# Tanks and wood floors



## LarryS (Jul 28, 2004)

For the past 18 years, I have lived in apartments with carpet. So I've never been concerned with the flooring my tanks and stands sit on. I am possibly moving into a house with wood floors and tile. I have a DIY stand for a 30g and a custom stand for a 75g (48"X18"). Are there any precautions that I need to take to protect the floor from the weight of the tanks? I don't want to make dents in the wood floors or crack the tiles.


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## bertolli (Aug 18, 2009)

just make sure you lift stuff when moving it dragging can leave some pretty nasty scratches. Also make sure you dry up water when you spill it because over time the water will damage the floors if you dont clean them up


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## hydrophyte (Dec 16, 2009)

Go to the hardware store and check out some of the felt pads and plastic "glides" that are sold for use under sofa and hair legs. You should use the heaviest-duty that you can find and you will probably need to use six pieces for each stand, one under each corner and one under the middle of each long side.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Be a good time to buy some rubber wheels that can support the weight & add them to the stand(s) if possible...I've had wood floors my whole life...Makes having to move things around much easier & safer with wood floors...


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## aspen (Jun 15, 2004)

i use cedar shims under 4 legs.

rick


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## hey_wood1981 (Apr 7, 2004)

I would not use wheels but that's just me. If you have to move the tank you might as well do it right, empty the tank and have some help to move it. I put carpet runners under my tank stands. Shop around and get the thicker, more plush ones. They're also good if any water drips while cleaning or when feeding the big guys. Another good habbit is to have a towel handy to put down on the floor in front of the tank when cleaning/doing water changes.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

I wanted to add to this story cause I live in a apartment as well. My landlord never knew I had 2 fish tanks in my apartment, I live above a business store. Well one day she came in to check my apartment and she was like wow that's a really cool fish tank it's here in my den. I was so worried she was going to say you have to get rid of that tank cause she was worried about the weight above the store but she really liked it and that was that. I have a 60 gallon and a 30 gallon up in my apartment. I like the idea of the plastic glides under the stand. Please let me know what you guys think of my story or if you had anything similar.


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

One of my tanks is on parkay floors. The floor underneath the stand is basically ruined. It's not from the weight of the tank. It's water damage. Wood floors (with parkay probably being the worst) are very susceptable to water damage. Overfill a tank, a leaking canister, spilling water, etc.....

So take every precaution. Place your canister filter (if you have one) in a bucket to protect against minor leaks and drips and be careful during water changes.


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

> Are there any precautions that I need to take to protect the floor from the weight of the tanks? I don't want to make dents in the wood floors or crack the tiles.


You could buy a carpet runner or remnant of the appropriate size to put under the stand.


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

The problem with placing a section of carpet under the stand is water. If water is spilled you are going to play heck getting the floor dry and a wet carpet sitting on a wood floor is going to result in water damage.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

I keep one of those plastic mats that you put your swivel chairs on right on my carpet by the tank. Then when I'm doing my water changes anything that splashes out goes right on the plastic mat and wipes up easily. :thumb:


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

> The problem with placing a section of carpet under the stand is water. If water is spilled you are going to play heck getting the floor dry and a wet carpet sitting on a wood floor is going to result in water damage.


I just put some towels down when doing water changes, it's not that hard to avoid getting the floor wet. None of my equipment leaks.


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

Works fine. And not to argue the point, but it's the unexpected that bites you in the hiney. The canister filter that blows a gasket, the back siphon of an air pump, forget you are refilling with a python, forgetting to powered down a canister before you disconnect the valve block, the tank springs a leak, etc....

So whatever you do, you have to be able to clean up after the unexpected.

Scuff marks can be buffed out. Scratches can be sanded out. Water damage and you are replacing the floor.

I will be replacing all of the carpet in my house with hardwood floors (wife has developed severe asthma) and have been scratching my head on this one. I'm thinking I will go ahead and place the wood flooring throughout the house, cover the sections of the wood floors where the tanks will reside with linoleum on top of the wood floor (not glued down) and then use silicone to seal the base of the stand on top of the linoleum. So minor leaks stay inside the stand, do not harm the wood floor, and the whole thing is removable if I resale the house.


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

I like the idea of a linoleum sheet especially since you might be able to find a color/pattern that doesn't stand out on the wood floors. :thumb:


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Anything to make it easier I say Wolf


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## LarryS (Jul 28, 2004)

Thanks to all for the replies. It gives me something to ponder. I guess there isn't really one clear-cut solution. As with everything in this hobby, it's trial and error.


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## football mom (Feb 19, 2006)

I've been pondering the same questions about flooring.
The man who did my bathroom remodel advised against having tanks on hardword, not only due to water damage, but possibly the weight of the tanks (55's and a 90) buckling the wood where the planks join. He said definitely do NOT place them on any kind of laminate flooring for the same reason. 
I still would like to go with hardwood, though, so anyone who has successfully overcome these problems, (or not) please post your experiences.
J


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

First step for me would be to know what type "hardwood" floor one has. There is often a lot of misinformation passed. To me a hardwood floor is made of nothing else but hardwood. Seems simple but then one often runs into someone who has pine. Oak is a hardwood. Pine is not. Also laminate floors are now often passed as hardwood floors. They certainly are not. I would not under any circumstance recommend putting a tank on laminate flooring. Laminate floors that I know of have foam underlayment to make thm float. They are not nailed in any way. This is so they can expand and move as the building does. They are a thin layer of manmade material on top of a generally poor mix of some other materials. Definite warnings about getting them wet as the underside will swell if there is enough water to seep into the cracks. The weight of many tanks will compress the foam and cause buckling. Pine flloors are definitely better. The wood is somewhat soft and one needs to protect it from scratchs but it will hold the weight and water will not bother it if it is not left to soak in so that water marks result. Real hardwood floors made of oak will take a beating but they do scratch and water marks can be a problem if left wet. Probably the normal tank operation will not harm real hardwood. That is assuming no disasters like leaks while you are gone for a week. In those cases the leak will not do much more damage than it would on carpeting over plywood floors. Sometimes living life in the way we want involves taking some educated risks.


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## hey_wood1981 (Apr 7, 2004)

I have laminate flooring in my entire house. I have two 90 gallon tanks. When the laminate was put down a glue was used to hold it in place. The tanks have been on the laminate for a year now with no visable ill results. I hope things stay this way.


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## twiggy (Apr 5, 2007)

you can buy little fabric pads that are designed for this purpose. Also check the condition of the floor boards were you are placing the tank incase its a suspened floor, don't want your tank sitting the basement in the morning :thumb:


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

hey_wood1981 said:


> I would not use wheels but that's just me. If you have to move the tank you might as well do it right, empty the tank and have some help to move it.


Not arguing here, but there isn't a right or wrong way...Living in apartments, more then likely there's noise factors to be concerned of unless your living on the basement level...Going back & forth, back & forth to the sink or tub where ever maybe to do maintenance can be a issue in some circumstance, let along the possible water mess's that are sure to occur on a property that you do not own...
Not to mention it's practical on many levels for many unseen reasons...Sure there's some tanks that will be just too large to be able to cart around, but it's pretty convenient to have that ability as an option available to you...I did it on some 55 gallon tanks with custom stands...Tiny brainstorming session can conjure up many plausible possibility's... :thumb:


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I can see many times when wheels would be nice on tanks/stands. I also can see a possible downside as the wheels would place all the weight in a very small area at the bottom of the wheels rather than spreading it over the entire bottom of the stand. On some floors this would be a problem, other it would be fine. Lots of decisions to be made and sometimes we all guess wrong and have to pay a price.


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## SupeDM (Jan 26, 2009)

For the 125 gallon on my wood dining room floor I siliconed a piece of acrylic to the bottom of the stand. Keeps spills contained in the stand. My floor also has a very thick polyurethane finish applied to it. Kind of like a GYM floor. It is designed so scratches in the finish can be filled with more polyurethane and are instantly invisible. This cost around $500 extra when the floor was installed. I would say its worth it because of this finish my floor is super water tight. Also under the stand I put one of the door entry mats that is made of rubber with a raised edge around it that can hold water up to 1/4 inch deep.


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