[butchblack]

Hi

I have a 29g Brooklyn metal stand for my tank that I'm planning to top with a 1/2" piece of plywood. On my 40g breeder with the same style stand. I placed an inexpensive rubber yoga mat on top. I'm thinking of just painting the plywood instead of adding the mat. My concern is the tank moving if bumped against. Will a loaded 29g tank be heavy enough not to move if bumped, or am I better adding the rubber mat?

FWIW the tank is a glass with plastic frame, top, and bottom.

 

[minorhero]

Any reason you are adding the plywood? The only thing I would consider doing is attaching the stand via bracket to a wall if its going on top of carpet or some other less secure footing.

 

[butchblack]

The tank on the stand without the plywood seems very easy to accidentally move and I think the plywood would be more forgiving of any irregularities in the tank's frame. I rent so I prefer not to drill into walls. It's going on asphalt tile over a concrete floor, so I'm not worried about the stand moving, only the tank moving on the stand.

 

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I always place something between a tank and the stand.... Lately I've favored cork. I can buy it in 1/4" thickness and it does a nice job. Bear in mind.. I have de-rimmed and de-based tanks, so I am dealing with the flat glass sitting directly on a surface. Hence, the extra precaucion.

About 17+ years ago I had 4 80 gallon aquariums sitting directly on plywood. I took great pains to level everything out. By some unknown cause that we still don't know today (earthquake... big truck using a jake brake?), all four tanks simultaneously split their seams and I lost all of the water in the all of them... The tanks didn't shatter, they just split their seams... All 4, all at once. Lost many Discus as I was at work when it happened. Makes me paranoid... So all of my tanks sit on 3/4" marine grade sealed plywood with 1/4" cork on top... (well except my 5 gallon and 10 gallon quarantine tanks)...

 

[butchblack]

Mine still have the rims and bases, however, the cork sounds like a good idea, I'll have to check Home depot

 

[minorhero]

I would not put anything soft under a rimmed tank. There are stories online of the tanks rupturing because the rim sinks into the soft thing putting pressure on the bottom pane of glass. On rimmed tanks the only thing touching a surface should be the rim.

Anyway once that tank is filled it's not going to move much/at all even if you casually bump it, and if it did, 1/2" plywood is not going to support it if a couple of corners leave the support section.

But then again it won't hurt anything either so if it gives you piece of mind go for it. Just don't put anything soft under it. That's for rimless tanks.

 

[sm1ke]

The tank right on the plywood would be your best bet. You'd have to bump it pretty hard to move a filled 29g. Additionally you could cut the plywood so there is a bit of a "lip" around the tank just in case. I think 1/8" to 1/4" extra on all sides would be enough.

 

[reddhawkk]

I have never used anything under my wrought iron stands and I have been using them for 40 years.