# Aquarium levelling



## Fishlover_680 (May 5, 2009)

Some member suggested to put a piece of foam underneath the tank to make sure it levels. But it may not look good. Would it work if you put the piece of foam underneath the stand instead. Is it really necessary to do that?
Thanks for your advise.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

You can put it under the stand or tank. IMO it is very important to make sure your tank is level. Especially if it's a large one.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

IMO it really depends on the size of the tank. I don't use foam on smaller tanks but for the large ones (over 100 gallons) I do. I say under the tank itself it will help self level the tank but to be realistic only a small bit (we have to realize it will only will level about half the thickness of the foam). The Foam IMO is only to help the little bit of torque the tank may have and cushion the bottom trim to stand so there is no gap between the bottom of the tank and the stand.

If you can't get the tank within 1/2 inch or less of level then move the tank until it is closer to being level. The weight of the water in the tank will put additional pressure on the seem in that corner or side panel of glass and if it doesn't cause an issue today or next month it will at one point cause an issue. Worse case scenario is a total blowout gallons of water everywhere, but usually a small leak and you will notice wet carpet or floor and then you have to reseal that area (drain tank and reseal)  or buy new tank.


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## theSICKNESS (Mar 3, 2011)

IMO foam under the tank is only good if the top of the stand is uneven. 

Personally I would not use foam to level a tank, whether it was under the stand or under the tank itself, factors like compression once the tank is filled, foam being compressed under the bottom glass could run a risk of cracking. 

IMHO shim the stand until it is level, if the top of the stand where the tank sits is uneven then my suggestion would be to use an exercise/yoga mat (1/4" mats), it will certainly fill minor gaps from an uneven stand top. 

My 90g stand top was uneven creating small gaps between the tank and stand sacrificed my wife's exercise mat and voila no gaps.. cork could work as well but that would not last to long if it gets wet.

just my 2 pennies 

Cheers


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## Fishlover_680 (May 5, 2009)

My tank will be 46 gallon bow front and it come with the stand. So is necessary to put some foam or mat between the tank and the stand?


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## theSICKNESS (Mar 3, 2011)

couple of questions

1. Is the tank acrylic or glass? (glass tanks need support just the outside edges, where acrylic tanks need support the entire bottom)

2. is the stand not level on the floor? or is the tank not sitting level on the stand?

If the stand is not level on the floor, I would shim it. If the tank is not level on the stand, meaning you have spots where you could, for example slide a credit card between the tank and stand, then my suggestion would be to use an exercise mat under the tank to fill the gaps once filled with water. 

i will post a pic of my 90g where i put an exercise mat under the tank to fill gaps, i could slide a dime between the tank and stand before adding the mat, now I have no gaps.  

edit: here is a couple of pics of my 90 stand with the mat under the tank. I still need to trim it more as it is a bit unsightly at the moment but you get the idea.




Cheers


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## Antoine Doinel (Dec 20, 2010)

Foam isn't used to level a tank. It's used to prevent pressure points created from leveling problems and weight inconsistencies you have in your tank. If you have a black plastic rim on your tank, you don't need it, since it does the same thing as foam.


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## Fishlover_680 (May 5, 2009)

My tank will be a glass tank with rims. From all the reply I received, I can assume that I do not need to use anything to level the tank. I read something before that it would better to use foam to make sure the tank is level in case the ground or the stand is not level.

Thank you very much for your advise.


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## Roberacer1 (Aug 21, 2010)

The real issue in your case is to make sure the whole this is level(ish). The more level the safer you are. It isn't a huge tank so it is less likely to be a problem if your world isn't perfect. An improperly leveled tank is also annoying to look at if full your waterline is partly showing. The mat (of some type, there are many foam/rubber type mats that will do the job) is a good thing but assuming your stand is made correctly you should just need to level the stand. I use the top of the tank (empty, no top) on the stand as my leveling point. Remember front to back and left to right.


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

theSICKNESS said:


> IMO foam under the tank is only good if the top of the stand is uneven.
> 
> Personally I would not use foam to level a tank, whether it was under the stand or under the tank itself, factors like compression once the tank is filled, foam being compressed under the bottom glass could run a risk of cracking.
> 
> ...


A yoga mat in this example is serving the same purpose as a piece of Styrofoam, only costs more and is harder to work with. A piece of 2x8 white styro costs about $4 @ Home Depot and is easily cut to size. I agree you dont NEED it for smaller tanks, but it definately does not hurt. Plus it will help hold in a little bit of heat loss through the bottom.

Once it is place you can either cover it while finishing your stand (DIY stands) or paint the edge black to blend in with your tank trim. Easy to work with and worth the small extra effort and cost.


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