Type of shims for leveling large tank.

Lucas&kim

Plecostomus
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May 7, 2016
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Hi, I have a roughly 500gal aquarium that I need to level on a slightly unlevel Concrete floor. What material can I use to shim my stand that won't rust out if gets wet and can handle several tons. Not wanting to relevel the concrete. Thanks
 

jsc

Plecostomus
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Lucas&kim

Plecostomus
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May 7, 2016
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I'm pretty sure I need the top of the shim to be a flat surface. I've considered aluminum bar stock cut into 2"×4" peices and placed at many pressure points under the stand.
 

monkeybike

Aimara
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Mar 13, 2015
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Same ones I used, they work great! I considered metal washers but worried about them rusting and staining the floor.
 

monkeybike

Aimara
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Mar 13, 2015
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I'm pretty sure I need the top of the shim to be a flat surface. I've considered aluminum bar stock cut into 2"×4" peices and placed at many pressure points under the stand.
Take 2 and slide them into each other, they will level out
 

pacu mom

Goliath Tigerfish
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Jerk contractor started sloping the cement floor way too soon towards the floor drains. He was long gone before the stand was put into place. :( :( :( It is a massive stand made out of 3 1/2" tubular steel. We had to double up on the shims in some places. The stand is so massive, there was zero movement of the stand even before shimming. I trust these shims, but will recheck the tank level before filling the tank.

 
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Grinch

Peacock Bass
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I'm not a shim expert, but my gut says I don't think shims are designed to be stacked like that... I would think they could slip on each other unless you are reversing the stack (can't tell from the picture). That many shims just seems unstable to me...

Given the gap pictured, I think I'd custom cut a piece of pressure-treated 4x4 to wedge in there.
 
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Lucas&kim

Plecostomus
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Finally found the solution to my problem. Thanks for all the comments.pACE3-23251792enh-z7.jpg
 

Steve_C

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I'm not a shim expert, but my gut says I don't think shims are designed to be stacked like that... I would think they could slip on each other unless you are reversing the stack (can't tell from the picture). That many shims just seems unstable to me...

Given the gap pictured, I think I'd custom cut a piece of pressure-treated 4x4 to wedge in there.
I have the same composite shims under my stand stacked, its not an issue. Those composite shims are okay when they are stacked because of the shape of them and the grooves on them. You just simply reverse directions with them as you stack them. With that said obviously you don't want to stack them overly high either. I do have one spot on my stand where I have 6 shims stacked and what I did was to just put some 5 min epoxy between each just to be on the safe side. Then again I am quite OCD so lol.....
 
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