Leveling stand. Need help.

[Biglurr54]

I moved my 175 cube in and I am leveling it before I begin plumbing. The tank is 36x36x31 Euro braced. It is on a plywood stand made by glass cages.

The stand is off level by approximately 3/16 forward. How should I go about swimming this. Should I shim the low corners and now worry about the rest of the run, or should I attempt to rip a 36" shim on the table saw?

 

[Greckel]

I would worry that just shimming the corners would place a lot of weight on the two corners. This wouldn't concern me a ton with something less than 75g, but 175g is a lot of weight on the floor. I would go with a full shim.

Alternatively, if you have plumbed or filled the thing, have you considered ripping 3/16" inches off the back. This of course is a more permanent solution, and if plan to ever move the tank might not be reasonable. Although you could just shim the back should you never need to.

 

[Smo]

What type of floor surface is it going on? Assuming your stand has doors in front the primary load path will be thru the front corners. So shimming there is critical.
I use old credit cards and/or the plastic keys from hotels. They make good scrapers too so always save them. Scraps of thin acrylic sheet works well too. Whatever shim material you decide to use, it should be flat over several square inches—not tapered—so the load is distributed.
I’ve found too, I needed to fill and drain the tank several times to adjust the shim thickness just right.

 

[Biglurr54]

There is a door on front and one side.

I could jack the floor up from underneath as I am adding columns for support.

 

[Smo]

There is a door on front and one side.

I could jack the floor up from underneath as I am adding columns for support.

OK, so load path is thru the corners of the stand.
Having sufficient strength in your floor structure is another critical consideration.

 

[Biglurr54]

The front edge is on a 8x8 oak beam sitting on a doundation wall. The back edge is sitting on a 3.5 x 8 beam. One end is on a foundation wall and the other end is supported with a lolly column. The joists are 3x8 25 on center.


They knew how to build a house in 1830 ....

 

[Biglurr54]

So if the load path is through the corners, then I can cut some oak blocks to the height I need and just block the corners?

 

[Biglurr54]

Here's a quick photo

 

[Smo]

So if the load path is through the corners, then I can cut some oak blocks to the height I need and just block the corners?

Correct. Provided they have several square inches of area to spread the load.

 

[Smo]

Here's a quick photo

Good looking tank and stand!

 

[Biglurr54]

8x8 blocks. That would provide 8 inches on either side of the corner. Would the be sufficient.

 

[Smo]

8x8 blocks. That would provide 8 inches on either side of the corner. Would the be sufficient.

Plenty. Just needs to span the vertical section of the door frame.

 

[Biglurr54]

Makes sense. Thank you sir.

 

[Smo]

Now let’s see it filled and stocked!