My water line is level from front to back on my 10 gallon, but from side to side, there's 3/16ths of an inch difference. Is this enough to cause worry? Or should it be fine?
How level should my tank be?
- Thread starter Bryant1380
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It is always bad to have a tank non-level. Put some styrofoam underneath it and let the tank settle in until it becomes level, or else you will get pressure cracks all over...
I am going to disagree with you on this one, Childawg. As long as the bottom of the tank is sitting flat on the stand (or whatever), you'll be OK. The stress from having slightly more water on one side vs the other is minimal, especially in a little 10 gallon tank. The styrofoam trick might be useful if the stand does not present a flat surface, but it won't work of the whole thing is sitting on a sloped floor. It will just compress down to the same place.
Fair enough...would you say that it's more of an issue with longer tanks and/or higher-capacity ones?
I think so. I have been sitting here trying to think about how much strain a water imbalance would cause, and I keep coming up with "not a lot." But maybe I'm wrong.
If my calculations are right, then a 3/8" difference should make one end 10 ounces heavier than the other. The bigger the tank, the bigger the difference.
Maybe I shouldn't be so cavalier, but I can't remember the last time I lived in a house with level floors, and the tanks have always been fine.
If my calculations are right, then a 3/8" difference should make one end 10 ounces heavier than the other. The bigger the tank, the bigger the difference.
Maybe I shouldn't be so cavalier, but I can't remember the last time I lived in a house with level floors, and the tanks have always been fine.
Tank level
As Mog mentioned, I concur. The flushness of the tank stand is to prevent irregular stress along the tank's bottom perimeter; the bottom of the tank in smaller tanks particularly having the front/rear/sides resting thereupon.
The bottom glass can twist and bend to some degree (to accommodate irregularities in the supporting surface), but the seal formed between the silicone(typically) between the sides/front/rear panels can be compromised by distortion of the bottom pane, given that the bottom may distort slightly to accomodate the stand, whereas the sides/front/rear are essentially rigid, and are resting upon the bottom piece of glass. Distortions in the shape of the bottom panel are not readily accomodated by the front/rear/sides, and this can cause irregular stress on the seal between these panels and the bottom panel.
To clarify, any irregularities in the stand, may cause twisting force on the bottom panel which supports the side/front/rear panels of glass (of smaller tanks at least); the sides/front/rear don't give to loading so much, but only bow under water pressure, thus the potential for irregular stress particularly at the corner joints exists, at the bottom of the tank. No need to panic, it may simply lead to premature failure, rather than a blowout.
Numerous posters have mentioned the use of Styrofoam and such underneath the perimeter of the tank, to compensate for stands which are not flat, for this reason. This is not to level the tank, but to evenly distribute the stress underneath the tank. Level or not, the stand must be flush to the bottom of the tank, or the tank flush to the stand. Tilting of the tank imposes negligible stress on the tank itself; it should nonetheless, be resting on a flat surface. If not flat, adding Styrofoam to crush out minor defects is a good workaround. Tanks tilted, be not concerned, unless the stand which supports them is messed up.
PS, try slipping a playing card under the edges of your tank if you cannot see visual gaps between the stand and the bottom tank perimeter. If there are measurable gaps, you may elect to do something about them, but I leave that at your discretion. Styrofoam is cheap though...
DHM
As Mog mentioned, I concur. The flushness of the tank stand is to prevent irregular stress along the tank's bottom perimeter; the bottom of the tank in smaller tanks particularly having the front/rear/sides resting thereupon.
The bottom glass can twist and bend to some degree (to accommodate irregularities in the supporting surface), but the seal formed between the silicone(typically) between the sides/front/rear panels can be compromised by distortion of the bottom pane, given that the bottom may distort slightly to accomodate the stand, whereas the sides/front/rear are essentially rigid, and are resting upon the bottom piece of glass. Distortions in the shape of the bottom panel are not readily accomodated by the front/rear/sides, and this can cause irregular stress on the seal between these panels and the bottom panel.
To clarify, any irregularities in the stand, may cause twisting force on the bottom panel which supports the side/front/rear panels of glass (of smaller tanks at least); the sides/front/rear don't give to loading so much, but only bow under water pressure, thus the potential for irregular stress particularly at the corner joints exists, at the bottom of the tank. No need to panic, it may simply lead to premature failure, rather than a blowout.
Numerous posters have mentioned the use of Styrofoam and such underneath the perimeter of the tank, to compensate for stands which are not flat, for this reason. This is not to level the tank, but to evenly distribute the stress underneath the tank. Level or not, the stand must be flush to the bottom of the tank, or the tank flush to the stand. Tilting of the tank imposes negligible stress on the tank itself; it should nonetheless, be resting on a flat surface. If not flat, adding Styrofoam to crush out minor defects is a good workaround. Tanks tilted, be not concerned, unless the stand which supports them is messed up.
PS, try slipping a playing card under the edges of your tank if you cannot see visual gaps between the stand and the bottom tank perimeter. If there are measurable gaps, you may elect to do something about them, but I leave that at your discretion. Styrofoam is cheap though...
DHM