Worried about stand warping

[Coopkid94]

Hello guys. Recently setup my newly acquired reefsys 255, while setting it up noticed it was unlevel so proceeded to shim where necessary having been setup for nearly 6 months recently started to think about the fact I only shimmed the right side and shimmed under the middle brace leaving the whole left side unshimmed leaving the right side of the aquarium stand higher than the rest of the stand is this problematic? Will It cause warping in the future? Thanks in advance

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

In short answer yes.

Luckily this is an easy solution to fix. Get some more shims, shim all the way around to where it is fully supported, RECHECK LEVEL, then cut the exposed part of the shims off and you're good to go.

 

[Coopkid94]

In short answer yes.

Luckily this is an easy solution to fix. Get some more shims, shim all the way around to where it is fully supported, RECHECK LEVEL, then cut the exposed part of the shims off and you're good to go.

I tried to shim the left side but it's impossible lol I even drained the tank and sump there's so much weight on the umshimmed side my only over option is moving the tank and do it properly? Such a PITA

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I tried to shim the left side but it's impossible lol

Why is it impossible to shim/support the left side?

If one shim doesn't do it, use two coming in from different angels. If there is a gap between the stand and the floor, And you have shims, to be able to fill that gap with shims to support the stand.

 

[Coopkid94]

Why is it impossible to shim/support the left side?

If one shim doesn't do it, use two coming in from different angels. If there is a gap between the stand and the floor, And you have shims, to be able to fill that gap with shims to support the stand.

The weight and lifting it I emptied it and tried to hammer a shim in would not budge

 

[Gtinnel]

I'm not positive that I am following what is happening. So your stand is shimmed in the middle and the right side? If so then the left side basically has to be sitting on the floor and wouldn't need shims.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

The weight and lifting it I emptied it and tried to hammer a shim in would not budge

I'm a bit confused then. I See the gap I think you are talking about.

Can you mark on the picture where you think it needs shimmed?

 

[Gtinnel]

Can you mark on the picture where you think it needs shimmed?

This^^^

Basically if you have a gap between the stand and floor put a shim in it like already mentioned. If you are having to lift the weight of the stand by putting a shim in you likely don't need that shim.

 

[Coopkid94]

Why is it impossible to shim/support the left side?

If one shim doesn't do it, use two coming in from different angels. If there is a gap between the stand and the floor, And you have shims, to be able to fill that gap with shims to support the stand.

The weight and lifting it I emptied it and tried to hammer a shim in would not budge

I'm not positive that I am following what is happening. So your stand is shimmed in the middle and the right side? If so then the left side basically has to be sitting on the floor and wouldn't need shims.

Yes your correct shimmed on right side and in the middle I'm worried the left side being unshimmed will cause some sort of warping/twisting over time if that makes sense.

 

[Coopkid94]

I'm a bit confused then. I See the gap I think you are talking about.

Can you mark on the picture where you think it needs shimmed?

So the right side is shimmed. But the left side is completely flat on the ground with no shims if that makes sense and there's no gap at all

 

[Coopkid94]

The weight and lifting it I emptied it and tried to hammer a shim in would not budge

Yes your correct shimmed on right side and in the middle I'm worried the left side being unshimmed will cause some sort of warping/twisting over time if that makes sense.

That's the unshimmed side

 

[Gtinnel]

If the stand is touching the ground you don't need to shim it there. All shimming it there would do is change how level your tank is and make your other shims loose

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

So the right side is shimmed. But the left side is completely flat on the ground with no shims if that makes sense and there's no gap at all

Then you don't need a shim there. The only purpose of the shim is to make contact/support, or correct the balance. There shouldn't be shims all across. If there is you've lifted it too far. There should be one point of the stand in contact firm on the ground, the middle and other side would be shimmed.

 

[Coopkid94]

If the stand is touching the ground you don't need to shim it there. All shimming it there would do is change how level your tank is and make your other shims loose

Then you don't need a shim there. The only purpose of the shim is to make contact/support, or correct the balance. There shouldn't be shims all across. If there is you've lifted it too far. There should be one point of the stand in contact firm on the ground, the middle and other side would be shimmewe

If the stand is touching the ground you don't need to shim it there. All shimming it there would do is change how level your tank is and make your other shims loose

Glad to hear that, Would of been such a pain to move it all thanks for your help.

 

[Coopkid94]

If the stand is touching the ground you don't need to shim it there. All shimming it there would do is change how level your tank is and make your other shims loose

Ok sounds good I was just initially worried about the one side being higher than the other and crrating a twist or torsion in the stand over time.

 

[ScottJ]

I think what is trying to be said is that where there are gaps between the stand and floor, fill that gap with a shim. I.e. support the stand completely against the floor.

 

[Gtinnel]

I think what is trying to be said is that where there are gaps between the stand and floor, fill that gap with a shim. I.e. support the stand completely against the floor.

I agree with this is is best to make sure there aren't gaps between the stand and floor anywhere, but I don't think that is what the OP was asking. He said that where he was asking about possibly adding a shim is touching the floor.

 

[Coopkid94]

I think what is trying to be said is that where there are gaps between the stand and floor, fill that gap with a shim. I.e. support the stand completely against the floor.

Hi there, the right side of the stand is shimmed and there's also one in the middle underneath the support bar. The left side isn't shimmed and makes contact with the floor with no gaps I was just worried about the one side being higher than the other. I'm probably making no sense it's hard to explain lol.

 

[Coopkid94]

I agree with this is is best to make sure there aren't gaps between the stand and floor anywhere, but I don't think that is what the OP was asking. He said that where he was asking about possibly adding a shim is touching the floor.

Yes correct

 

[Gtinnel]

Yes correct

Okay. On the far left side where the stand is touching the floor you don't need a shim there.

What we are trying to suggest is that between the shims you have already put in, it is best to add more shims between them. Where your stand is mostly likely to bow is the unsupported area between the shims. If you do add these shims you don't want to drive them in very hard. They are just there to take up the space between the stand and the floor. They just need to be tight enough that they can't move, and then cut/break them off even with the stand so they don't stick out.

Hopefully I have explained that in some way that makes sense.

ETA- I also should've mentioned that you should add them between the left (where the stand touches the floor, and the center shim. Just go far enough left that you can easily get the shim between the stand and floor, and again dont drive them in too hard, you don't want to drive them hard enough to lift up on the stand.