Best Way To Level A Tank?

[ellena]

I have a horizon 60 I'm setting up and I'm trying to get it level. You can just about see in the picture, it has little feet underneath. I think there are 6, 2 front, 2 back and 1 either end. I've tried using pieces of cardboard, but it's making it all wobbly. Might it be best to remove the feet entirely? And is cardboard the best thing to use?

 

[Peternub]

hmmm, so your surface isn't flat rite?

 

[ellena]

Well, flat as in it isn't lumpy and bumpy, it's laminate flooring. But it isn't level. The tank is against a wall and the floor slopes away from the wall.

 

[meguro]

a rubber/foam type compound underneath

 

[ellena]

Right, so it would sort of auto level itself and squash the foam different amounts in different areas accordingly?

 

[DD2510]

yeah sounds about right, our floor runs slightly out aswell, we used some bits of cardboard under the feet.

 

[Tolak]

Shim between the stand & the floor for the best results. Get a bundle of wood shims used for window & door installation, they cost about $1. Start with the front outside two if they are the lowest, bring it level front to back. Check across the front for level and bring up the low end, with the front & back legs on the low side. Once this is done you can wedge shims under any center legs to bring them solid with the floor.

Score the ends of the shims that are sticking out with a razor knife & snap them off for a neat appearance. Cardboard won't work, as it compresses, and will do nothing if it gets wet. Foam is OK for any imperfections with the top of a stand when dealing with a traditionally built tank as opposed to one with a floating base. Foam will do nothing to make a tank level, and certainly will not offer enough support under the legs due to being so compressible.

I've been dealing with this for years in my basement with a concrete floor that slopes towards a floor drain. Many tanks & racks are leveled with wood slats to bring them up to the point where I can adjust them with wooden shims.

 

[Macro]

+1 on the wood shims. I had to level my tank and they worked great. Note that the shims are wedges so if you need to you can flip them opposite each other so there isn't a void between the thin end of a shim and the bottom of the stand.

 

[ellena]

Right, looks like I'll be buying a packet of shims then. Is that what they're called in the UK, or will I look a complete drip?
When using them, I presume it would be better to go no feet?

 

[Mr Spoon]

I used a hole cutter drill bit on a thin piece of wood, i made 4 x 3" diameter circles 3mm thick and placed one under each feet of the cabinet at the front as i needed to raise the front slightly on my juwel vision 260. I try'd cardboard once and found it squashes down when you fill the tank and you end up with a unlevel tank.