Shimmying please help

[Wildreefs]

At a total loss when it comes to this shimming ordeal.

my father used to help Me in the past with these things, but he passed away two years ago. Wish I would have paid more attention amongst other things.

the tank has been up and running now about two weeks. I listened to a couple guys about shimming, and being my right needed the shimming (about an inch low, garage concrete floor) I placed shims on the side/middle, and both those corners. Tank is within the bubble, and in the eyes of a few , level.

it’s a 180 Marineland tank, and the stand was custom made out of 2x2 inch aluminum. There are 6 uprights, 1 in each corner, and in the middle of the tank, front and back.

because of the shims on one side, the lower aluminum bar is off the ground on the right side. Was told this was ok,but my gut is telling me otherwise.

on top of the stand sits a 1/2 inch piece of plywood, and then the tank. In the middle soan if the long side of the tank, I can slide a credit card (maybe a hair over a credit card, from the middle, to about 1 foot before both ends (corners) so a four foot span is off the “stand, or plywood”) about the width of a credit card.
On the middle support beam, I don’t have any shin, jus about 1/2 inch off the ground.

I’m thinking one of two things:

the tank trim is not level, (the stand was made on a jig , by a guy who welds and rigs race cars, bridges etc) the stand is true. Or the plywood is lower in the middle.

the corners where I shimmer were with the composite wedge shims, all facing the same way, so they are sloped. Tonight, i place in more shims next to them, yingyanged to create a flat surface. With water full in tank, I didn’t wanna raise stand, I just simply pushed show together front to back, until they were tight, and left that way. If I do this in a couple spots along the stand, I’m hoping the “slopes” ones I have on there won’t matter, for if they kick out, the other shims are there square.

I am unsure if i shim thensyand under the middle uprights, if that will bend the stand to touch tank,if it does, is that because the uprights needed a lift, or because I’m not bending or forcing the middle up to the stand?

 

[Frey]

because of the shims on one side, the lower aluminum bar is off the ground on the right side. Was told this was ok,but my gut is telling me otherwise.

If i read all of this correctly and you are now level but your stand is ridged and now you have legs raised off the floor all you now need to do is shim under the aluminum bar that is now off the ground. Not so much as to raise it higher but to get pressure back to that part of the stand to the floor.

 

[Frey]

A photo may help immensely

 

[Wildreefs]

Understood. Would the gap from the tank to stand bother you? I i shim to raise that leg, i dont know if 1. It will bring gap closer, or two, force the stand to bend up to the middle and touch the tank.

 

[Wildreefs]

Attached

 

[Frey]

Yes a gap from the tank to the stand would bother me. That's a lot of shims. You said this is filled already? That's about1500 lbs of saltwater i believe. I would drain the tank check the level and squareness of the stand. Level if needed while empty and then check to make sure your tank is completely flat on the stand and supported everywhere. It may not have a or show a issue for a while but one rock falls over or just overtime the stress on the supports and glass could cause a failure. I am sure this is not what you want to hear but that's a lot of weight and a lot of water.

You can measure how much you need to level everyrhing and i would go cut a 2x4 or something similar at the angle you need to support the length of the bottom of your stand.

I just would not feel safe with those wedged in there. Also if you can i would get a piece of foam board at home depot or lowes and put on top of tour plywood. If you are off just a hair this may be enough support to make everything work out for you.

 

[ca1ore]

Not sure I entirely follow. As long as all the vertical legs are properly shimmed, the horizontal strut doesn’t really matter. It’s there to prevent the stand from racking or vertical legs from spreading out. As to the space between the plywood and the tank, I would not try to manipulate the stand to close it. If you end up putting a twist into the stand that’s a tank killer. Even with rimmed tanks, I always have used rigid foam between the tank and the stand to close up any small imperfections even though conventional wisdom is that foam is unnecessary.