Do you think it will work? spray foam?

[qjim206]

ok im converting my 55g in to a cichlid tank i have added crushed coral as a substrate but i want to add lots of rocks but dont want to drain and move tank.
the stand is part of an old entertainment center (4 doors below) that i just cut the uprights off and it looks like its made for f-tanks. but i dont have any thing below the tank and i was told that i would need styrofoam or somthing to help soport the bottom glass so it dont crack under all the weight of the rocks.so what i was thinking of doing is drilling holes @ a 90 degree angle up twords the tank from the back in the stand and then using some of that spray foam that you can buy @ hardware store for filling in gaps in Doorways and such and filling up the underside of the fish tank thrue those holes what do you think could it work?

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i dont think you want that stuff. once you get it on, its hard to get it off. when i mean hard, i mean really hard, you can never get it all off. i had some inside my model boat and when i tried to get it out, i cut myself 3 times before i even got a chunk out.

 

[vantgE]

Hi you won't need styrofoam it's a good idea and more often then not is under larger tanks but I don't use it on any of my tanks and am fine, so i don't thiunk the foam would be worth trouble

 

[nc_nutcase]

Glass aquariums are designed so that the weight is held at the outside bottom edges of the tank. If you use spray foam it will support the center of the bottom pain of glass as much as the outside edges. This pane of glass is not structurally supportive and will very likely crack.

Have you previously used the entertainment center to hold a fish tank? If so disregard this but, I haven't seen very many entertainment centers that I would trust to hold a fish aquarium in my house (nor with my fish). If the center bows even slightly it is very likely that you will have panes of glass cracking.

 

[ccg]

Sorry if I read soemthing wrong. But you want to do this without moving the tank correct? From what I read it sounds like you plan do drill into the board that is under the tank, while the tank is still on it? What if the bit goes just a bit to far? Just becareful if you are drilling near your tank. Also, I think the styrofoam option is a much better idea.

 

[CathyG]

That spray foam sets pretty hard, and has less compliance than styrofoam - it is also quite difficult to control its distribution. The idea of using styrofoam beneath the tank is to allow for any discrepancies in the surface level (including the floor) and to allow the water to find its own level (which it always will) without stressing the tank. Styrofoam is not intended to bear the weight of a full tank of water, only to balance the level by its own compression.

Whether you use rocks or sand as a substrate, the overall weight of the tank should be comparable due to there being more water displacement when using rocks (and as we know, water is heavy) The key when using rocks is to make sure they cannot be dislodged, potentially hitting the glass when sliding and risking cracking it. Aquatic silicone could help here, depending on the size and height of the formation.

Regarding the use of an entertainment centre cabinet to site the tank - quite often these are made from chip board, which is thinner and more vulnerable to softening and swelling when wet, than a purpose built wood or laminated MDF cabinet.

This site might help you gauge the weight of your tank :

Volume/Weight Calculator