Setting up tank on a hardwood floor. I need advice!

[srad750c]

My house is 62 yrs old. I have 3/4” oak hardwood floors. I took a 4’ x 8’ sheet of oak furniture grade plywood and put 1/4 round on edges. Sealed with Minwax polyurethane. It’s been there for 11 years. I’m scared to see what’s there when I upgrade my tank next year. I knocked over a 5 gal bucket SW about 5 yrs. ago

 

[MartinWaite]

I have oak flooring and when I made the stand I had 8 levelling feet added to it and this raises the steel frame about a inch off the floor so air can get in between the floor and the frame to dry any spills I miss otherwise I use a bit of acrylic an inch wide with a toward to wipe up any spills and to dust under the frame.

 

[PhilT]

Does all this advice also apply to wood laminate flooring? Better to install little feet along the edges of the stand base to allow for air flow?

If the laminate is installed as floating, not sure if that would work.the weight may cause it to buckle at the seams. One manufacturer said I should glue down the floor to prevent buckling. This was a vinyl plank but still it could be installed as a floating floor like laminate.

 

[Mal Cameron]

It's been interesting seeing all your comments on this guys. I am particularly interested as I am planning on putting a 7ft tank on bamboo flooring which is on a concrete slab. Stand has 6 feet and about half an inch clearance. I think it will be ok just placing the new setup straight on the flooring.

 

[mta_morrow]

The response to this thread has been great! Thanks everyone!
New tank should get ordered by the end of the month. I don’t want it being shipped during the Holiday rush as “stuff happens” when all the trucks and docks are full and busy. I will do a final post here with pics once the tank arrives and gets setup. I believe I will just set it on the hardwood. I have also purchased a 5’ x 2’ thin rubber mat that I will roll out in front of the tank when working on it. Again, thanks to everyone!

 

[jsker]

I used these link on the bottom of my cabinet. I have Jatoba hardwood floors with no issue after 3 years. I would suggest not using towels, pads, piece of plywood because moisture will get trapped under the wood, pad, towel at some point and cause problems of rot the floor needs to breath. If I need to, I can slide the cabinet and full tank to get access to the back and have done this twice. Yes I do get water on the floor and wipe it up immediately.

 

[SallyWho]

If the laminate is installed as floating, not sure if that would work.the weight may cause it to buckle at the seams. One manufacturer said I should glue down the floor to prevent buckling. This was a vinyl plank but still it could be installed as a floating floor like laminate.

Oh. Um, so how do I tell if my floor was installed as floating? I bought the house this summer, and the laminate was already there. I've been in the crawlspace a few times, but all I can see is subflooring.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I wouldn't put anything under the tank that could wick up and hold moisture (for example, pieces of unfinished plywood or carpet). Those kinds of things will just hold the water against the hardwood and if not cause it to rot, at least will discolor it over time.

 

[burtbollinger]

as others have stated, reefer stand directly on hardwood....there is a gap with with you get air in there...putting something tightly over the floor is asking for trouble.

my reefer 170 sits directly on hardwood...no issues.

 

[frankragghianti]

I have a 125 gal on hardwood floor for 2 years no problems with water, but I do have floor Jack's and bracing in basement.

 

[SteadyC]

I would just set it up on the hardwood. I have a 155 gallon on my hardwood and it is fine.

Same here, first a 60 gallon for 3 years then upgraded to a 110 for 4 years. Right on oak wood floors, floor boards are perpendicular to the tank, so weight is over many boards, which wood floors have tongue and groove so they sort of interlock together. Water has not been a problem, and I can see if you put something down, then water will get trapped between the layers and rot your floor.

 

[Daltrey]

If the laminate is installed as floating, not sure if that would work.the weight may cause it to buckle at the seams. One manufacturer said I should glue down the floor to prevent buckling. This was a vinyl plank but still it could be installed as a floating floor like laminate.

Mine is floating and no problems. I installed it myself over a very thin layer of padding with vapor barrier. I left a gap around the outside wall and covered it with trim so the floor can extract and expand as suggested by manufacturer.

Here was what I used

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Project-Sour...-Smooth-Wood-Plank-Laminate-Flooring/50339646

 

[srad750c]

Same here, first a 60 gallon for 3 years then upgraded to a 110 for 4 years. Right on oak wood floors, floor boards are perpendicular to the tank, so weight is over many boards, which wood floors have tongue and groove so they sort of interlock together. Water has not been a problem, and I can see if you put something down, then water will get trapped between the layers and rot your floor.

When I upgrade, hopefully no damage to fix, I'm putting stand directly on floor. I been worried about my floors for a while.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

Mine is floating and no problems. I installed it myself over a very thin layer of padding with vapor barrier. I left a gap around the outside wall and covered it with trim so the floor can extract and expand as suggested by manufacturer.

Here was what I used

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Project-Sour...-Smooth-Wood-Plank-Laminate-Flooring/50339646

I'm doing my floors Sunday with laminate. to get a better understanding for me, you have nothing between the floor and the bottom of your stand correct? how big is your tank and how much total water volume do you have? is your tank along the wall?

 

[Daltrey]

My tank is a 155 gallon bowfront with a 40 gallon sump. My tank is along the wall there is nothing between it and the flooring. I also have it shimmed with plastic shims from lowes. There are round felt pieces attached to bottom of the stand creating a gap between the bottom of stand and floor.

 

[Bob Lauson]

I had a 125 gallon on the laminate floor for 7 years. When I moved and broke down the aquarium you never would have know it was there. I had a 180 gallon on oak hardwood for a year and a half and moved again. I also had no issues on that floor either. In both cases the 2x4 frame was directly on the floor. I think if I would have had the aquarium based on small diameter leveling feet it would have been different. Just avoid small point loads.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

My tank is a 155 gallon bowfront with a 40 gallon sump. My tank is along the wall there is nothing between it and the flooring. I also have it shimmed with plastic shims from lowes. There are round felt pieces attached to bottom of the stand creating a gap between the bottom of stand and floor.

that's a big enough tank to weigh down the laminate. what did you do to compensate the expansion and contraction of the laminate under the tank?

 

[Daltrey]

that's a big enough tank to weigh down the laminate. what did you do to compensate the expansion and contraction of the laminate under the tank?

Nothing, It still expands and contracts just fine. No buckling at all. Without the gap against the walls all the way around the room it would buckle though.

 

[Bob Lauson]

I agree whole heartily with that comment. The floor is fine. The laminate is locked down under the aquarium but the laminate still expands along the wall. I lived in Indiana near Lake Michigan so we experience all four seasons which are where the expansion is important.

 

[FlamingGrapes]

I agree with this. You don't want spills trapped between floor and another layer of something. The floor will rot.

Agreed. As long as you wipe up spills right away and air can get to the rest, it will be fine. I have a 125 gallon and a 180 gallon tanks on hard wood floors for almost 14 years with no issues. There was a couple water issues during that time.