Problem with stand

[ahg]

I just bought a new Oceanic stand for a 36x18x24 All-Glass tank. When placed on the stand there was a 1/16 inch gap running for half the length (18 inches) between the tank and stand. The LFS ordered a second one and it had a similar gap but more centered on the stand. The LFS was told by the Oceanic rep that this was ok and could, in fact, be up to 1/4 inch!!!

I don't believe it. What is the maximum gap between tank and stand that is considered safe?

 

[prow]

are all the corners supported? i would think its ok if they are and there is some support in the middle. you can alway use a tapered chime to fill the gaps.

 

[cbrownfish]

Any gap can cause a tank to shatter/crack/leak immediately or at some unfortunate time down the road. To solve this issue, place a thin sheet of styrofoam or foamboard under the tank (on top of the stand). This allows the tank to level itself and takes stress off the area that could be a potential problem. Most stands have imperfections, so go styro!

 

[Hornet]

From what I've heard you should not be putting foam or anything between the tank and stand if the tank has a plastic rim.

Sounds like you purchased the tank and stand from the LFS so I would be inclined to go with what the oceanic rep. says in order to avoid in problems with warranty if you ever need it. Like you I'd likely still be a little concerned considering that $ you've spent. To relieve my stress I would probably prefer to call Oceanic myself and discuss it just to make sure your not getting some LFS BS.

Good luck

 

[lcstorc]

Not sure which stand you have but you may want to read about my experience. The tank didn't break but the stand did.
Apparently there is only a warranty on the tank if you use their stand but there is no warranty on the stand. I am not sure what it would do to the warranty if you put a piece of foam under it.
Even though they said they would, Oceanic never replaced my stand. The LFS finally replaced it. Also they told me that was the only stand that would fit my tank and I found that to not be true. There are even other Oceanic stands that fit my tank.
Obviously I am not happy with them.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/equipment/31959-beware-oceanic-stands.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/equipment/31959-beware-oceanic-stands.html

 

[cbrownfish]

From what I've heard you should not be putting foam or anything between the tank and stand if the tank has a plastic rim.

This is a widely accepted practice and recommended by many manufacturers. With that said, I would contact the manufacturer (Oceanic or whomever) of this tank/stand to be sure you are not voiding any warranty, as advised.

 

[cracker]

are all the corners supported? i would think its ok if they are and there is some support in the middle. you can alway use a tapered chime to fill the gaps.

Agreed!

 

[ahg]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a tapered chime? I did call the manufacturer who felt 1/8 inch gap would be tolerable as long as it wasn't at a corner. He also suggested thin styrofoam. Even without knowing what was meant by "chime" it got me thinking. I'm going to build up the low areas with tape until I get close to flat then cover with cork for a uniform appearance.

Thanks to all who replied.

Al

 

[Hornet]

I'm glad you talked to the manufacturer yourself. I should have been more elaborate in my earlier post when talking about the foam. I've heard some people having issues when they used thick foam beneath the tank. They say the thick foam in some circumstances eventually pushes on the bottom glass and causes stress.

IMO I don't see how it can be that way, but I've seen a couple separate posts on another forum where people have had a problem with foam under a plastic rimmed tank.

 

[lcstorc]

I think it is actually a shim but I really don't know the spelling. It is basically a thin piece of wood that is cut so it is thicker on one side than another. You can use one or several to raise one side of something to make it level. We have used them on our tile since the floor is not perfectly level. You can get them in a fairly large package pretty cheaply at a hardware store. Once you get it level you just trim the edge of the shim so it is not sticking out.

 

[Scooterman]

With the plastic rim as mentioned that is the area where you need even support to distribute the weight. At this point I'd shim up the gaps as mentioned along that rim & go with it. I know they warranty only with their stands but If you look at most stands you buy they are crap but designed to provide a level surface area as to not stress the outer area where the tank is supported. My 100g tank had no wood in the middle only on the outer rim by design.

 

[Witfull]

another thing to consider.....the 1/8" gap will disappear once the weight of the tank with water is applied.

 

[cbrownfish]

Trust me, a thin sheet of styro will take you the safest and most effective route. The manufacturer even recommended/verified that (for crying out loud ). Styro allows the tank to level itself naturally, taking away stress on any one specific point. Adding shims would be adding a specific pressure point IMO and IME.

As witfull points out, the small gap will disappear anyway. However, the sheet of styro will minimize any stress on the joints or glass when it "levels itself". You are also assuming that you have an imperfection in the stand, when the tank itself could be imperfect.

Styro.

 

[BigAl07]

The key here is THINK foam. The problem comes when someone uses thick foam like for exterior house sheathing. Using 1" or thicker foam CAN introduce pressure into the area of the tank where it's not designed to be. The thin foam like is used for "floating floors" or mobile home under-sheathing is best used here. Not the THICK exterior sheathing.

Shims can and will produce pressure points along the frame unless you're very deliberate in where and how they are used. Shims work well for long stiff members and aren't really designed in areas of flex (like can happen along a tank frame). If you were to make a mistake shimming you'll probably cause more harm than good IMO.