I've got a 120g tank I need to level on my unlevel 1st floor hardwood floor. One end will need to come up ~1/2". Does anyone have a tip or suggestion on the best way to level the tank?
Leveling Tips (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Hellaenergy
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TriggerFreak
Senior Member
Shims...
Biggiesdrum
Senior Member
i agree shims make them them long though
You can get plastic shims at menards. These are nice cause you can pound them in with a hammer...
TriggerFreak
Senior Member
yea either plastic or wood!
OP
OP
Yeah I've used the plastic shims in the past. They do work. It seems like you need to use a lot of them and they are a pain to keep in place while installing them initially. I remember pulling my hair out during that process. It was not fun.
Have any of you ever used that pink Styrofoam on a floor to level a tank/stand? Would that work?
Should I put a sheet of plywood under the stand as well?
Have any of you ever used that pink Styrofoam on a floor to level a tank/stand? Would that work?
Should I put a sheet of plywood under the stand as well?
TriggerFreak
Senior Member
if you were to do the styro route id do plywood too
Biggiesdrum
Senior Member
agreed
You could always cut your own shims out of a piece of 2x and make it the intire length of your tank.Shim the intire tank instead of just one end. then cit a trim piece for the front to hide the shim.
lost in it all
Senior Member
Just asking I guess but just shimming one corner on a 120 would put a lot of weight on just four points rather then the entire base of the stand. I personally would do like reef junkie said and make a platform for it to sit on.
OP
OP
Thanks reef junkie, are you suggesting two ~48" long (the length of the tank) wedge shaped shims tapering from 1/2" thick down to 0?
I forgot to mention that fact that the floor has twist in it as well. It's not level on either of it's axis.
Dhummel
Senior Member
are you talking on shimming tha stand i hope, you dont want to do anything to the tank unless it's acrilic, in your mentioning that the floor is uneven, i would put shimms on both ends of the stand, i had to do that with mine.
OP
OP
Yup I'm talking about leveling the stand.
Dhummel
Senior Member
ok, sounds better, what i had to do was level the stand with level then cut shims to fill in the gaps under it, i had to cut different sized shims with the table saw but the wood shims will wk with small area to fill. just make sure the stand is level before placing tank.
yes that is what I was saying. Not sure hat to say about the twist. Maybe you could sand the loor down to not be so twisted.
OP
OP
Has anyone ever used adjustable feet in a situation like this?
they would have to be pretty stong to hold all that weight. I dont know if I would trust them. How unlevel are you talking?
I see you say 1/2'' if thats all then trying to cut a long shim out of a 2x4 might be hard to do by hand. If you have a table saw could free hand cut it on that, with out using the fence. Or just try usung the plastic shims like spsick suggested. just shim the stand in multiple places.
Building a base for the tank may be easier than all the shimming that it is going to require to make it right.
I had to do this for my 125's when they were in the basement, fairly easy to do, start with 2/4's make a box the size of the stand base, then using smaller sections of 2/4's make legs, attach the legs with screws at all 4 corners, bolts if you really want to make sure it aint goin anywhere. I got it level at all 4 corners, then cut more pieces to line the entire bottom, It was time consuming, and I am sure that I prly could have done it with less material. But, it worked! Prly wouldn't hurt to stick a piece of foam inbetween the tank and stand to make up for any inperfections.
Just my .02 Good luck!
I had to do this for my 125's when they were in the basement, fairly easy to do, start with 2/4's make a box the size of the stand base, then using smaller sections of 2/4's make legs, attach the legs with screws at all 4 corners, bolts if you really want to make sure it aint goin anywhere. I got it level at all 4 corners, then cut more pieces to line the entire bottom, It was time consuming, and I am sure that I prly could have done it with less material. But, it worked! Prly wouldn't hurt to stick a piece of foam inbetween the tank and stand to make up for any inperfections.
Just my .02 Good luck!