125 Build Tank And Stand Stability Question

Growingreefer

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Hey guys, just finished building the framework of my stand and I noticed there is a small gap between the tank and stand that starts on left side about 6 inches in and stop about 30 inches later where contact is made again. Tanks is 72 inches long. I added a picture for reference. The gap is maybe an 1/8th inch wide.

Any ideas as to if this will be a major issue and how to correct it? Thanks in advance.
20211027_191539.jpg
 

Soren

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Hey guys, just finished building the framework of my stand and I noticed there is a small gap between the tank and stand that starts on left side about 6 inches in and stop about 30 inches later where contact is made again. Tanks is 72 inches long. I added a picture for reference. The gap is maybe an 1/8th inch wide.

Any ideas as to if this will be a major issue and how to correct it? Thanks in advance.
20211027_191539.jpg
Is this a typical plastic-rimmed 125-gallon tank? Is there any way you can get a sheet of compressible material for the stand top to take up the gap? (Styrofoam, neoprene mat, etc.)

It is probably not an issue with a rimmed tank, but it is always more secure with no gap. Also, I assume the tank is not yet filled with water. There is a good chance that the gap may disappear once the tank is filled, but this is only good if it is due to stand compression and not due to uneven support of the tank.
 
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Alex Cataldo

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It shouldn’t cause any problems if it’s a rimmed tank. It might be wise to have a sheet of neoprene foam in between the glass and stand if its rimless.
 
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Growingreefer

Growingreefer

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Is this a typical plastic-rimmed 125-gallon tank? Is there any way you can get a sheet of compressible material for the stand top to take up the gap? (Styrofoam, neoprene mat, etc.)

It is probably not an issue with a rimmed tank, but it is always more secure with no gap. Also, I assume the tank is not yet filled with water. There is a good chance that the gap may disappear once the tank is filled, but this is only good if it is due to stand compression and not due to uneven support of the tank.


The top is euro braced, only the bottom has the plastic brace. It has about 3/4 of water in it because I was leak testing the tank once I got it up on the stand.

I thought about pushing shims in there but your thinking foam or neo will keep it from breaking over time?
 
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Growingreefer

Growingreefer

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It shouldn’t cause any problems if it’s a rimmed tank. It might be wise to have a sheet of neoprene foam in between the glass and stand if its rimless.


How thick would you think, would have to be more than the 1/8th inch gap size right?
 
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Soren

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The top is euro braced, only the bottom has the plastic brace. It has about 3/4 of water in it because I was leak testing the tank once I got it up on the stand.

I thought about pushing shims in there but your thinking foam or neo will keep it from breaking over time?
I would not recommend using shims, though my experience is limited and it might still work with a rimmed tank. Rimless needs the glass fully supported across the bottom surface, but rimmed tanks only need the rim supported and it is not as critical to have even support across the entire rim.
How thick would you think, would have to be more than the 1/8th inch gap size right?
I think common practice is to use about 1/4-1/2" compressible padding. Technically, this would only be needed right under the rim, but it may be simpler to just sheet the entire stand top under the whole tank bottom.
 
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Soren

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Regardless of whether it is a real issue, how much is it worth to not have to worry about it? Standard practice is to use a compressible mat as previously mentioned to fill the gap.
I agree completely. It is not worth the risk of cracked glass and leaking water (or worse), which is probably the most catastrophic emergency for a reef tank. The fix of adding a compressible mat is cheap enough and simple enough that it is an insurance I will be using for my tanks for all new setups.
 
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Growingreefer

Growingreefer

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Thank you all for the support, I agree placing the mat underneath is 100 percent worth it. My dilemma was simply I have never encountered this with any of my tanks so it has not been an item of research until now. I am familiar with adding a mat underneath but I was not sure if it would make the tank safe. When I first saw the crack I thought about scratching this build all together. Thanks for answering my questions!
 
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Growingreefer

Growingreefer

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Do you have pictures of the black trim on the bottom? Or a good picture of the whole tank?
I can get one this evening, sorry I am just seeing this. I am still building this tank out so I dont have any pictures of the whole thing on hand.
 
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nereefpat

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I'd like to see a picture too. Especially the bottom trim/rim, and how the glass is put together.
 
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Growingreefer

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Is this what you all are wanting to see?
I can take more if I need to.
 

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JoshH

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If it was me, I would use a thin 1/2" Styrofoam board under the whole tank. AND shim (The entirety of the gap and not in just a few spots) between the top sheet of the stand and the framing itself. Just my opinion ofcourse
Screenshot_20211104-214657_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
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nereefpat

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Is this what you all are wanting to see?
I can take more if I need to.
If the tank has a frame all the way around the bottom, as it appears to, and the bottom panel is floating (sitting on top of the frame and not itself touching the stand), then I would just fill the tank as is with no foam and especially no shimming...assuming the stand is square and level side to side and back to front.
 
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JoshH

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If the tank has a frame all the way around the bottom, as it appears to, and the bottom panel is floating (sitting on top of the frame and not itself touching the stand), then I would just fill the tank as is with no foam and especially no shimming...assuming the stand is square and level side to side and back to front.

To me it looks more like plastic trim than a standard frame. It doesn't look to be providing any actual support to the tank itself. My Miracles Aquariums tank looks to have the same trim (It's just L shaped plastic around the bottom corners) and I certainly wouldn't just let it float. However, without seeing the bottom of the tank it's kinda hard to tell either way for sure.
 
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