obsessed with tank leveling...

[BEdward]

So I'm getting ready to finally put water into my 135.  This is my first big tank, so bear with me :)   I checked the level and I'm a little off front to back and a little bit from side to side.  By a little bit, I mean the bubble is touching one of the lines it should be inbetween.  I put foam insulating board under it, and got no results.  I bought some felt pads and stacked them in the corners and I'm pretty close now.  The question is - how far off level should I be worried about?  And, is it ok if the felt pads I used to level it are only in the corners - would it cause too much stress on the stand?

This is on carpet..

[imagirlgeek]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

I just ran around the house with a level checking all our tanks.  One of the 135g - the bubble is 'almost' touching one of the lines.  The 100g - the bubble is touching one of the lines.  

And we use coins in the corners of most of the tanks to level them...no problems.

[BEdward]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

Well if it's good enough for the fish house, it's good enough for me :)   Thanks for checking!

[ponyrandy]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

Or you could just level the stand that way the tank still sits flat on it.
Brian

[BEdward]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

Ah - I should have mentioned that it was the stand that I've been leveling - not the tank

[76dragon]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

That's not a problem at all. I've had my 135 and 125 for years out of level and it's never been a problem

[eklikewhoa]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

If you have the stand on a sheet of foam then it will level itself out once you fill the tank.

[wesleydnunder]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

Or you could just level the stand that way the tank still sits flat on it.
Brian

I fully agree with this. I always level the stand, not the tank. Shims between tank and stand can cause pressure points that may develop into problems later. IMO, it's best to keep the tank flat on the stand.

Mark

[BEdward]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

If you have the stand on a sheet of foam then it will level itself out once you fill the tank.

When I put the foam under it, I filled it up.  It was still uneven in the same places.  Does it level over time or should it level right away?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

How thick of a foam pad did you use?

[BEdward]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

half inch

[wesleydnunder]

Re: obsessed with tank leveling...

If you have the stand on a sheet of foam then it will level itself out once you fill the tank.

When I put the foam under it, I filled it up.  It was still uneven in the same places.  Does it level over time or should it level right away?

Foam will mitigate slight imperfections but won't go a long way toward leveling a tank when the stand is more than just a little unlevel. Foam is used to even out slight imperfections in the stand's surface, so that the tank has a flat plane to rest on. You may need to shim the bottom of the stand to get your tank perfectly level. On the other hand, my 125 gal is about a quarter inch out of level front to back and has been that way for years, so you may be able to get away with a little imperfection.

Mark