New Red Sea REEFER install - concrete floor

Simon_M · May 1, 2022

I have a new Red Sea REEFER install - concrete floor. The problem is the carpet that is on top of it...

The tank is going to be a Red Sea REEFER XXL 625. So quite heavy glass and 600+ litres (kilograms) of water too.

The floor is in my Sitting Room and the house is 30+ years old - the downstairs floors are concrete. There is a screed and carpet that is also approaching 30+ years old on the concrete (ground floor) room. At some point the carpet will be replaced...

I had throught of buying 3/4" marine plywood and placing this on the carpet. The new tank has levelling feet so a lot of weight in a few points. Perhaps plywood isn't the best material to use?

So, long story short. I should not try to put the new cabinet on an old carpet that is on concrete. Lifting the carpet and putting the cabinet directly on the concrete would be best?

I could add a hardwood trim and arrange for the carpet to be put back. I should assess the concrete and check for cracked screed before proceeding after getting it repaired. An alternative, might be to use large kitchen floor tiles - perhaps they don't have much value add?

The hardwood trim could be "screwed" down (with screws and eyes) so that it could be later lifted e.g. when choosing a new carpet or adding a wooden floor.

Simon

blaxsun · May 2, 2022

Short answer: I would go with your first suggestion, ie: pull the carpet back, inspect and place directly on the concrete.

Ideally replace the flooring first - even if it means a slight delay in setting the tank up. Once you get these setup they're a pain to take down and move...

Simon_M · May 2, 2022

Thanks. If I replaced the carpet with a new one (soon to be damaged with water), would it be OK to put the cabinet on the new carpet e.g. on a piece of Marine Plywood or on a wooden frame? Probably not, but people seem to do it.

The issue is that we are unlikely to replace the floor covering with either tiles or wood and carpet isn't ideal. If it is replaced with new carpet and it gets damaged, then it too has to be replaced (again). If the tank is removed then the old and new (protected) also show and so it's also not ideal.

So my current plan is to keep the carpet but put the tank on the concrete. I can either seal the concrete e.g. use garage paint or tile that area with bathroom floor tiles.

If I had a new carpet then I might also put the tank directly on the concrete. I would keep a piece of carpet back. The size if the room is such that there are joins in areas of low traffic and reinstating the void would be an option. If I lift an existing piece of furniture it has flattened (damaged) the existing carpet and sometimes stained the carpet - so moving furniture (like removing a tank) might also require a re-carpet.

When I put the carpet back, I can have it finished like a carpet against a skirting board e.g. with gripper rods around the tank base. So I might also need a wooden plinth to form a hard edge depending up how much the levelling screws lift the base off the concrete. Sn alternative to a plinth might be a cork strip and or a plinth.

Perhaps Marine Reef Keepers should have a waterproof tiled room with tiles skirting boards that is the "flooded" aquarium. For aquarists to accept that their tank is really a saltwater reservoir, waiting to be dumped on the floor e.g. if you can't plan for 25% or more of the tank content to end up on the floor then the hobby isn't for you.

People do use sealed Marine Plywood and perhaps it works if it is first sealed and the plywood doesn't extend over the gripper rods e.g. the weight uniformly presses down through the Plywood?