Leveling an established tank

[BirdFish5000]

Well, this should be fun. So with all of the talk about leaking Red Sea tanks getting me good and paranoid, I decided to check the level of my RS250. (54 gallon display) The good news is that the tank is perfectly level side to side, and level on the stand at all four corners.

This model does not have adjustable leveling feet.

However, when I checked the front to back level, it is pretty off. Leaning forward enough that the water level is, I'd say, 1/4" higher at front than it is at the back. This tank has been established for just about three years. No signs of any bubbling in the silicone or anything, but this out of level front to back has me... anxious.

I'd <really> rather not completely remove everything from the display to take care of this. Obviously I know not to attempt with the display full, but considering it is an established SPS tank with a lot of fish, I'd also rather not remove <everything> from the display if possible.

Is there anyway to approach this without taking everything out? Say, draining 75% or so of the water out and carefully jacking up the front of the stand to get shims under it?

 

[ptrusk]

If you want to level it yeah drain water into 2 ruffneck trash cans from Home Depot. You could even rinse them and return. Not that I would but I have seen people return wood clamps with glue on them Its a trash can after all. Will take you an hour.

Now if it has been fine for 3 years, may not even want to mess with it, but I have also seen the gripes with red sea tanks. If you are anxious, do it.

 

[BirdFish5000]

Think these shims would be good?

 

[BirdFish5000]

Weird, link doesn't show up

 

[ptrusk]

That is what I use. Much cheaper at HD but can't beat the convenience of Amazon

8 in. Composite Shim (12-Bundle) 10011700 - The Home Depot

Utilizing composite technology provide an environmentally responsible product which will handle all of your home improvement shim needs. Composite shims are perfect for any repair or remodeling need. The Timberwolf composite shim snaps cleaner and easier than wood saving you time.

www.homedepot.com

 

[BirdFish5000]

Thanks!

 

[BirdFish5000]

Bumping just case there are more/other thoughts/insights

 

[Idech]

I would also buy wooden shims, just in case the plastic ones don’t do the trick. That’s what I did but I can’t remember which ones we used. Maybe both.

 

[Asm481]

First floor with a basement open below it? If so, map out where it is and put up a house jack post.

 

[BirdFish5000]

First floor with a basement open below it? If so, map out where it is and put up a house jack post.

Instead of leveling, or in addition to leveling?

 

[scott_the_reefer]

Instead of leveling, or in addition to leveling?

If your floor is out of level too then looking at jacking from underneath would be a good option. It’s not the cheapest option though. You could also use some hardwood shims to drive under your stand carefully then use the composite shims to leave permanently. Was the tank level to begin with and has tilted over time?

 

[BirdFish5000]

I honestly can't recall if I was smart enough to check the front to back level when I first set it up three years ago.

 

[hoffmeyerz]

I'm a flooring contractor and licensed residential builder. From a construction standpoint I would not recommend using jack stands to level your floor. Those should be used for added support when necessary, not for leveling. When doing so you shift the weight distribution on the substructure which could cause other issues including cracks showing up in your walls, corners, and near door frames.
I've never had to level a tank three years old (mines only 1yr old) but I would keep it simple and drain a good portion of the water out into tubs as mentioned above and slowly insert wooden or plastic shims under your tank stand/cabinet.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll make it perfect!!

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I'm in the same boat. My 75 is level side to side but lands forward a little. Making me pretty nervous...

 

[Fishy212]

Hey everyone and happy new years!

I also had a major issue with my wood floors not being even and settling over time...
This method requires drilling heavy duty furniture leveling feet into the front of your tank stand.

This method is proven to work.... I used it myself.

 

[BirdFish5000]

I'm a flooring contractor and licensed residential builder. From a construction standpoint I would not recommend using jack stands to level your floor. Those should be used for added support when necessary, not for leveling. When doing so you shift the weight distribution on the substructure which could cause other issues including cracks showing up in your walls, corners, and near door frames.
I've never had to level a tank three years old (mines only 1yr old) but I would keep it simple and drain a good portion of the water out into tubs as mentioned above and slowly insert wooden or plastic shims under your tank stand/cabinet.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll make it perfect!!

Oh I definitely would not use jacks to raise my joists (they are straight as of last time I checked), but I'm a super nervous guy so I may just add a few for support. I have several aquariums in my fish room, but none share the same joists.

I really appreciate everybody's super constructive input. Sometimes, having aquariums and an anxiety disorder is not a good combination, lol!

 

[hoffmeyerz]

I hear you, for sure! I'm constantly over thinking and second guessing my tank decisions. I'm getting a little better though, learning to stay a little more hands off now....but it ain't easy
As for extra floor support you can start simple and add blocking between the floor joists, that ties them together to help share the load. Next up would be to sister the joists in the area needing support, this helps by stiffening the joist and sharing the load. If you want to go further and add Jack stands place a 4x4 across the joists you want to support and set a couple stands under that nice and snug. That will go a long way adding vertical support AND spreading the weight across a larger area.

 

[DCR]

A different take here, but I would not try to adjust the tank stand. A minor lean is not going to cause a failure, especially on a relatively small tank like that. A slight lean just does not cause any significant additional stress on the seams due to water pressure. Tank failures are typically caused by seams that are not fully supported (i.e. there are gaps between the stand and the bottom of the tank or a weak stand that bows at the bottom and is not flat. The glass wants to bow and this puts stress on the silicone that causes it to tear away. That is what caused the Red Sea failures.

Although it is unlikely, you could make it worse by trying to level it if you don't do it correctly. Unless the change in height bothers you or you see gaps or can slide a thick sheet of paper between the base of the tank and the stand, I would leave it be.

 

[workhz]

What is the stand made out of and what is it sitting on?

I probably wouldn’t bother tbh.

Perhaps I’m thinking about it wrong but there really isn’t uneven pressure as such. There’s just slightly higher pressure on the front seams than the rear seams but so what?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

A different take here, but I would not try to adjust the tank stand. A minor lean is not going to cause a failure, especially on a relatively small tank like that. A slight lean just does not cause any significant additional stress on the seams due to water pressure. Tank failures are typically caused by seams that are not fully supported (i.e. there are gaps between the stand and the bottom of the tank or a weak stand that bows at the bottom and is not flat. The glass wants to bow and this puts stress on the silicone that causes it to tear away. That is what caused the Red Sea failures.

Although it is unlikely, you could make it worse by trying to level it if you don't do it correctly. Unless the change in height bothers you or you see gaps or can slide a thick sheet of paper between the base of the tank and the stand, I would leave it be.

I agree. If the "lean" is the same amount on both sides, then your stand is in balance (i.e. "square"), and trying to shift the front while there's still a lot of weight on the stand could create pressure that eventually weakens the integrity.

I also agree that in a smaller tank, the chance of stress on the glass is less of an issue.

Is this a trimmed bottom or completely trimless?