foam compression

[carnut]

The new tank has been sitting for 11 days empty on the stand. Today started putting water in . Have about four inches in and tank has begun to settle unevenly in the foam. Anyone else have this? How long till foam compressed evenly?

The tank is rather large so four inches is a fair amount of weight and water!!

[untamed]

That's not right. It sounds to me like you've used very soft foam of some sort. I used 1/2" foam insulation from Home Depot. It comes in pink or blue and it should not compress under all that weight.

Please provide some details on the dimensions of the tank and the type of foam you used.

To give you some perspective, my tank is 6' x 4', about 400 gallons. The fact that it is acrylic and not glass is not significant compared to the weight of the water, rock and sand that is in it. It likely weighs about 4000lbs. The foam under my tank has not compressed in any measurable way.

[wickedfrags]

Agree with untamed. Use a high-density pink or blue colour piece of rigid foam insulation. Typically come in thickness from 0.5" to 3", with 0.5" being acceptable. Stay away from the white foam, it's not very dense.

[carnut]

Actually it is the high density pink foam. It is the same I used under my 150 and it did compress there too. Not a great deal but some. On the new tank we are looking at about a 1/4 inch differnace from one side to the other. thinking the sheet is not consistant in density. Tank is 96 long

[carnut]

picture of tank

[wickedfrags]

My 270 is full, no indentation at all in the polystyrene. And nice set-up BTW.

Is the tank level? Get yourself a 3' and a 6' level before you fill it with water. A lifetime of less then a level with a tank that size..........not good. And you do not want to do it after the fact.

I would not expect there to be that much compaction with good material. If it is not level now, wait until you put water in it, then you will really see how it is out.

[mark]

using the pink with my 145g and full didn't compress

[golf nut]

Definitely determine how level the tank is and shim the stand from below.