Fish Tank Not Level ?

[nicky1200]

I have had another person out to check it out. Its a 6 x 2 x 2 which works our around 800L I have a 3 level house so the ground floor is on the ground( dirt etc under it and cement ) then i have the 1st floor which is the same cement and dirt and then the second level which is floorboard the tank is on the first floor with cermet under it. I have been told that the tank is 1cm out on the right side. The water says its 2cm out but they have told me to get a 1cm shim and knock it into the right side to raise it by 1 cm which will fix everything. We tried with a 2cm scim and the water was level but the tank was not level on the blocks so we now need a 1cm scim. I have also been told the glass of the tank is 15mm which is like " bullet proof glass"
 
Also we drained the tank and moved the fish and put a 2cm shim under the right hand side and we noticed that then the left side was not resting on anything just "floating" Even tho we filled it 1% and noticed the water was level the 2cm shim made the left side of the tank not have much contact with the blocks so now need to try and get a 1cm shim

 

[Ch4rlie]

6 x 2 x 2 is 680 litres or 180 US Gals according to this forum's calculator - 72 x 24 x 24 inches.
 
A hefty tank nonetheless.
 
That sounds good that you have cement/concrete under your floorboards, so thats one less thing to worry about for sure 

 
I would put that shim (large shim that matches size of top of block) under the worktop (between the blocks and worktop) rather than directly under the tank otherwise middle of tank is not fully supported and would look a bit better too having that shim out of sight too.
 
And also I still say to swap the 2 inch polystyrene for a 1cm or 2cm max thick polystyrene. 
 
And having 15mm glass is pretty good too. 

 
That should sort you out for everything. 

 

[nicky1200]

6 x 2 x 2 is 680 litres or 180 US Gals according to this forum's calculator - 72 x 24 x 24 inches.
 
A hefty tank nonetheless.
 
That sounds good that you have cement/concrete under your floorboards, so thats one less thing to worry about for sure 

 
I would put that shim (large shim that matches size of top of block) under the worktop (between the blocks and worktop) rather than directly under the tank otherwise middle of tank is not fully supported and would look a bit better too having that shim out of sight too.
 
And also I still say to swap the 2 inch polystyrene for a 1cm or 2cm max thick polystyrene. 
 
And having 15mm glass is pretty good too. 

 
That should sort you out for everything. 

Im filling the tank back up half way and putting the fish back in till i get the ship. Im hoping that a 1cm shim will do it. I was told by a structure engineer that a 2cm difference in the water level is nothing for a 15cm glass tank and that i should not worry about it and i should just " leave it " But then i have told him im scared about the joines maybe the glass is thick but the joines of the glass is nos has thick. So he told me to get a 1cm shim and put it under the worktop / ontop of the blocks  which will fix it.  

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yup, just as I suggested, under the worktop (between worktop and blocks) that would enable far greater stability and support for your tank.
 
And have to agree with you, glass may be 15mm but thats dependant on the sealant at the joins.
 
Sounds like you are on the right tracks now. 

 
What about swapping over the polystyrene?
 
Would be better and also look a bit nicer without that thick polystyrene.

 

[nicky1200]

Yup, just as I suggested, under the worktop (between worktop and blocks) that would enable far greater stability and support for your tank.
 
And have to agree with you, glass may be 15mm but thats dependant on the sealant at the joins.
 
Sounds like you are on the right tracks now. 

 
What about swapping over the polystyrene?
 
Would be better and also look a bit nicer without that thick polystyrene.

 
 
I asked for 1mm i had to wait 3 weeks for the shop to order it in and when it come it was 2mm i rang them up and they told me that they only do it in 2mm and they are the only shop in my area... I did ring around other places but was told that they are to far out....
Thee is a 2cm water difference in till he gets the 1cm shim.
Now i have to wait another 4 hours for the tank to fill up half way.

So i emptied the tank and asked one structure engineer to come out and was told that the tank was leave and the stand was level and the floor was level and everything was fine so i  called another structure engineer who put a 2cm shim under the right side and filled the tank up a bit to see what the water level was like and all was fine expect the tank was sat on the back blocks but not on the from left block.... So now need to wait for him to order in a 1cm one....So i have been told to fill the tank back up and wait.....   But im filling it only half way just to be safe. Less pressure.
 
There is a 2cm water difference in till he gets the shim

 

[Ch4rlie]

4 hours to fill a tank halfway, wow!
 
Sounds like you have been busy getting all these people to come and check everything and sort out a solution.
 
Hopefully things will now be sorted fairly quickly now that you have reached a decision on whats to be done.
 
Lets hope once you have the correct sized shim and put under the worktop it will work out nicely.
 
Nice one!

 

[nicky1200]

I was planning on plumbing my sump in next week so need to try and sort it out before then.
 
EDIT: i have noticed after emptying the tank and refilling it the water level is now only 1cm out instead of the 2cm out..
 
I have found this post ( you need to click on the this to see the post ) which says 2cm is fine even tho mine is not 1cm....

 

[nicky1200]

Sorry for double posting but the tank has sorted it self out now. When ti was fill it would not dig into the styrofoam and the water level was 2cm difference. I emptied it and refilled it and now the tank has dug into the foam and is now level

 

[Ch4rlie]

Can you rely on that staying level every time you do water changes?
 
Short answer is no.
 
Sorry, but that is not going to be stay level like that for any reasonable length of time after lots of water changes, aqua scaping, new gravel etc etc simply because of your 2 inch polystyrene.
IMO should change the polystyrene because its unreliable at 2 inches, otherwise you may get the same problems with uneven tank all over again.
 
Get the shim, get 1cm polystyrene, and that will be far more stable and better all round.
 
It's your tank, so its your risk.

 

[KirkyArcher]

You have too much water in the right hand side of your tank that's why its not level 

  (sorry couldn't help myself)
If the tank base is showing level in the lateral and fore and aft directions but not showing the same results at the top of the tank when full of water you're in a dangerous situation.
does your level read the same, if you turn it round 180 degrees on the same surface?

 

[Ch4rlie]

You have too much water in the right hand side of your tank that's why its not level 

 
lol  

 

[nicky1200]

You have too much water in the right hand side of your tank that's why its not level 

  (sorry couldn't help myself)
If the tank base is showing level in the lateral and fore and aft directions but not showing the same results at the top of the tank when full of water you're in a dangerous situation.
does your level read the same, if you turn it round 180 degrees on the same surface?

Yes everything i measure with the spirit level says its level.Its a 4ft spirit level so its more better than them small ones... I have tried another spirit level. I have posted a few images above with the spirit level. I am gonna go out tomorrow and buy some wooden shims and see if they will fix the problem be for it gets worse. I was filling the tank back up earl yer and the bucket broke and my kitchen was soaked

I could imagine the tank cracking and leaking i think the hole house would be water logged haha

 

[Lunar Jetman]

I think it's already been mentioned but the polystyrene is too thick. You probably want something around 0.5cm thick. It's just there to act as a cushion really and you're likely to be putting the tank under stress because it's uneven. I'd drain the tank and replace it with something much thinner as soon as you can.

 

[nicky1200]

I think it's already been mentioned but the polystyrene is too thick. You probably want something around 0.5cm thick. It's just there to act as a cushion really and you're likely to be putting the tank under stress because it's uneven. I'd drain the tank and replace it with something much thinner as soon as you can.

 
 
Wouldn't shiming it not fix it ??