Tank level

[zain611]

Hey Guys,

Still trying to get comfortable with the 30 gallon (130 litre) tank in my room. Does the level have to be dead straight? When placing a spirit level on the edge of the cabinet the bubble is just touching the right line. Would i need to get it straightened? The front of the cabinet is near enough dead level but its the side which is very slightly out. Id say it out by a mil or 2.

 

[Colin_T]

it's fine don't worry about it.

 

[zain611]

it's fine don't worry about it.

Thanks Colin. I don't know whether to downgrade to a slightly smaller tank. I have a aquastyle 620T and that is a tall tank measuring around 72cm high. I'd say what the scary thing is is that it's a lot bigger than my old tank plus its upstairs in my room. I can say the floor can take the weight as I'm sure I've not heard any creaking from the floor boards.

My dad said to me yesterday that he might want to do a 50% or more water change so that he could put something under the cabinet to raise it slightly when most of the water is out. I think as you said not to worry about it. When Id move the spirit level up to see what properly straight would be compared to the side it was a very small difference.

 

[Colin_T]

Don't get a tank that is 72cm high. They are horrible to work in and useless for most fish. Fish swim left and right and don't use the height. In addition to being difficult to work in, they are made from thicker glass to take the extra pressure from being high and this adds a lot of weight to the actual glass tank.

If you have a spirit level and the bubble is just touching one side of the black line in the middle, it's fine. If your dad wants to add a thin spacer under one end of the stand that is also fine. Get some clean buckets and drain out as much water as possible but try keep as much as possible in the buckets. Then carefully lift one side of the stand and slide a thin piece of wood under it. The wood will only need to be a couple of mm thick.

I have never bothered to level tanks or stands and neither has anyone I knew. As long as the stands were square and the base didn't crack, we didn't care.

 

[zain611]

Thanks Colin, I think I'm just over worrying about it. 72cm is including the top cover so minus probably 10 - 15cm from that although yeah still tall. I'm sure they said its 5mm thick the glass. I don't think we'll touch the level as you said it's not off by a massive amount. Honestly though my mind doesn't feel settled (unless that's because I'm active at the moment)

 

[Colin_T]

Tanks that are 12 inches (30cm) high at made from 4, 5 or 6mm thick glass, normally 4 or 5mm.

Tanks that are 18 inches (45cm) high are made from 6mm thick glass.

Tanks that are 24 inches (61cm) high are made from 10mm thick glass.

Tanks that are 30 inches (75cm) high will be made from 12+mm thick glass.

The coverglass might be 5mm thick. Coverglass can be 3, 4 or 5mm, with 4 & 5mm coverglass being less likely to chip and crack.

 

[zain611]

Ah okay, the thing is it does say 5mm glass on the booklet. I added 3 of my zebra danios in. The tank has been running for 3 days now where I transfered one of the filter sponges from my 28 litre on the first day then adding doses of seachem stability yesterday and today. Have no readings of ammonia and nitrites.

Something which worries me a little is I've noticed the danios like to stay at the top of the tank. Occasionally one would go to the bottom. Is this normal?

 

[Colin_T]

Danios naturally hang out just under the surface. If they start gasping at the surface or breathing heavily near a filter outlet or at the surface, then it's a problem but if they are just cruising around the top half of the tank, that is normal.

 

[zain611]

Danios naturally hang out just under the surface. If they start gasping at the surface or breathing heavily near a filter outlet or at the surface, then it's a problem but if they are just cruising around the top half of the tank, that is normal.

No sign of any of them gasping for air. Their mouths are not opening and closing rapidly. They are just under the surface of the water which got me a little worried. They are also swimming all around the water surface of the tank and not staying near the filter outlet.

 

[Colin_T]

Sounds like they are checking out their new home and enjoying themselves

 

[cowgirluntamed]

None of my tanks are level....lol. I don't worry about it as long as the tank is flat on the stand and has no spaces between the stand and tank. This can cause pressure in those places and glass doesn't sag...it breaks. Lol. Now, my tanks have black rims that the glass sits in which is not recommended to have foam under it due to the pressure of the foam can cause it to break. For tanks that are rimless they do need foam to make sure they are level and to keep pressure off the bottom of the glass.