Leveling a fish tank on stand

[nluchau]

Best way to level a tank on a stand. my stand may not be 100% level. Whats the best way to level it. Place a towel under the tank - I have heard of styrofoam but I would like to hear what others do. I just dont want to fill it up and have it start leaking because the stand is not perfectly level.
Thanks,
nick

 

[nluchau]

bump

 

[salty cheese]

You should adjust the stand not the tank, otherwise you might create pressure points on the tank. Just use some thin pieces of wood to shim the stand.

 

[little_d]

Nick,
I suggest you level the stand and not using any shim because when you add water and everything esle it's not that safe.
The way I level my tank was to check and see if it rock back and forth when you set the stand in place, note the corner that is a bit high, use a sander if you have one and keep at it. This will sure solve your problem. Hopes that help.

 

[dogstar]

Just put about 1/2 inch of water in it and check that it looks level all the way around, if not then you have to empty it and sand or cut the legs on the stand.

 

[salty cheese]

Originally Posted by little_d
Nick,
I suggest you level the stand and not using any shim because when you add water and everything esle it's not that safe.
How is using shims under the stand unsafe?

 

[dogstar]

I agree shims would not be a good idea cause they could rot or crack or slide out over time and then your back to not being level but with a tank full of stuff.

 

[squidd]

Level the STAND,,not the tank...

 

[salty cheese]

They will not rot,crack or slide out.
The "shims" I used were made from 1/4" ply that I used to make my canopy, I cut 1/2"x 2" strips and wedged them under the feet AFTER the tank was filled up.
The tank was level before I added everything but once all the weight was added(water,rocks) and the stand settled into the carpet, it was uneven. It's been over a year and the tank is still level.

 

[nluchau]

Originally Posted by little_d
Nick,
I suggest you level the stand and not using any shim because when you add water and everything esle it's not that safe.
The way I level my tank was to check and see if it rock back and forth when you set the stand in place, note the corner that is a bit high, use a sander if you have one and keep at it. This will sure solve your problem. Hopes that help.
Little_d,
I will maybe try this. Is this what happened to yours too?
THanks for the tip.
Nick
To everyone else - thanks for the ideas and replies

 

[little_d]

Nick,
Yes, it happened to me. When I put the top and bottom together it was level. Then I screwed to the 4 support stand and still it leveled. However, after I added 8 more pieces of 2x4 to get additional support it become a bit uneven. What I found out was those pieces were cut a bit longer so when I hammer to get it in there the shape changed a little bit. Anyhow, I just check for the corner that's high and sand it down and now it's all good.
You can also use plywood as shim as one of the member suggested, not the shim that you would get from home depot which make out of very solf wood.
Originally Posted by nluchau
Little_d,
I will maybe try this. Is this what happened to yours too?
THanks for the tip.
Nick
To everyone else - thanks for the ideas and replies

 

[robchuck]

Just to reiterate what everyone else has said, level the stand and not the tank.
Sanding works well, but I would be hesitant to go that route, especially if you plan to set the tank up somewhere else in the future. The chances are high that the tank would again be unlevel in the next location.
I had a 29g tank set up until fairly recently, and when I first set it up, it was off by 1/4" front to back (due to uneveness in the floor). I used composite shims from Home Depot to level the stand. These shims won't rot, are very strong, come pre-packaged, and are only 10 cents more a pack than the standard wood shims.

 

[acrylic51]

I agree level the stand and don't use the cheap wood shims. The styrofoam should only be used after u have the tank leveled......