Tank NOT Level in New House

joel.uejio said:
I used styrofoam pads [snip] level out the tank...
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You shouldn't be using it to level the tank. If the stand is not true, there will be permanent forces on the tank even if the foam is compressing more at some point and appears to be helping.

"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?
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Some stands are strong enough not to warp in the middle when supported at the corners, and some are not.
 
Some of those cast blocks are not always true as they are used on walls with concrete mud to correct any defects. Concrete blocks make bad aquarium supports for the same reason they make bad jack stands, becasue they are brittle and prone to cracking and shattering under compression, it is possible that one moment the blocks with all that weight will be fine and the next moment one will crack, cave-in, and shatter and the aquarium will take a dive at one end.

Concrete hollow blocks for stereo equipment and speakers is one thing, but for the weight of a 1/2 ton aquarium is quite another.

If I were you I would use those 2x6" boards to make a study and proper stand that can be safely shimmed.
 
Concrete blocks work great for aquarium stands for me..have for years...looking at all the houses they support I would guess than can handle the simple weight of a tank.
 
Rbishop said:
Concrete blocks work great for aquarium stands for me..have for years...looking at all the houses they support I would guess than can handle the simple weight of a tank.
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Yeah right, well those basement and foundation blocks are filled with concrete and steel rebar reinforcement, hollow blocks alone are nothing more then sand and portland cement, very fragile. But hay hat's off you have been lucky so far.:thumbsup:
 
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Not lucky at all. How many years have you kept tanks on cinder blocks?
 
fl4ian, do yourself a favor and get yourself something with rigid lateral and well as vertical support. Stacked blocks that are uneven don't share the load properly and can also tilt besides fracturing placing uneven load pressure on the glass. What you want is a solidly built support with both vertical and lateral rigidity so that when you place a shim at one corner then whole stand will will respond to the change not just one row of blocks placing the load on the glass tank instead of the stand as intended which is already under pressure. This is why Aquarium stand manufactured don't use hollow concrete blocks.
 
get the cinder blocks...no lateral support needed..properly shim the wood cross beams..lasts for yrs...many DIY things work.

Gunner..did you miss my question...:grinyes:
 
Thought so.....
 
CWO4GUNNER said:
fl4ian, do yourself a favor and get yourself something with rigid lateral and well as vertical support. Stacked blocks that are uneven don't share the load properly and can also tilt besides fracturing placing uneven load pressure on the glass. What you want is a solidly built support with both vertical and lateral rigidity so that when you place a shim at one corner then whole stand will will respond to the change not just one row of blocks placing the load on the glass tank instead of the stand as intended which is already under pressure. This is why Aquarium stand manufactured don't use hollow concrete blocks.
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My husband agrees with you gunner. To be on the safe side, I would either build a wood stand or buy one. Of course if you are close to NW PA, I could sell you one cheap. I only have 2 stands for 125 gal that are going to be collecting dust with mine now being built into the walls.
 
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