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My tank isnt levelled properly and considering im gng to be pulling it down for a makeover i consider it to be an good time to fix this problem which im sure isnt very good for my tank!

When i bought the tank the guy gave me a few different chunks of foam to place underneath however im thinking because the foam was then spaced to ensure it covered enough area it caused the imbalance.

Now to the question! I was wondering where do you get this foam from, and should i get one length to cover the complete area under the tank or should i do it in sections?

thanks!

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

if you already have a stand, then you should invest in some shims at the local hardware store instead

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

It is on a cabinet stand..

what is a shim ??

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

Hi carpe_diem

I have bought this foam from LFS in the past. I bought a 2nd hand tank once & LFS recommended that I don't reuse 2nd hand foam, as it will have the indentations formed to correct any imbalances at it's original location. The foam only costs a couple of , not much at all.

So try your LFS and IMO the foam should all be in one piece (no joins).

Cheers
TW

Thanks TankWatcher.

I might ask around at a few LFS hopefully they will sell it. The bits i got when i bought the tank 2nd hand were pretty poor quality. I should have replaced them in the beginning.

Thanks for all your replies!

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

Hi,
I'm not sure that trying to level a tank by shimming the
tank or stuffing foam under it is the best idea. It would
be smarter, IMO, to purchase a quality cabinet (stand) and
then if the tank is not level you should level the cabinet
with wood shims.

This is an example of wood shims:
http://www.shims.com/

Leveling a tank by shimming the tank, or stuffing foam
under it can cause torquing and stress to the glass and
joints. Leveling the stand it is on, will give a firmer
base to the entire assembly. If the stand is not built
level or is warped, I'd get rid of it or correct it before
placing the tank on it.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

ahh, so that's what a shim is.

Yeah, I guess foam isn't meant for if there are noticeable differences in height. You'd need something a bit better than foam for that. But I've always been told your tank should sit on foam regardless, as it balances out the very minute differences that might be there.

Is that true, or just an unneccassary sale by LFS to it's customers. I'd have to say, to my very best knowledge, it seems to be common practice to use foam here in Aus.

Cheers
TW

Correct me if im wrong here as i have no clue when it comes to wood! A shim is like a plank of wood that sits across the cabinet underneath the tank?

ive actually never heard of a shim before, like tankwatcher said ive always used foam and thought it was common practice.

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

Foam is common practice over here (not in the US, it voids some warranties) but its not meant for levelling tanks, its meant for taking out differences in the surface of the sand so that slight lumps and bumps don't cause the whole thing to crack open under the pressure of the water. They get a bit lazy with wood stands and tend to have the joints out by a mm or so, and the foam will level that out.

Have a good look at your stand. Many of them are put together with nail brads (headless nails) and glue, which really doesn't hold up to much punishment. I have one that made itself into a nice "Z" shape, and very almost put a tank through a wall because of that. Now anything bigger than 2' I bolt together with coach bolts.

If you can't see screws or bolts, and if the pressure from the tank seems to be balanced rather precariously on 4 uprights only, it might be time to consider a rebuild or a new stand.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Hi,
Perhaps another way to look at a shim, and they are made
of various kinds of wood (oak, cedar, pine, etc.)as well
as out of various types of metals, is that you can use them
to level things.
They are shaped like a thin long triangle, starting
at some fraction of an inch thick and tapering out
to a point.
Take a washer, dryer, or refrigerator.
Now all these appliances come with a foot or feet that
screw in and out so that you can make up for a non level
floor. You simply place a level on the unit and lower the
foot till it touches the floor and seats firmly. Then you
lock it in place. With shims you choose a variety of shims
to take up the gap between the object and the floor. Say a
desk that wobbles. Instead of using a pack of matches or
a discarded CD to slip under the feet of the the desk, you
slide shims of various sizes under the feet of the desk to
fill the gap and take the wobble out.

You do the same thing with an aquarium stand. You take the
wobble out by inserting shims under the feet with air gaps
until the unit is stable.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

its meant for taking out differences in the surface of the sand so that slight lumps and bumps don't cause the whole thing to crack open under the pressure of the water. They get a bit lazy with wood stands and tend to have the joints out by a mm or so, and the foam will level that out.

Exactly, but I didn't know how to explain it so well, like you Callatya.

EDIT: BTW, I like your "SHES APPLES". I guess I know which thread you've been thinking about lately.

Frank, didn't know the word - but we have make-shift shims under several appliances at home, to take out the wobble.


Cheers
TW

A shim is just a thin sliver of material (usually wood but depends upon the application) that is used in construction of almost anything where a sliver of material may be needed to even out the item being built. A door or window frame, for instance may have several shims in place to ensure that the thing is perfectly level and straight. They are usually a thin triangle shape so they can be pounded into place between the surfaces being built until the proper level of adjustment is acheived. hope that helped. They are not always triangular though, some are just thin flat peices used to take up space.
As for foam under the tank, I usually don't, but if you do, get one piece a little larger than the footprint of the tank and remember that the foam goes under the sides of the tank and not just under the bottom glass.

anchored and shimmed level



Attached Image:

Thank you all for your excellent explanation and examples! i now know what a shim is

i know have 2 options to fix the imbalance. Shims may be just what i need so will have to head to the hardware store i think!

thanks all and will let you know how it goes.. the tank is getting the makeover next week when i have time off work to get it done!

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them