Stand Level Question

[tcampbell23]

Hey all,

I built a custom stand for my 150g tank and now that I’ve just about finished, something has lost its level. When I place my 6ft level across the diagonal of the tank, one side is perfect, the other side is off a bit but, still within the “level range” (see pics). I will be adding a thin 1/4” leveling mat under the tank between the 3/4” plywood top and the tank, however, I’m not sure if that’s enough to safely fill the tank. Any advice?

 

[tcampbell23]

Edit:

It would be a nightmare to try and go back and shim anything at this point. I’ll do it if absolutely necessary but I would love to not have to…

 

[W31Olds]

The term "leveling matt" is a misconception. They are more designed to help with uneven surfaces on a stand top. Not likely a matt will solve your problem, which based on your pics is not really much an issue as long as both sides measure the same. The most critical part of a stand top is that's it flat with no high spots or big dips and no twist when setup. I would shine a light between the Tank bottom and the stand top and see if there are any gaps.

 

[UncommonSense]

Is this stand on carpet? That’s one of the big ways stands magically come out of level!

 

[BeanAnimal]

Level and planar are two different concepts.

If one long edge is level and the edge parallel to that is not, then the surface is not planer (flat), it is warped or twist. This puts tremendous stress on a rigid aquarium. A "leveling" mat does not fix that issue.

All 4 corners need to be on the same plane. I am not sure how rigid your construction is, so that may not be an easy fix.

More photos would help.

 

[tcampbell23]

Is this stand on carpet? That’s one of the big ways stands magically come out of level!

No its on a vinyl floor

 

[tcampbell23]

Level and planar are two different concepts.

If one long edge is level and the edge parallel to that is not, then the surface is not planer (flat), it is warped or twist. This puts tremendous stress on a rigid aquarium. A "leveling" mat does not fix that issue.

All 4 corners need to be on the same plane. I am not sure how rigid your construction is, so that may not be an easy fix.

More photos would help.

The construction is really rigid. I don’t get any wiggle when I push and pull on it. I’m not sure what you’d need to see in the pictures

 

[BeanAnimal]

Was the built in place or is it somewhat free floating. That 4' level show that it is at least high in one corner.

 

[tcampbell23]

Was the built in place or is it somewhat free floating. That 4' level show that it is at least high in one corner.

Built in place. I thought I did a good job keeping it level but somewhere it lost its level.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Built in place. I thought I did a good job keeping it level but somewhere it lost its level.

You will need to figure out where it is high and by how much.

One simple way to start is to drive a screw into each corner and stretch string tightly between them, just touching the surface at the corners. Run the strings diagonally across the surface, alternating which string sits on top.

Then look for gaps between the string and the surface. Also note whether the strings touch where they intersect. If they do not touch, that tells you the surface is twisted or uneven, not just uniformly high or low.

 

[W31Olds]

If it's out of level front to back on the left side and roughly the same amount on the right side, I would not do anything.

 

[BeanAnimal]

If it's out of level front to back on the left side and roughly the same amount on the right side, I would not do anything.

If two parallel line are not coplanar then they don't form a flat plane. The tank will be sitting on a twisted surface. I can't answer how much is too much but if that is a 4' level then the twist is significant, especially for what appear to be a trimless tank.

 

[W31Olds]

If two parallel line are not coplanar then they don't form a flat plane. The tank will be sitting on a twisted surface. I can't answer how much is too much but if that is a 4' level then the twist is significant, especially for what appear to be a trimless tank.

That's why the OP should measure the left and right sides of his Tank to verify if it's twisted. If not. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[BeanAnimal]

That's why the OP should measure the left and right sides of his Tank to verify if it's twisted. If not. I wouldn't worry about it.

He did. That is what the level shows in two photos.

If two parallel line are not coplanar then they don't form a flat plane. The tank will be sitting on a twisted surface. I can't answer how much is too much but if that is a 4' level then the twist is significant, especially for what appear to be a trimless tank.

 

[UncommonSense]

It’s less likely, but a sanity check of the tanks actual height from stand to top rim of glass could be in order!

I’ve seen more than one rimless tank built a bit wonky… or, built square, but with panes which weren’t cut dead-straight!