Is my sideboard strong enough

[itiwhetu]

Thanks....what sort of mat would you recommend between the tank and the sideboard....a yoga mat

Use high density polystyrene. About 25mm thick. That is the absolute safest thing to sit your tank on.

 

[FF_Member146894]

Use high density polystyrene. About 25mm thick. That is the absolute safest thing to sit your tank on.

for a rimmed tank? i've read that if you stick foam under a rimmed tank it'll come in contact with the bottom pane of glass

 

[itiwhetu]

for a rimmed tank? i've read that if you stick foam under a rimmed tank it'll come in contact with the bottom pane of glass

I put polystyrene under all my tanks. Somewhere Juwel aquariums have said nothing is to go under their tanks. The thing with polystyrene is that it takes out the unevenness of the surface you are placing the tank on, so the base of the tank has no stress points and sits flat. That is the theory.

 

[Essjay]

Juwel say that using a mat invalidates the warranty!
Juwel tanks have floating bases. I assume they mean that if the mat is inside the rim so that the bottom pane is supported by the mat and the rim is not in contact with the cupboard that could damage the tank?

My tanks are both flat bottomed. The main tank has 1 inch polystyrene, the 23 litre has a foam mat.

 

[itiwhetu]

Juwel say that using a mat invalidates the warranty!
Juwel tanks have floating bases. I assume they mean that if the mat is inside the rim so that the bottom pane is supported by the mat and the rim is not in contact with the cupboard that could damage the tank?

My tanks are both flat bottomed. The main tank has 1 inch polystyrene, the 23 litre has a foam mat.

I have never understood the floating base thing. But I have never had a Juwel aquarium so I haven't tried.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Juwel say that using a mat invalidates the warranty!
Juwel tanks have floating bases. I assume they mean that if the mat is inside the rim so that the bottom pane is supported by the mat and the rim is not in contact with the cupboard that could damage the tank?

My tanks are both flat bottomed. The main tank has 1 inch polystyrene, the 23 litre has a foam mat.

That's why I suggested that the OP read the small print cos there are several ways that a warranty can be voided...and home contents insurance claims refused....in the event of an aquarium failure when using non appropriate stands or furniture

 

[Essjay]

@Gaviningram Whether or not to use a mat depends on how the tank is constructed. There are two constructions in common use - flat bottomed and floating base.
With flat bottomed tanks the entire bottom pane is in contact with the cupboard. Any unevenness in the top of the cupboard or a piece of gravel caught between the glass and the cupboard can crack the bottom pane. With this style tank it is important to have a mat or polystyrene under the entire bottom pane.
With floating bottom tanks, the sides project below the bottom pane so that the bottom pane is a cm or or two above the cupboard and only the sides are in contact. Many manufacturers of this type advise against using mats.

I don't know which type the Roma 240 is, so when you get it, look to see which it is.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

All of this is great, but I'm still waiting for the YouTube video, where the family climb aboard the sideboard.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Most Juwel tank are indeed floating tanks. I have a Juwel Vision 180 and also had a Roma tank before, both these are floating type tanks.

The trim that covers the top and bottom of these Juwel tanks are strong and lifts the tank base itself off from the surface of the cabinet/sideboard.

So therefore base mats are redundant in this type of tank.

 

[Uberhoust]

I would need to look at the construction of the side board a lot more to say if it is suitable for a fish tank. Primarily how are all the butt joints held together. The wood itself is likely strong enough but the design doesn't look like it was optimized for strength. Going from the from there is a continuous set of butt joints on the cabinet which to me seems like a pretty weak design. Even the top plank is actually 3 pieces, I assume they are just glued together. I would be cautious, see where all the joints are. Additionally the cabinet is only supported by 4 feet.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Most Juwel tank are indeed floating tanks. I have a Juwel Vision 180 and also had a Roma tank before, both these are floating type tanks.

The trim that covers the top and bottom of these Juwel tanks are strong and lifts the tank base itself off from the surface of the cabinet/sideboard.

So therefore base mats are redundant in this type of tank.

I disagree with the last statement...when the entire weight of the tank rests on nothing but the bottom trim, it is crucial that no imperfections exist on the stand top, or that a piece of foam board is placed between the tank and the stand...the slightest bowing or flexing of that bottom trim once the tank is filled is a recipe for disaster.

The OP's tank, when filled with water (and nothing else), will weigh about 350 kg....775 US pounds

 

[Ch4rlie]

I disagree with the last statement...when the entire weight of the tank rests on nothing but the bottom trim, it is crucial that no imperfections exist on the stand top, or that a piece of foam board is placed between the tank and the stand...the slightest bowing or flexing of that bottom trim once the tank is filled is a recipe for disaster.

The OP's tank, when filled with water (and nothing else), will weigh about 350 kg....775 US pounds

Interesting theory.

But the trim is hard plastic and if it rests on a tiny bit of debris or stone, whatever, it won’t crack the bottom pane of the tank, in fact I think it has little effect on the tank itself, only in the most extreme cases perhaps.

If flat bottomed tank and that base rests on a tiny bit of stone between glass and cabinet surface then the bottom pane has a high likelihood of cracking, the foam / base mat helps to eliminate this risk.

The addition of foam / base mat make little difference on a floating tank resting on strong plastic frame trim regardless of weight, that’s how I envision that anyhow.

Think need to research a bit more methinks!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Have found this answer from old thread on this forum, says -

It looks like your tank has what is called a "floating base" (a rim around the bottom edge which raises the bottom glass above the surface the tank will be on.) If that is the case then it is not advisable to use any sort of crushable mat because the pressure under rim will be enormous and will smash any compressible material I believe. You also don't want a mat to add "flexible" height, because the enormous weight, being able to "sway" even a tiny bit is an increased instability.

The idea of needing a mat usually comes from its need under pure glass tanks which have no floating base rim. Those tanks do indeed need a styro mat of some sort ideally to even out any spot pressures on the bottom glass.

There wouldn't be anything wrong with using some plastic sheet (thick plastic bag type material) if you want to protect your stand from possible small water drips. Also, leveling is worth paying attention to, as perhaps the stand itself will need some help being level. If you use shims, large surface areas are better than small.

~~waterdrop~~

Aquarium Base Mat?

I'd like to put some sort of a mat under my aquarium (30"x12") and was wondering what kind of material I should use and where to get it from? Thanks!

www.fishforums.net

And also from Juwel website -

"The JUWEL aquarium features a safety base frame which ensures an even distribution of the weight. Please do not use a mat under any circumstances!"

JUWEL Aquarium | Questions and answers | purchase online

Service - Questions and answers. JUWEL Aquarium

www.juwel-aquarium.co.uk

And also from the instruction manual (I have underlined in red)



And lastly, Juwel warranty states that -

"(1) The guarantee period begins on the day of the purchase of the product from the retailer. Claims under this guarantee will not be honoured, if (a) the damage is caused as a result of improper use or maintenance or nonobservance of the instructions given in this manual (b) the product or its components have been maintained by persons or companies not authorised by the manufacturer to do so (c) the product or its components have been damaged by mechanical means of whatsoever kind, in particular broken glass."

JUWEL Aquarium | Warranty declaration | purchase online

Warranty declaration. JUWEL Aquarium

www.juwel-aquarium.co.uk

So it seems that its not worth adding a base mat if it invalidates the 2 year warranty or according to the instrcutions it is not actually neccessary.

 

[Myraan]

I suspect the detailed instructions covered by the warranty include using the correct stand, so that ship might have sailed.