Who has a Shimmed Tank

mikeshook · 01/30/2008, 02:55 PM

I've got a new tank and new home and the hardwoods aren't quite level. Shimmed the tank to try to get it level....

Has anyone else done this? Any think I should consider before filling it with H2O

kar93 · 01/30/2008, 02:59 PM

I did this with a 40gal i moved on side forward slightly went round the other side did it again then again and again and so on............ How big is the tank?

Bebo77 · 01/30/2008, 03:01 PM

i did it.. just put shims everywhere....

mikeshook · 01/30/2008, 03:11 PM

Mine's 70 Gallons. 36x 18x 25. It's about 1/4 inch high on one side so I have to Shim (using HomeDepot wood shims) on three sides...

Playa-1 · 01/30/2008, 03:11 PM

I shimmed mine. Get it nice and level and solid. Shim the stand and not the tank.

rbursek · 01/30/2008, 03:14 PM

Use the plastic shims, wood ones can copress in time and shrink as the wood dries out, shim the stand, not the tank.
Bob

Bud's Reef · 01/30/2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rbursek
Use the plastic shims, wood ones can copress in time and shrink as the wood dries out, shim the stand, not the tank.
Bob

Doh! I just got back from HD with wooden shims for my 120G, where do you get plastic ones?

mikeshook · 01/30/2008, 03:18 PM

ditto on the plastic ones....

Furnman · 01/30/2008, 03:23 PM

I agree that you should shim the stand and not the tank, but, I would go ahead and use the wooden shims that you just bought.

csb · 01/30/2008, 03:25 PM

Mine is shimmed and it's on carpet over a concrete slab! As it turns out, concrete slabs aren't always flat and level. Anyway... yeah, just be sure to shim around the bottom of the tank stand on the floor... not under the tank on top of the stand. Fill in as much space with shims as possible and the weight distribution will be normal.

LobsterOfJustice · 01/30/2008, 03:25 PM

I used plastic shims on one end of my old 75 (between the floor and stand), it was up for three years. My new apartment is nice and level

JustinReef · 01/30/2008, 03:45 PM

I used wood and unfortunately the tank is slowly compressing the shims and becoming uneven again...What a pain...Use the plastic.

TheMcs · 01/30/2008, 03:47 PM

the 185 is shimmed, the 200 is shimmed, the 90 is shimmed. Plastic shims are at HD (or hardware store of choice), packages the same as wood ones, little bit more expensive. Still easy to snap off though.

xtm · 01/30/2008, 05:00 PM

You all will cringe at this... my 75G is shimmed with..... um, paper towels.

It works fine.. I just have to be careful not to get it wet. But then again if my tank comes crashing down I'll have an excuse to upgrade

Furnman · 01/30/2008, 05:58 PM

After all this fine discussion regarding tank shimming, what happens is the tank is out of level and you don't shim it?

ManotheSea · 01/30/2008, 06:31 PM

Thats testing the limits and being resouceful xtm!

Furnman - If you dont level you will have a crooked tank. No joking. With all the time we take in watching our tanks it would endlessly annoy me to see the water level uneven.

Other than an annoyance factor I cant think of anything else wrong with having a crooked tank.

ManotheSea · 01/30/2008, 06:34 PM

Oh yeah, that was for an out of level tank being OK if you like.

But if the floor is uneven, as in low points, the stand could warp and cause the tank to crack under the presure.

csb · 01/30/2008, 06:59 PM

heh @ xtm ... I shimmed my 30g with an old phone bill

FishTruck · 01/30/2008, 07:07 PM

I currently have the resin shims from home depot.

But... in high school I had a 135 shimmed with stacked paper (there was no internet or home depot in 1985). It was fine for three years.

R

mikeshook · 01/31/2008, 08:30 AM

the concern with an unlevel tank is splitting a seam due to uneven pressure.

I used the Wooden Shims (regretting not getting plastic). I was about a 1/4 of an inch off on one side. That means that between my shimmed side and my unshimmed side there is a triangle of open space...is this a concern for a warping stand? Does most of the weight rest beneath the "legs" of the stand anyhow?

TheMcs · 01/31/2008, 09:45 AM

An unlevel tank receives additional stress on the lower side. Ideally you want equal pressure to all seams

Aquariums are designed to be supported in the corners. Not saying I would set my 185 on 4 upright 4x4s, but the bulk of the support is there. A triangle of space under your stand is no reason for concern, as long as you have a decent quality stand that can compensate for the uneven support.

csb · 01/31/2008, 09:57 AM

You can fill in the space with more shims

iwishtofish · 01/31/2008, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheMcs

Aquariums are designed to be supported in the corners.

I had heard this also, when I was just starting. I have a 29 gallon tank that I shimmed at the corners with cut, stacked sheets of aluminum flashing, knowing (hoping) they would not compress over time. I could not shim the stand because of the carpet it is on.

I adjusted the shims under the corners of the tank until it was rock steady. I have been waiting for disaster for 7 months, based on what I have heard people say about shimming the tank.

kar93 · 01/31/2008, 10:29 AM

Ooooh, I read the thread wrong i thought you said who has shimmerd a tank. I thought it meant like moving it forward.

jeffbrig · 01/31/2008, 11:01 AM

My 250g is shimmed, was 3/8" low on one end. I put strips of 1/8" hardboard under the entire stand to help level the floor, then filled in any remaining gaps with the composite/resin shims.

01/30/2008, 02:55 PM	#1
mikeshook Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Charlotte/Houston Posts: 147	Who has a Shimmed Tank I've got a new tank and new home and the hardwoods aren't quite level. Shimmed the tank to try to get it level.... Has anyone else done this? Any think I should consider before filling it with H2O

01/30/2008, 03:01 PM	#3
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	i did it.. just put shims everywhere.... __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

01/30/2008, 03:23 PM	#9
Furnman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mass Posts: 106	Wooden Shims I agree that you should shim the stand and not the tank, but, I would go ahead and use the wooden shims that you just bought.

01/30/2008, 03:25 PM	#10
csb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 541	Mine is shimmed and it's on carpet over a concrete slab! As it turns out, concrete slabs aren't always flat and level. Anyway... yeah, just be sure to shim around the bottom of the tank stand on the floor... not under the tank on top of the stand. Fill in as much space with shims as possible and the weight distribution will be normal. __________________ Winter ski bum, summer reef bum. Tank pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/snojrnl Current Tank Info: 30g mixed reef

01/30/2008, 03:25 PM	#11
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I used plastic shims on one end of my old 75 (between the floor and stand), it was up for three years. My new apartment is nice and level __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

01/30/2008, 02:59 PM	#2
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,521	I did this with a 40gal i moved on side forward slightly went round the other side did it again then again and again and so on............ How big is the tank?

01/30/2008, 03:11 PM	#4
mikeshook Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Charlotte/Houston Posts: 147	Mine's 70 Gallons. 36x 18x 25. It's about 1/4 inch high on one side so I have to Shim (using HomeDepot wood shims) on three sides...

01/30/2008, 03:11 PM	#5
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	I shimmed mine. Get it nice and level and solid. Shim the stand and not the tank.

01/30/2008, 03:14 PM	#6
rbursek Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: germantown,wi Posts: 2,339	Use the plastic shims, wood ones can copress in time and shrink as the wood dries out, shim the stand, not the tank. Bob

01/30/2008, 03:18 PM	#8
mikeshook Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Charlotte/Houston Posts: 147	ditto on the plastic ones....

01/30/2008, 03:45 PM	#12
JustinReef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3,715	I used wood and unfortunately the tank is slowly compressing the shims and becoming uneven again...What a pain...Use the plastic.

01/30/2008, 03:47 PM	#13
TheMcs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 2,272	the 185 is shimmed, the 200 is shimmed, the 90 is shimmed. Plastic shims are at HD (or hardware store of choice), packages the same as wood ones, little bit more expensive. Still easy to snap off though. __________________ Evaporation and top off don't count as water changes... Current Tank Info: 185g Deep Sea display, 2x 40g frag tanks, 90g fuge, 60g sump (400+ gal system)

01/30/2008, 05:00 PM	#14
xtm Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Panorama City, CA Posts: 4,703	You all will cringe at this... my 75G is shimmed with..... um, paper towels. It works fine.. I just have to be careful not to get it wet. But then again if my tank comes crashing down I'll have an excuse to upgrade __________________ Function before fashion Current Tank Info: 120g SPS Tank (48x24x24)

01/30/2008, 05:58 PM	#15
Furnman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mass Posts: 106	? After all this fine discussion regarding tank shimming, what happens is the tank is out of level and you don't shim it?

01/30/2008, 06:31 PM	#16
ManotheSea Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: FL Posts: 414	Thats testing the limits and being resouceful xtm! Furnman - If you dont level you will have a crooked tank. No joking. With all the time we take in watching our tanks it would endlessly annoy me to see the water level uneven. Other than an annoyance factor I cant think of anything else wrong with having a crooked tank.

01/30/2008, 06:34 PM	#17
ManotheSea Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: FL Posts: 414	Oh yeah, that was for an out of level tank being OK if you like. But if the floor is uneven, as in low points, the stand could warp and cause the tank to crack under the presure.

01/30/2008, 06:59 PM	#18
csb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 541	heh @ xtm ... I shimmed my 30g with an old phone bill __________________ Winter ski bum, summer reef bum. Tank pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/snojrnl Current Tank Info: 30g mixed reef

01/30/2008, 07:07 PM	#19
FishTruck Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Downers Grove, IL Posts: 805	I currently have the resin shims from home depot. But... in high school I had a 135 shimmed with stacked paper (there was no internet or home depot in 1985). It was fine for three years. R

01/31/2008, 08:30 AM	#20
mikeshook Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Charlotte/Houston Posts: 147	the concern with an unlevel tank is splitting a seam due to uneven pressure. I used the Wooden Shims (regretting not getting plastic). I was about a 1/4 of an inch off on one side. That means that between my shimmed side and my unshimmed side there is a triangle of open space...is this a concern for a warping stand? Does most of the weight rest beneath the "legs" of the stand anyhow?

01/31/2008, 09:45 AM	#21
TheMcs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 2,272	An unlevel tank receives additional stress on the lower side. Ideally you want equal pressure to all seams Aquariums are designed to be supported in the corners. Not saying I would set my 185 on 4 upright 4x4s, but the bulk of the support is there. A triangle of space under your stand is no reason for concern, as long as you have a decent quality stand that can compensate for the uneven support. __________________ Evaporation and top off don't count as water changes... Current Tank Info: 185g Deep Sea display, 2x 40g frag tanks, 90g fuge, 60g sump (400+ gal system)

01/31/2008, 09:57 AM	#22
csb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 541	You can fill in the space with more shims __________________ Winter ski bum, summer reef bum. Tank pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/snojrnl Current Tank Info: 30g mixed reef

01/31/2008, 10:29 AM	#24
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,521	Ooooh, I read the thread wrong i thought you said who has shimmerd a tank. I thought it meant like moving it forward.

01/31/2008, 11:01 AM	#25
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	My 250g is shimmed, was 3/8" low on one end. I put strips of 1/8" hardboard under the entire stand to help level the floor, then filled in any remaining gaps with the composite/resin shims. __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider