Crazed

Hi all,

Well, last weekend, I got pretty much all of my equipment. I decided on a 70 gallon 36x18x25'', and I also made my own sump (max capacity 20 gallons) since the tank came with predrilled holes and a builtin overflow; so, it seemed prudent for me to bite the bullet and go sump right away. I'll put a full parts list up some time soon.

However, I have a question. I read that you need to make sure to put foam or some other kind of cushion below any kind of tank to prevent uneven pressure points. But, this is an Oceanic Tech Tank (it looks like this, with the stand, but a different lighting system) and it rests on the rims of the tank, not the glass, so the bottom of the glass does not actually come in contact with the stand.

Since I know a lot of tanks are built this way today, I'm sure one of you will know the answer: do I need to put the foam padding down on a tank that rests on its edges, not its glass? If I must put foam down, how big and how thick should it be, and what kind of foam should it be?

Thanks!

PS: While I'm at it, how much of a deviation from right-on level can you have? My tank is generally level, but it's not exactly level, and I plan to cut out the carpet so it can rest on the wood, then I can shimmy it up. But, how precise must I be?

Hypnox

Glass tanks with rims do not need foam, the bottom is designed to bear the weight. Glass tanks without rims and any type of acrylic tank should have foam underneath it. The biggest reason people are proponents of foam under any tank is that if your tanks bottom rim does not sit evently on a surface it is possible that it might crack.

alicem

That's a beautiful tank!
Since the stand is Oceanic, same as the tank, I think you might void the warranty if you used foam under the tank.
Set it up as directed by the manufacturer.
hth,
alicem