Help leveling tank

Wagonpitt · 12/04/2017, 08:20 PM

just got this fluval setup all cleaned up and filled with rodi. I guess the floor isnt level and water level is off on one side by about 1/3 inch. Wondering how you guys recommend shimming and leveling it. The bottom/legs of stand is U shaped like this -> |___|

if i do only one side then the entire back part of stand looses contact with the ground. What do you guys suggest. I want to make sure its level first so i know its safe and also it doesnt look good this way.

salty joe · 12/04/2017, 08:46 PM

Assuming the stand is solid and the tank sits flat on it, you might scribe the bottom of the stand to the floor.

Wagonpitt · 12/04/2017, 09:26 PM

Do you mean basically shave the difference on the bottom of the higher side ? So my right side is lower then my left so i shave left side down to level ?
Id prefer not doing this because if i ever move it ill have to keep shaving And its a nice stand tank kit i could sell in the future so would rather not ruin it

Was just reading some other threads. Some people recommend putting shims along entire botom so its level with out floating area that doesnt make contact with ground. I think i might do that aswell.

Lsufan · 12/04/2017, 09:27 PM

I would just use shims. It may be easier to remove the tank from the stand & level the stand itself. Get it close that way then place the tank back & adjust it the last little bit to get it completely level. I would figure out what corner is the highest & what corner is the lowest. Then get the low corner up to where it is level with the high corner & then come back & do what needs to be done to the other two corners. Basically u want to shim the 4 corners of the stand to get it level, then u can come back & add shims inbetween the corners if needed. If u don’t have any center supports on the stand then u may be fine by just shimming the corners.

JUNBUG361 · 12/05/2017, 12:59 AM

What he said ^

Wagonpitt · 12/05/2017, 02:51 AM

What do you mean by centea support ? Along left to right ? Like the back plate on my stand ? Or do you mean completly centrered centered like extra leg right in middle of stand length and width wise. If its the second my tank doesnt have that i dont think its neded it only 36g. It does have a "back. Plate" along the back that is flush with the bottom and i assume is there for aupport thats why i dont want to just lift right side and have that "back plate" floating. ( pics shows the "legs" and all points of contact. ).

Other then that clarification i think ill do exactly as you said. After reading some more threads its the most popular way i guess.

Empty tank shim corners to level. Fill in along the back plate with shims so theres less floating gaps. Fill tank make sure doesnt set and get off level. Basically in the end the stand will be on shims all around and not the "floor" Is this correct

mcgyvr · 12/05/2017, 05:44 AM

Shim under the legs like normal and be done with it..

BlueMoods · 12/05/2017, 09:58 AM

Shim where needed, then if you have to, add support shims in the gaps along the floor. I have to do that in my living room, old house that has settled so, the floor is not perfectly level. I put black trim boards at the bottom of my stand just to hide my shim work under it.

Lsufan · 12/05/2017, 06:20 PM

Being it is only a 36 gallon then all u really need to do is shim the 4 corners. What I meant by center support is a vertical support in the center of the front & back of the stand, which itvsounds like u don’t have. Like mcgyver said, u shim under any vertical supports. By the sounds of it that would only be the corners on your stand. Once u get the corners shimmed & it’s level u can always add a few more shims to fill in the gaps if it makes u feel better.

It depends how the floor is off on how many corners u need to actually shim. At the very least one corner will be in contact with the floor. U may have to shim one corner, two corners or maybe even three corners. That is why the first thing u need to do is figure out the highest corner & then level the others to that point.

Wagonpitt · 12/06/2017, 11:26 AM

Thanks everyone got some shims from homedepot and all done now have nice level tank and water line.

five.five-six · 12/06/2017, 11:47 AM

IMO, when buying shims, spend a few extra $$$ and buy the composite shims. They are much better at resisting compression. Regular wood shims are designed to push a door frame or window frame plumb before final nailing.

You could make your own shims but for a few bucks the ones at the HW store work very nicely.

Wagonpitt · 12/06/2017, 10:10 PM

Yeah got a pack of composite shims for 5$

12/04/2017, 08:46 PM	#2
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	Assuming the stand is solid and the tank sits flat on it, you might scribe the bottom of the stand to the floor. __________________ Time to roll the dice.

12/04/2017, 09:27 PM	#4
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	I would just use shims. It may be easier to remove the tank from the stand & level the stand itself. Get it close that way then place the tank back & adjust it the last little bit to get it completely level. I would figure out what corner is the highest & what corner is the lowest. Then get the low corner up to where it is level with the high corner & then come back & do what needs to be done to the other two corners. Basically u want to shim the 4 corners of the stand to get it level, then u can come back & add shims inbetween the corners if needed. If u don’t have any center supports on the stand then u may be fine by just shimming the corners. Last edited by Lsufan; 12/04/2017 at 09:53 PM.

12/05/2017, 05:44 AM	#7
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Shim under the legs like normal and be done with it.. __________________ Who me?

12/06/2017, 11:47 AM	#11
five.five-six Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Corona Posts: 7,827 Blog Entries: 6	IMO, when buying shims, spend a few extra $$$ and buy the composite shims. They are much better at resisting compression. Regular wood shims are designed to push a door frame or window frame plumb before final nailing. You could make your own shims but for a few bucks the ones at the HW store work very nicely. __________________ Originally posted by yellowslayer13: "I hate that hole" Current Tank Info: SCMAS Member 225 peninsula euroreef RS180 Apex 400W X 3 20k radiums / Spectra mixed SPS

12/04/2017, 09:26 PM	#3
Wagonpitt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 112	Do you mean basically shave the difference on the bottom of the higher side ? So my right side is lower then my left so i shave left side down to level ? Id prefer not doing this because if i ever move it ill have to keep shaving And its a nice stand tank kit i could sell in the future so would rather not ruin it Was just reading some other threads. Some people recommend putting shims along entire botom so its level with out floating area that doesnt make contact with ground. I think i might do that aswell.

12/05/2017, 12:59 AM	#5
JUNBUG361 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Antioch,CALIFORNIA Posts: 1,091	What he said ^

12/05/2017, 02:51 AM	#6
Wagonpitt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 112	What do you mean by centea support ? Along left to right ? Like the back plate on my stand ? Or do you mean completly centrered centered like extra leg right in middle of stand length and width wise. If its the second my tank doesnt have that i dont think its neded it only 36g. It does have a "back. Plate" along the back that is flush with the bottom and i assume is there for aupport thats why i dont want to just lift right side and have that "back plate" floating. ( pics shows the "legs" and all points of contact. ). Other then that clarification i think ill do exactly as you said. After reading some more threads its the most popular way i guess. Empty tank shim corners to level. Fill in along the back plate with shims so theres less floating gaps. Fill tank make sure doesnt set and get off level. Basically in the end the stand will be on shims all around and not the "floor" Is this correct

12/05/2017, 09:58 AM	#8
BlueMoods Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Posts: 32	Shim where needed, then if you have to, add support shims in the gaps along the floor. I have to do that in my living room, old house that has settled so, the floor is not perfectly level. I put black trim boards at the bottom of my stand just to hide my shim work under it.

12/05/2017, 06:20 PM	#9
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	Being it is only a 36 gallon then all u really need to do is shim the 4 corners. What I meant by center support is a vertical support in the center of the front & back of the stand, which itvsounds like u don’t have. Like mcgyver said, u shim under any vertical supports. By the sounds of it that would only be the corners on your stand. Once u get the corners shimmed & it’s level u can always add a few more shims to fill in the gaps if it makes u feel better. It depends how the floor is off on how many corners u need to actually shim. At the very least one corner will be in contact with the floor. U may have to shim one corner, two corners or maybe even three corners. That is why the first thing u need to do is figure out the highest corner & then level the others to that point.

12/06/2017, 11:26 AM	#10
Wagonpitt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 112	Thanks everyone got some shims from homedepot and all done now have nice level tank and water line.

12/06/2017, 10:10 PM	#12
Wagonpitt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 112	Yeah got a pack of composite shims for 5$