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Zack801 
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 Topic: Trouble shimming tank on carpet
Posted: September 02 2017 at 4:29pm |
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Im setting up a red sea reefer 450 but im having some issues getting it leveled. One end took 4 of those composite shims and it still wasn't level (tank is leaning forward a little). This is on the main floor of my house so its just cement foundation under the carpet and pad. My questions are; is this an excessive amount of shims for one end? Should i place the stand on plywood or something and shim off of that instead? Really just want this to be perfectly level so i can test fill it this weekend. Thanks in advance!
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Adam Blundell
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Posted: September 02 2017 at 4:50pm |
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I'd build a mini platform to go under the stand.
Adam
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Zack801
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Posted: September 02 2017 at 4:52pm |
Something like a piece of ply wood that is the same dimensions as the stand? Also where should i be putting the level? It looks good when i have it on each edge of the tank but if i do it across the front corners its out of whack. Should I get an even bubble no matter where i put the level when its actually leveled?
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Zack801
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Posted: September 02 2017 at 5:05pm |
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My main concern is it taking so many shim on one side right now. I'm 2" off the base board so I'm not on the carpet strip. I'm getting tempted to just cut the stupid carpet out where the tank is sitting...
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 03 2017 at 9:20am |
I would pour just a little water in bottom of the tank and see where it flows. Start with a gallon. Add a little more water and observe the depth of water relative to the tank bottom. Water is the absolute best leveling device. In the end, after filling the aquarium, the final water surface in relation to the top of the tank is the "true" Level tool.
Cement is usually sloped toward a drain and wood floors can bow under the weight of the water filled aquarium. Remember also that as a tank fills with water, it's weight will compress the carpet and who knows what foreign objects might be under the carpet, left there from when the carpet was laid? (I've seen it.  ) Any leveling done when the tank is empty, might be different when the tank is full.
When leveling a tank, placing the Level tool flat on the bottom glass usually gives the best results. Tanks and stands are usually made with absolute right angles and equal measurements all around. Maybe you have a tank or stand where the top may not be square with the rest of the tank, so the Level tool is giving false indications. When I get a new stand, I make sure to sight across the top and position a straight edge tool from different directions to make sure it is absolutely flat.
Aloha, Mark 
P.S. If the bottom of the stand is already a full board (most are), placing plywood underneath will be of no help at all. Also, placing the aquarium stand on another stand that you build, seems kinda silly to me.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 03 2017 at 9:24am |
Final thought. Is the Level defective? Place it on a level surface and note the position of the bubble, then rotate it 180 degrees. If the bubble changes position, the Level is defective.
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Zack801
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Posted: September 03 2017 at 10:56am |
Checked the level and it's good  the tank actually seems to be settling in now though. Im going to mess with it a bit more to get it perfect.. One more thing not related to leveling but I've never filled a tank this large. Usually i'd just make 5g buckets of salt water at a time with my other tanks. Would it be fast to just fill the tank with RO and then run the pumps/powerheads and add the salt over a couple of days?
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 03 2017 at 12:00pm |
Yes and no. What kind of sand will be used, dry or Live? Will any Live Water be used. Sand poured into the water makes the water dusty for days and days. If LS is used it's best to place the sand first then slowly add LW and freshly mixed saltwater. That way the LS (bugs and worms) is less disturbed. I use a tub, large cooler or Brute garbage can to mix salt before adding the water to the tank. Also, when pouring water onto the sand, I pour onto a large dinner plate. That way the water doesn't dig a hole in the sand and cause more cloudiness. Aloha, Mark
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Zack801
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Posted: September 03 2017 at 4:12pm |
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I'll just do the Carib Sea livesand as usual. I could use water from any of my other tanks if that's what is meant by live water? I think I'll need to pre mix the salt then unfortunately I only have 5g buckets so it'll take a while :/
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phys
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Posted: September 05 2017 at 4:22am |
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If you haven't started filling yet, I would try to get an idea of how the pad is set under it. Sometimes there are things close to the wall to hold the carpet in place that may be higher than the rest. Try pulling it away from the wall by a couple inches and see if that helps. Also shimming like that may cause more pressure on one side of the stand than others so you may want to try something like Adam suggested. Plywood over some 2x4s or other wood that has been trimmed down at the right angle to make your tank level. You may want to paint them or seal the wood in case you ever have issues with a water leak.
As for the water, it's fine to fill it with RO then add salt as long as you're not adding live rock and sand before adding salt. It's a good way to look for leaks before wasting money on salt if there are.
Edited by phys - September 05 2017 at 4:23am
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Zack801
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Posted: September 05 2017 at 8:11am |
I pulled the carpet up to see how far the strip was. The tank has been killed out away from the strip so I think the foundation is just not level. The tank slopes forward but it just about level now with 2 shims under the front. I measured the shins by themselves and they're a little over 1/2". Is this going to cause issues at all? I've shimmed the whole front and the tank is very stable.  This is what the bottom of the stand looks like so the shims are under the front board only 
Edited by Zack801 - September 05 2017 at 8:21am
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phys
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Posted: September 05 2017 at 12:51pm |
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That looks fine, if it were one side and one set of shims, that might lead to issues. But what you've done spreads the weight out well enough.
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Zack801
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Posted: September 05 2017 at 12:56pm |
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Ok thank you! i contacted redsea just in case they had an opinion either way. But i feel like im overthinking this but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Thank you all for your replies
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