Tank has to be perfectly leveled?

[kidtango]

I am setting up a 180g tank and is currently filling it with water. I can't seem to level all corners perfectly. It is off by a little bit based on the leveling meter. I am not sure if that's the exact name for that tool... LOL

I can see the the indicator being almost centered within to the two lines. It's leaning toward the left slightly on one end. So how big of a deal is it to have the tank perfectly leveled?

My tank is 60LX35WX21H rimless AGE tank. It has PVC bottom.

Kid

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

It's tough to say without seeing the actual level. As long as you're close (definitely between both lines and as close as possible to the center), then you're probably ok. My 180 is not perfectly level (since the floor in my basement was not made correctly and has "bumps" in the concrete under the carpet), but it's very close. I've not had any issues.

If you could post up a pic of what you're seeing when you measure, that would help.

 

[Pete polyp]

Have you tried shims?

 

[reeffirstaid]

I agree with mdbannister, my tank(s) are not totally level. They sit over a concrete floor as well. Like bannister's mine are close, but you can notice a little dip in the water line.

 

[shred5]

You may want to check your level... I had one that was off and it was brand new from home depot..

 

[ReefMadScientist]

Either your level is off, foundation of your home is un-level or the stand is off.

If you have the stand on carpet or if you have the tank on styrofoam, the weight of the stand + water should level itself out.

 

[JFrar]

at my old house my tank was not level and did not make any difference i knew of.... was probaly a 1/4 or 1/8 off from front left to back right...

 

[trido]

Either your level is off, foundation of your home is un-level or the stand is off.

If you have the stand on carpet or if you have the tank on styrofoam, the weight of the stand + water should level itself out.

This is absolutely not true. If your floor, stand and tank are 1/4" out of level in six feet, it will be 1/4" out of level no matter what its sitting on.

Leveling your tank as close as possible to perfect is important for a couple reasons.

Being out of level puts extra stress on the joints that can cause a seam to burst over time. Maybe not right away. Maybe Never. Maybe in five years. Better safe than sorry.

Being out of level CAN be an issue if you have dual overflows because the lower one will take in more water in turn be louder if your using durso standpipes.

Having said all that, I dont worry too much about tanks smaller than a 90 gallon. I've had small tanks up to a 1/2" out of level for years without problems. It is however very important for tanks 120 gallons an larger.

 

[kidtango]

Thanks for the reply guys. Yes, I am using a leveling meter. Maybe I should get another one just to make sure the one I have is calibrated and is still accurate.

I am a bit anal about the tank to be frank. I want to make sure that I am not going to have a leak later on for sure. The tank is about 150g when filled. The actual tank size is 180g and rimless... No braces at all. So I think it's even more important that I have this thing leveled as much as possible.

The bubble in the leveling meter is almost centered. I'll take some pics on all four corners later today. The stand sits on carpet and no faom underneath the tank. The tank has PVC bottome and A.G.E doesn't recommend using a foam under it.

 

[Jonreefer]

I have never been able to get a perfectly level tank. its always about 1-2mm difference in water level on one side compared to the other. I just get it as best as i can and call it a day