Got water and LR in the 125!

[PteroisVolitan15B]

Got my 125 completely filled this morning and finished adding LR I'm afraid I have to much rock already and I still have all the rock in my 30 to transfer after I cycle and get ready to transfer fish. My only concern which it may not be anything to worry about is that one side of my water line is about a 1/4 of an inch lower and maybe 3" of my overflow box doesn't have much water going into it. Will that be okay? Thanks for any feedback I attached a couple of tank pics and one that shows half my sump

 

[Lotus]

Looks good so far. If you feel you have too much LR, you could always sell some.

Is it higher on the side that's next to the wall? If so, it's probably from the carpet tacks. You could shim the stand (don't shim the tank).

 

[PteroisVolitan15B]

Ahh good thinking I never thought of that it is the side by the wall. If it likely won't cause a problem I really dont want to drain it unless I could hammer a shim under the stand without draining it..

 

[BalaShark]

If it likely won't cause a problem I really dont want to drain it unless I could hammer a shim under the stand without draining it..

A couple of things. If the tank is not 100% level, you are putting stress on the glass that may lead to joints loosening or glass cracking. I know, my 1st 150G cracked the back and I flooded my room. Fortunatley, no fish, just had it filled and it was cycling for a week. Another thing, if you shim it, you will most likely crack it, due to, once again, straining the glass.
My advise, take the water out (plastic drums) shim it, get it level. Must less work then replacing a cracked tank or a flooded room.

 

[PteroisVolitan15B]

Thats scary Bala, how did you shim it? just put wood under the stand on the side that was low?

 

[BalaShark]

Thats scary Bala, how did you shim it? just put wood under the stand on the side that was low?

Yep, but my stand is made of 2x6's. If your stand is solid enough, you can do it. Just don't put anything between the stand's top suface and the tank. If you do, your tank is guarenteed to break.

 

[PteroisVolitan15B]

Its a Perfecto stand that I got when I got the tank. Is that the best way to level it out? Thanks for the input something told me that was going to be a problem

 

[BalaShark]

My opininon would be to shim between the stand and the floor. The wood that the stand is made of should not allow the flat surface where your tank is standing on to warp. Just be extremely careful if you want to do it with the water in. You think of the weight of the water and LR you have in that tank. There's no way to safely shim it with all that weight. Good luck, and before you shim it with the LR and water, think of the possible consequences.....

 

[PteroisVolitan15B]

Yea I thought about it after I called the guy that drilled it for me. He said that a drilled tank can twist and crack the glass he said, "I'm begging you to drain the tank and take all the LR out." So I guess I'm going to start draining. One more stupid question does whatever I shim it with need to go the full width of the stand?

 

[BalaShark]

Yea I thought about it after I called the guy that drilled it for me. He said that a drilled tank can twist and crack the glass he said, "I'm begging you to drain the tank and take all the LR out." So I guess I'm going to start draining.

You won't regret it, imagine having to explain buying a second tank *crazysmil

One more stupid question does whatever I shim it with need to go the full width of the stand?

It truly depends on where the problem lies. If the tank leans on the left, but both front and rear, then shim the whole of the left side. Same for if the front leans, then shim the whole front. This way, you minimize any warping or bending of the frame.

 

[BalaShark]

Here's something that might swing you to drain the tank
You don't want your tank to collapse or live in fear of it collapsing! A cubic foot of aquarium water weighs about 30kg, and this is excluding the weight of the tank materia (ie glass or acrylic), weight of fish, gravel, accessories (ie pump, filter and filter media) and tank stand.

 

[Lotus]

The other thing you can do, if you're draining the tank, is to move it an inch or two away from the wall at the far side. If it is the carpet tacks, you'll get a more level tank if you move it away from the wall a little. You may still need to shim it, though. I know our carpets have wooden tack track things at the edges of the walls. They're only about 1/8 inch, but it's enough to make tanks not level.

 

[PteroisVolitan15B]

Thanks to all that helped push my in the right direction even I've lost my temper and told my wife a dozen times today "I'm done with this damn tank I'll let it all go for $600 LOL. I ended up cutting a 1/4" thick board and tapping it under the stand and it made it perfectly level. Hope all this is worth it in the end.. How do you guys clear up a cloudy tank run a HOB filter with carbon for a couple of days? Thanks in advance

 

[Lotus]

Good to hear you got it level!

The tank should clear on its own in a few days. The bacteria get on the particles and weigh them down, and you'll get a lot less cloudiness.

You can run a HOB filter or filter sock on the sump to help clear it.

 

[Lotus]

Oh, and go buy your wife a bunch of flowers or take her out to dinner for putting up with you!

 

[strout]

My thoughts on to much LR, if it were me, I wouldn't touch the 30g and leave the LR in that tank and keep it set up. I am thinking of setting up a smaller tank just to put zoas and polys in, the more $$$$ ones that I get. But either way JMO, you will want another tank down the road, I know I do.

 

[Lorna]

ahhhh and the addiction sets in.

 

[Chris_A]

Oh, and go buy your wife a bunch of flowers or take her out to dinner for putting up with you!

LMAO! Speaking from experience Lotus? .

PteroisVolitan15B,
This is good advice lol. It got me out of the dog house a few times in the past. Trying to justify a $100 frag can be tough without flowers .

 

[PteroisVolitan15B]

LOL I put the 30 in the bedroom to get it out of the way and she actually kind of likes it so I'm thinking of getting a pair of GSM clowns, since I cant have them with my Percula's and a pair of captive bred seahorses and leave the 30 running. I really didn't want to sell any rock and I already have 212 lbs in the DT and about 7 lbs in the sump! then I have around 40 in the 30 so I knew I wouldn't be able to fit it in here and still have room for fish to swim

 

[strout]

Funeeeee Lorna lol