)and am going to take the same precaution. I am, however, wondering how "soon" would I know if trouble was brewing.

[vidiots]

How long has your tank been in that location?

I am in process of putting a 120 on an upper floor (perpendicular however)and am going to take the same precaution. I am, however, wondering how "soon" would I know if trouble was brewing.

My 180g has been up for about 8 months, and I expect no future problems due to settling with the braces.

[garbon2535]

vidiots, yes, again... I am not worried about my floor, just the stand and aquarium.

[kjf91004]

My 180g has been up for about 8 months, and I expect no future problems due to settling with the braces.

Thank you! You have made me feel much better. I have tried to do all I could with a very strong stable stand and bracing underneath the tank, but I still wanted to hear that it had been done by someone.

[Cylon]

AllGlass tanks have a warenty if you buy their stands with their tanks new at the same time.
So, If you buy everything all glass you get a life time warenty.
I was told this at my LFS when I picked up my set up. SO who knows.

[5xevy]

I have a 150 AGA as well. I have it the stand on the bare wood floor with the tank just sitting inside- didn't have to use anything particular to cushion it. There are no bends or anything like that.