My floor isn't flat... what should I do?

[NeveSSL]

Hi all,

I built my stand according to the RocketEngineer's thread on Reef Central and brought it inside today, but the floor isn't level. What should I do? Do I put foam underneath the stand as well as on top, or will my foam on top be enough to even the difference?

Thanks,

Brandon

 

[NeveSSL]

Or should I shim it, maybe? A little worried that shimming it may cause the load distribution to change, but I guess it wouldn't if its all even and equal.

Any thoughts?

Brandon

 

[bknapp]

Shims. There are certain shims people say to use, I can't recall which ones.

 

[AZDesertRat]

You can get a pack of hardwood shims at Lowes or HD. Shim the corners and any weight bearing spot such as the center of a long run.
I fill my tank with a couple inches of water as a reference then start shimming until it is plumb and level front to back, side to side and diagonally which many people overlook and is called wracking when it is twisted in this way.

 

[inurocker]

Wood shims have always worked fine for me. If the floor is anything other than a slab question why its out of level.

 

[NeveSSL]

I knew this, and have done it on tanks in the past, I just freaked out for a minute until I googled it. Haha! Thanks, guys.

I was planning on using two levels to do it both ways. I'll definitely do corners as needed. There's no center braces (used 2x8s for top rails), so the corners will matter more than anything else, but I'll probably do the centers of the bottom rails, too.

Thanks everyone!

Brandon

 

[fpv930]

I am setting up a 90g in my basement. The floor is slopped away from all the walls and towards the sump. I used wood shims for the wood tank stand.

 

[nazzman]

Depot and lowes sells plastic shims better than wood for wet areas

 

[Small triggers]

Yeah, I prefer the composite shims...if something floods, they don't mold or breakdown...

 

[Im_Tanked]

So how do you shim a tank that has been established for awhile? My floor had foam under that got wet and my tank is uneven now

 

[Rob.D]

Brandon, I say scrap the whole build and rebuild your house around a level tank :xd:

 

[bknapp]

Just give me your tank and stand and go with a nano.

 

[Tradewinds]

So how do you shim a tank that has been established for awhile? My floor had foam under that got wet and my tank is uneven now

The safest way would be to drain the tank and then level it using shims.

 

[Tradewinds]

Here's the king of shims. I made it to go under a 120 in my basement. The shim is 48" long, starts at 5/8" and ends at 1/4".

 

[fpv930]

Here's the king of shims. I made it to go under a 120 in my basement. The shim is 48" long, starts at 5/8" and ends at 1/4".

Now that's an awesome shim. Can I order some?? lol

 

[NeveSSL]

Brandon, I say scrap the whole build and rebuild your house around a level tank :xd:

Just give me your tank and stand and go with a nano.

You guys are hilarious.

:fencing:

Brandon

 

[Tradewinds]

Sure, but I'm not sure if the cost to ship would be worth it.

 

[NeveSSL]

I ended up going with composite shims because they were basically the same price as wood and won't swell should the worst happen.

Brandon

 

[GHill762]

Brandon, I say scrap the whole build and rebuild your house around a level tank :xd:

this is the best method :bigsmile:

 

[Sacohen]

Shim the corners and center of long runs.
How long is your tank? The center should be fine unless it is a really long or really wide tank.

Better yet, pull up the floor and correct the original issue.