Slight gaps between tank and stand
- Thread starter RedSarah
- Start date
Foam is the right fix but that tank is small enough that a big terrycloth towel folded over a couple times underneath it will work great.
Eh...I'd rather something that's pretty much guaranteed to be uniform
A 16G tank weighs a bit over 170 US pounds, so I'd go the safe (cheap) route
In the States, those foam sheets are usually sold in 4' X 8' sheets...around $5 each
Buy one sheet, cut the piece to size that you need presently, and save the rest
That way, you have extra for when MTS sets in...
@Slaphppy7 I don't know man. I kind of agree with you but $5 bucks is better spent on Olde English.
stop on the way home ...
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I believe that you said that the tank was 'slightly used'. This would indicate that the foam base was already compressed to match the original stand not your current stand. I may be totally off base but I'd probably fill the tank 1/4-1/3 full and let it set for a week. If the gaps go away I would think you would be good to go but another mat layer would not hurt but I think I'd make it thin just to fill in areas of the original that may be broken down.
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RedSarah
Fish Fanatic
That's a great point! It also occurred to me that I slid the tank around to line it up on the stand. I wonder if that could change the way the leveling mat compresses, especially since it's adhered to the glass. I'm going to try lifting the tank straight up and setting it back down to see if that changes anything. If I fill the tank some and there are still gaps or uneven compression, I’ll order a second closed foam mat.
Ultum Nature Systems, the stand manufacturer, also got back to me and said the gaps are nothing to worry about. Both companies seem sure that this will level out once the tank is full. I guess I have some assurance that partially filling the tank isn't going to cause catastrophic failure lol.
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To be honest I had never even heard about pads such as you describe. What I said just seemed to make sense. Before my current, my last previous tank was over 25 years ago and I don't even know if such pads were around then. If they did I never knew or used.
Even my current 20 gallon cube has no such padding. My tank was a sort of odd purchase as I had a 50% off coupon that included everything, even a stand. It turned out cheaper to get everything with the coupon than just buying the tank alone even though I had no intention of using the stand as I already had a very stout end table for the tank placement. The only problem with the end table was a glass insert that was just a touch above the frame of the table. This was when the included stand came in handy. I didn't use the stand but DID use the very top of the stand as a buffer between the tank and the slightly raised glass insert on the table. Since the top of the stand was made for the tank it was a perfect fit for the tank and is the same black as the bottom frame of the tank. The end result was that everything matches perfectly as to color as even the table is the same black as the tank even down to the glossy finish. It is like it was all made to go together even though it was not. Even testing with a bubble level everything comes out dead on level. Here is what I mean about everything blending perfectly... There IS a visible line between the tank base and the stand top but that could probably be taken care of with a bit of paint to fill or even black shoe polish. HEY! I'm happy to say that I just poked a finger nail and the 'JBJ' logo popped right off.
Even my current 20 gallon cube has no such padding. My tank was a sort of odd purchase as I had a 50% off coupon that included everything, even a stand. It turned out cheaper to get everything with the coupon than just buying the tank alone even though I had no intention of using the stand as I already had a very stout end table for the tank placement. The only problem with the end table was a glass insert that was just a touch above the frame of the table. This was when the included stand came in handy. I didn't use the stand but DID use the very top of the stand as a buffer between the tank and the slightly raised glass insert on the table. Since the top of the stand was made for the tank it was a perfect fit for the tank and is the same black as the bottom frame of the tank. The end result was that everything matches perfectly as to color as even the table is the same black as the tank even down to the glossy finish. It is like it was all made to go together even though it was not. Even testing with a bubble level everything comes out dead on level. Here is what I mean about everything blending perfectly... There IS a visible line between the tank base and the stand top but that could probably be taken care of with a bit of paint to fill or even black shoe polish. HEY! I'm happy to say that I just poked a finger nail and the 'JBJ' logo popped right off.
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RedSarah
Fish Fanatic
Wow, the tank, stand top, and table look seamless! It’s nice when things come together really well like that. If you have a very flat and level surface then I don’t think the mats are necessary. When I had a rimmed tank I didn’t use a mat, but it seems to be recommended for the rimless tanks.
They are recommended for rimmed tanks, as well....the entire weight of a rimmed tank is supported by the bottom rim, not the bottom glass
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RedSarah
Fish Fanatic
Interesting, I haven’t heard of foam leveling mats being necessary for rimmed tanks, but all my rimless tanks have come with a mat included. I generally just go by manufacturer recommendations. I guess a more rigid piece of foam or board would be of benefit for a rimmed tank if the surface it’s sitting on is noticeably uneven
That is correct....any unevenness along that bottom trim could cause the tank to buckle and fail under the weight...the bigger the tank, the bigger the risk
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