Foam/neoprene mat not level for Red Sea Reefer

[Hexabonal]

I really need some advice. I bought a second-hand Red Sea Reefer 250. It has been filled and used for many years. The neoprene mat beneath the tank is clearly no longer level. While the tank is empty it has been crushed down to be totally flat, whereas at the back the mat is much thicker - in fact, without water, the back of the tank is lifted a tiny bit off of the mat.

This is clearly because of the Red Sea Reefer's design where the front of the tank is not supported by the stand so that the doors are flush with it.

Is this normal for old Red Sea tanks? Is the tank overbuilt enough to deal with it?

I presume that as the tank is filled with water the pressure will squash the mat a bit - but the glass on itself already ways a ton and must be squashing the mat on its own already.

Should I shim the tank with the prediction that the tank will lean back slightly as I fill it?

Thanks!

 

[Big G]

Bump

 

[Hexabonal]

I can't see the edit button any more? Anyway it should say that the mat is squashed flat at THE FRONT and thicker at the back.

 

[rkpetersen]

Assuming your floor is level, if the tank was ok when filled before, I think it should still be ok.
Also, a 250 is well built and small enough that being slightly off bubble when filled is unlikely to cause problems.

 

[geddavis]

I would buy a new mat to be sure as having tons of water broken glass and dead animals on my floor is not something I want. Also you can buy foam mats at craft stores for $10 a foot so Realy their is no reason to not make sure. Also from experience with my rsr 350 and another failed tank so long is the tank and stand are level and the silicone is intact you should be good for a while.

 

[Tastee]

Once you fill this with water you can’t change anything without draining it. So now is your chance to set it up as well as you can. I would replace the mat with a new one, shim and level the cabinet, make sure you are 100% happy with the positioning, distance from the back wall etc.

I set my RSR 250 up just a ‘little’ too close to the back wall and wish I could have my time over to move it out 1/2-1”. It’s not a big enough issue to consider draining it but an annoyance I could do without.

Do what you can to get it as perfect as possible before you fill it.