Foam under rimless tank!!!HELP

[baktabiznis]

Ok so after putting pink rigid water resistant foam from HD under my 80 gallon rimless i started to shave the excess foam off the front of my stand. Now i sliced a hair to far in on one section. Im so pissed and frustrated now and don't know if i should replace the entire thing. I believe once the foam has weight on it it will spread and be perfectly fine, but idk. Let me know what you think, thanks.

 

[ming]

Its fine. No need to worry.
The weight will be spread across the entire bottom, you just removed like 0.1% of it so its almost nothing

 

[baktabiznis]

Thanks, now I can breath.

 

[duke62]

Every manufacturer recommends not using foam under the tank and a few will not honor the warranty for using it so why do people still use the foam?

 

[baktabiznis]

[No message]

 

[edd]

every manufacturer recommends not using foam under the tank and a few will not honor the warranty for using it so why do people still use the foam?

+1

 

[baktabiznis]

Every manufacturer recommends not using foam under the tank and a few will not honor the warranty for using it so why do people still use the foam?

GLasscages-
3/4 styrofoam

Reefsavvy-
1" foam under tank on plywood

ADA-
Garden mat

Miracles
5/8 foam

 

[Widdy]

Coast to Coast told me not to use foam as it'll fall apart over time. However, they recommended using homasote board; so I did.

 

[ming]

Coast to Coast told me not to use foam as it'll fall apart over time. However, they recommended using homasote board; so I did.

I never had any issue with my styrofoam falling apart when I took my tank down. It looked pretty much the same as when I installed it 3 years earlier. But I can see how it can break down if you're either picking at it, or any weak acids (citric acid etc) gets on it. And I'd imagine homasote boards to be a bit softer so it absorbs any unevenness a little better.

 

[Widdy]

I never had any issue with my styrofoam falling apart when I took my tank down. It looked pretty much the same as when I installed it 3 years earlier. But I can see how it can break down if you're either picking at it, or any weak acids (citric acid etc) gets on it. And I'd imagine homasote boards to be a bit softer so it absorbs any unevenness a little better.

Good to know. My first custom rimless tank, so I just went by what they recommended.

 

[Serega]

I thought you should not use anything under a tank with bottom trim. Your tank is 80g Deep Blue, correct? It is rimless, but has a black plastic trim on the bottom, that should be all you need. Now custom tanks with glass bottom and no trim require foam or something similar under it to protect the glass.

 

[baktabiznis]

Ok, now I'm even more confused. The only reason I was going to use he foam is because I have a plywood top and j can see little imperfections. My stand is level 100% from left to right but off a very tiny bit from the front to back. When I look at the tank trim from the front I can see light coming through the tiny imperfections in the wood(between the tank trim and the stand, but it's level). I don't know, should i go without the foam?

 

[Serega]

I'm setting up a rimless tank myself, Deep Sea Aquatic 105g, and did some research on this also, my stand is an original stand from Deep Sea and it has an open top, no plywood, all it need is that the bottom trim is sitting on the perimeter of the stand. There should be nothing putting pressure on the glass itself. If anything you should use something thin, maybe .25" thick max. Maybe someone with more experience will chime in. Good luck.

 

[noelskii]

every manufacturer recommends not using foam under the tank and a few will not honor the warranty for using it so why do people still use the foam?

+1

 

[baktabiznis]

I'm thinking about removing the foam and sanding the plywood top down so it would be a smooth completely flat surface(no cracks of light between tank and plywood).

 

[noelskii]

The tank is rimless at the bottom also? Can't tell by your picture.

 

[albano]

I'm thinking about removing the foam and sanding the plywood top down so it would be a smooth completely flat surface(no cracks of light between tank and plywood).

Does the plywood need to be sanded, or can you shim up that section, under the plywood?

 

[baktabiznis]

The thing is it's level. I just didn't like the fact then when I look at the stand from the front I can see tiny cracks of light, which must mean there's imperfections in the wood. That's why I was going to use the foam, but the stand is level without it.

 

[duke62]

Plane down the 2x4s. Just the top part and your shouldn't have any spaces anymore. If you don't have a table saw find a shop that will do it for yoi

 

[baktabiznis]

I believe the plywood is glued down so my only options is sanding it. It's really not that bad, shouldn't be that much work.