How to level stand on very unlevel floors

[ReefSlice]

My new 150g will be going in a room with tile that is quite unlevel exactly where I want to place the tank. Right in the center of where I want to place the tank there is a bump in the floor, causing the stand to wobble back and forth, as well as lean forward about 3/8-1/2". The gap between the floor and stand is about 1/2" on the right side and I'm afraid of shimming this much as my stand uses a bottom rail to distribute weight. What would be my best course of action to level out the stand and tank?

 

[ReefSlice]

Pictures show the gap and how unlevel the stand is as it stands now. The 2nd picture is front to back, and the 3rd is across the top lengthwise.

 

[cracker]

How heavy will the tank be? I assume there are vertical center braces also? Shims have always worked for me just not sure of the bottom rail to distribute weight You speak of.

 

[Sashaka]

I had a similar problem when I set up my acrylic 180 gal. I found a thick rubber mat meant for use on the floor of barn animal stalls at Tracker Supply. I can't remember if I paid $30 or $50 for it, but I was able to cut it in half and use half for the floor under the tank's stand and half for the top of the stand under the tank itself. It's heavy duty! I don't know if it will work for you, but it worked for me.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Is this a glass tank? If so, Shimming in the corners till level is recommended. As long as the corners are supported and all four corners are coplanar, you'll be good to go. Corners supported are all that's needed for a glass tank.

 

[ReefSlice]

Stand is built using rocketengineers design, the bottom rail is 2x4's. I'm worried about the stand sagging if I just shim the corners. Tank is glass and 150g, eurobraced.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Stand is built using rocketengineers design, the bottom rail is 2x4's. I'm worried about the stand sagging if I just shim the corners. Tank is glass and 150g, eurobraced.

If your worried about the stand sagging in the center, just shim under there as well.

 

[ReefSlice]

This may be a dumb question, but how do I shim the back of the stand to fix my backwards lean when its against a wall?

 

[mcarroll]

So the greens are non-weight bearing?

But the front and back frames (red-pink-orange) are weight bearing?

According to my understanding, as long as the corners remain level, that's what will matter. The middle parts of the base can turn in loops as long as they remain level and keep the legs/corners from spreading in any direction.

So shimming the corners is your minimum. Shimming all around will not hurt.

 

[ReefSlice]

So I got the tank up on the stand and just wanted to post what I'm working with and make sure all is well before I start shimming and setting the tank up. This is my first large DIY stand so it's just got me a bit nervous! The tank seems making contact with all four corners great on the top of the stand, but the stand wobbling is just making me a bit nervous. It seems as though there is a high spot under the tile right at the center of the stand, so when I shim one side to make it level, the other side forms a gap and needs shims to keep it touching. Floor is also leaning back towards the wall (cement floors) Here's some pictures, what do you guys think?
First picture is how unlevel it is on the front left and back right corners, 2nd is showing front right and back left corner, all before shimming. 3rd is the gap under the stand, and 4th is the tank sitting on the stand (I still have to lift it up and get the foam centered better.. easier said than done)

 

[mrpizzaface]

So I got the tank up on the stand and just wanted to post what I'm working with and make sure all is well before I start shimming and setting the tank up. This is my first large DIY stand so it's just got me a bit nervous! The tank seems making contact with all four corners great on the top of the stand, but the stand wobbling is just making me a bit nervous. It seems as though there is a high spot under the tile right at the center of the stand, so when I shim one side to make it level, the other side forms a gap and needs shims to keep it touching. Floor is also leaning back towards the wall (cement floors) Here's some pictures, what do you guys think?
First picture is how unlevel it is on the front left and back right corners, 2nd is showing front right and back left corner, all before shimming. 3rd is the gap under the stand, and 4th is the tank sitting on the stand (I still have to lift it up and get the foam centered better.. easier said than done)

In a case like this where you have a high spot on the floor I like to install furniture levelers.
https://amzn.to/2HlDCvp
You only need to put these in the four corners, and then level away. If you don't like relying on just the four corners supporting the tank, you can install wood blocks inside the stand along the bottom perimeter once you have leveled using shims or the levelers (assuming there is no bottom plywood sheathing yet).
This rocketengineer design is super overbuilt, there is no need to worry about sagging in the middle.
You have a nice level.

 

[mcarroll]

Is the stand so wobbly that the floor is affecting the top like this, or is there another defect causing this space under the tank?

This one bothers me a lot more than the floor. Anyone else?

 

[ReefSlice]

There's no gap, just a misaligned piece of foam under the tank that's overlapping the edge by a bit. The tank is sitting flat on the top of the stand, the tank doesn't rock around it's the stand itself. When shimmed on both sides the rocking stops, but I need 2 shims stacked on the back which worries me a bit.

 

[mrpizzaface]

Is the stand so wobbly that the floor is affecting the top like this, or is there another defect causing this space under the tank?

This one bothers me a lot more than the floor. Anyone else?

I couldn't tell what was going on there. I have a feeling it's a weird photo. I think the stand is too beefy to be affected by the floor (at least in the way the photo would indicate). The dimensional lumber could be warped, and is causing the top to bow.

 

[ReefSlice]

Ok, so I got the whole thing shimmed level, but I've now noticed that there is a tiny gap between the back left and front right corners of my tank and the top of the stand... Not really sure what to do here, can this be safely fixed or should I just start from scratch? The stand must be warped or twisted somewhere, because the leg under the low corner does not sit flush with the top and bottom frames, as you can see in the picture. Mind you I trimmed the foam back so you can see the crack a little better. The foam will be replaced once I figure out what my next move is.

 

[mrpizzaface]

Ok, so I got the whole thing shimmed level, but I've now noticed that there is a tiny gap between the back left and front right corners of my tank and the top of the stand... Not really sure what to do here, can this be safely fixed or should I just start from scratch? The stand must be warped or twisted somewhere, because the leg under the low corner does not sit flush with the top and bottom frames, as you can see in the picture. Mind you I trimmed the foam back so you can see the crack a little better. The foam will be replaced once I figure out what my next move is.

You could try and find some 1/4” adhesive backed neoprene foam. That would even out the top somewhat. 1/2” rigid or polystyrene would probably work as well. The idea is the tank will sink into the foam a bit and get even support. You could also try unscrewing you top sheat of plywood and shim it flat.