Help getting stingray stands level

[Demasonian]

Adventure #3 in setting up an aquarium. You know, this all seemed so much simpler in my mind...

As "witnessed" by those who read my adventures in filling my first tank with a Python, I have recently put together a 75 gallon setup to be used in housing Africans. After getting all the equipment, research and sand/rocks, I filled the sucker 75% full last night. Then, to make sure things were okay, checked the level.  What I discovered was a slight fall to the left of the tank of 1/8" across four feet and about another 1/8" from Front to Back. The end result is a 1/4 inch difference from Front Left Corner to Rear Right Corner.

From research I've done, I realize this could be a potential problem as it may introduce a twisting force to the tank. So I drained 95% of it.

My question to you all is, now what?

It is definitely a sloped floor issue. The floor is hardwood, the stand is a stingray, flat base model from Big Als. Before filling the tank I had shimmed the stand slightly using cardboard. This appears to have been ineffective. What options do I have? Is that 1/4" corner to corner difference as dangerous as my paranoid, wood-floor loving, wish-to-remain-married, mind thinks it is?

You guys have given great guidance so far, look forward to more...
S.

PS. The stand, while flat, has four half-dome white rubber/plastic things on the bottom that I was told will protect my wood floors. Logic to me dictates that all the downward force on those little knobs will only a) drive them into my floor boards or b) create instability in the stand. It also makes shimming difficult because the base only touches the floor at those points. Help?

[darkdep]

You're going to get different responses here.  1/4 inch on a tank that size is, in MY opinion, PROBABLY ok, but *I* wouldn't live with it.

I'm not familiar with "stingray brand" stands but I do build stands as a hobby.  You've got a few options.

Shimming with cardboard is a useless endeavour.  You need to shim with wood.  A very easy solution would be to go to home depot and buy a pack of wooden shims.  They're angled and are traditionally used to shim doors and windows into level.  They are generally made out of solid cedar and would be fairly strong .  You can slide them in on the corners until your stand is level and snap off the excess so it's not very visible.

Lose the white dome things.

A more sophistated solution that is used in custom cabinets are "Cabinet Levelers".  These are rubber feet attached to a threaded rod / bracket which is installed under a cabinet. Through a small hole drilled in the inside, you can use a screwdriver to adjust them and get your cabinet perfectly level.  If you decide to investigate this route, Lee Valley sells them.  Try http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=40932&cat=3,41306,41308 to see what they look like.

[luvfishies]

Another option would be to get some dense insulation foam from Home Depot and lay that on the stand between it and the tank. The tank will basically "self-level" then. Works a charm for me here!

[Demasonian]

Darkdep and fishes, thanks for the advice. I was hoping there was a lazy-man's solution to this, rather than a complete tear down, but hey... Better taking things out of the tank in a controlled environment then to have a pond in my dining/living room.

I will empty the tank, move it off the stand, remove the bumpers--or whatever the heck they are--from the base allowing the stand's flat base to be flush with the floor. Then shim, lay down some foam insulation, replace tank, etc.

Regarding the foam, how do you size yours? Should it be slightly larger than the tank, same size or slightly smaller?

Thanks.

[luvfishies]

I cut the foam to the exact size of the outside of the tank trim. It's hardly noticeable, as it gets compressed pretty flat with the weight of the water/tank.

[kennyman]

My place is as old as the hills. We are talking pine plank flooring here! Built prior to the 1890 cencus of upper Canada! The floor moves at least 1/4" between seasons. Despite shims I have no less than 1/4" fall to the left side of tank. It's a 4' long 55g and the angle causes no trouble. You cant see it in the water if you keep it full to the lower edge of the outside trim.

I really like luvfishes foam suggestion however. If I ever move my tank I will definately concider lining the top of my homemade stand with this Dense Foam.

[darkdep]

Foam is a good idea (I use it myself), but keep in mind foam won't really solve a "level" problem; it's more to solve the problem of the top of your stand not being perfectly flat.

Kennyman proves that the 1/4" will likely not be an issue for you at all, tho.  

I guess it comes down to this...is your goal to get your stand level, or is it to run your aquarium?  You're probably fine as is; but if you want to go to the trouble of perfecting the level you probably want to lose the bumpers, try to shim, and absolutely do the foam.