Aluminum 80/20 stand on a tile floor

[air_run]

@air_run nice stand, well thought out, easy removal of sump if needed. What size DT are you going to put on it?

Ah, thank you, I appreciate it. This is just my "Observation Aquarium" setup. The tank is already on the stand actually (on the left), it is a custom 40 Gallon acrylic aquarium from Envision Acrylics. The right side I'm using for testing, ATO, storage, workspace, etc.

 

[Weasel1960]

I put a half inch piece of plywood down. Sealed it with clear lacquer and glued on a trim strip to hide the cut edge.

This is probably best option in my opinion. Helps spread the weight out across th tiles also. Point loads on tile could crack tiles, wood will also help against staining.

 

[[Cameron]]

I wouldn't put an aquarium in today without a drain pan under it. On our last one, I used marine grade plywood and built a small catch basin with it. I then calked and coated the interior with a poly paint. Afterwards installed a leak alarm in the basin.

Even if you don't want to do a basin, a sheet of marine grade plywood will distribute the load across the tile and help prevent the tile from cracking.

 

[Ashish Patel]

.I made the mistake of adding shims to a very uneven wood floor on my previous tank. The tank seemed to shaky for my liking so i ended up putting a 2x4" supporting the stand to the wall, this made sure the tank was not shaky. T-slot stand are very light weight so become top heavy so didn't feel good about that. If I could do it over I would use leveling feet!

 

[reefkeeper2]

Adjustable feet are available in assorted diameters. Load from six feet for this stand won't be a problem. Besides, the horizontal members are not supporting vertical loads. You will be much happier with feet than barefeet.

I spoke with the rep and he led me to believe that it would be difficult to add feet now as they would have to be put on the bottom of the horizontal members instead of directly screwed into the vertical ones.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Here is a picture of the stand

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I spoke with the rep and he led me to believe that it would be difficult to add feet now as they would have to be put on the bottom of the horizontal members instead of directly screwed into the vertical ones.

Hmmm. I don't know about that. There are two ways you can install leveling feet. First way (preferred but not possibly feasible for you) is to use these aluminum base plates. See attached image. The second option is to thread the center hole in the profile and screw in the leg stem. Again, I am just adding my opinions here. You already invested a fair sum of money into this. Finishing it the right way may take some time but not much more $$$. You will be much happier with leveling legs than some "sub optimal" solution. I don't know where you purchased your profile. McMasterCarr. Grainger. Two generic options. I would suggest you contact framing tech. Good guys over there. They can help you get this over the line.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Here is a picture of the stand

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Ok. I see what your issue is after I last posted. You can still make it work but may take a little MacGyvering. That stand cost you a lot of money. Beautiful work . it's not going anywhere.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Hmmm. I don't know about that. There are two ways you can install leveling feet. First way (preferred but not possibly feasible for you) is to use these aluminum base plates. See attached image. The second option is to thread the center hole in the profile and screw in the leg stem. Again, I am just adding my opinions here. You already invested a fair sum of money into this. Finishing it the right way may take some time but not much more $$$. You will be much happier with leveling legs than some "sub optimal" solution. I don't know where you purchased your profile. McMasterCarr. Grainger. Two generic options. I would suggest you contact framing tech. Good guys over there. They can help you get this over the line.

The stand is from Framing Tech

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

The stand is from Framing Tech

They didn't suggest legs?? I am surprised.

 

[reefkeeper2]

They didn't suggest legs?? I am surprised.

They asked me if I wanted feet and since I knew the floor was level and I thought feet would be bad for the tile I said no. I figured I could add them on later if I had to. My mistake. Its always what you don't know that comes back to bite you in the butt.

 

[tricky_tran]

framingtech stand with the leveling feet. I believe its these. https://www.framingtech.com/45mm-nylon-pad-1-2-13x1-5-threaded-stud

 

[DaddyFish]

The problem I see with adding feet is the significant change in height. A 420 setup is going to weigh roughly 5,000 lbs, divided by eight(8) feet puts you at 600 lbs per leveling foot. That will require a substantial size foot both in stud size and foot area. That also means your minimum stand height increase will probably be close to 2".

I would use a high-density rubber or neoprene under the bottom frame members. I just purchased a roll of this material to use for a 215-gal setup.
Premium Flooring Underlayment at Lowes

 

[Ashish Patel]

Here how bad my leveling was. The side you can't see was at least 1/2 off. If your floors are level you should be fine to put directly on the tile, better than wood floor or carpet!

 

[reefkeeper2]

This is the neoprene I'm thinking of using.

Long Length Strips | Neoprene Rubber Strips | 60A Medium Hardness

Need a shorter roll? We also have TEN FOOT rolls! Available widths: 1", 2", 3", 4", 5", 6", 8", 10", 12" .031" thick 10 foot Click Here .062" thick 10 foot Click Here .093" thick 10 foot Click Here .125" thick 10 foot Click Here .187" thick 10 foot Click Here .250" thick 10 foot Click Here...

rubbersheetwarehouse.com

 

[tricky_tran]

This is the neoprene I'm thinking of using.

Long Length Strips | Neoprene Rubber Strips | 60A Medium Hardness

Need a shorter roll? We also have TEN FOOT rolls! Available widths: 1", 2", 3", 4", 5", 6", 8", 10", 12" .031" thick 10 foot Click Here .062" thick 10 foot Click Here .093" thick 10 foot Click Here .125" thick 10 foot Click Here .187" thick 10 foot Click Here .250" thick 10 foot Click Here...

rubbersheetwarehouse.com

since you got your stand from FramingTech, I would suggest asking them to see how it would affect the stand.

 

[reefkeeper2]

since you got your stand from FramingTech, I would suggest asking them to see how it would affect the stand.

I did. The rep said I should be fine with either shims or neoprene.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Neoprene comes in different grades. The one I ordered is "60 A medium hardness" with a tensile strength of 525 psi. I'm assuming tensile strength means the amount of pressure it can withstand? I'm wondering if I should get one of the higher grades. The setup when complete will weigh around 4500 lbs, but I don't think it will exceed 500psi anywhere along the stand bottom.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

Tensile strength refers to how much load it can withstand while being stretched/pulled before tearing.