Question: Do I need a support board under my tank?

[virago]

My 55 gallon tank sits on its stand. Do I need to put a board down between the stand and the tank? Should there be a black or dark colored material? I plan to have a bare bottom floor with hiding spaces, fake plants, etc.

 

[Jennewt]

If the stand was designed to hold an aquarium, it shouldn't need a board in between. Is there some chance that the stand was modified from its original condition? If you could post a photo, that would help. There are many types of aquarium stands.

 

[virago]

Hello. It is an aquarium stand that has not been modified.

I just read some tips from the Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander page on set-ups. It said I could use a polystyrene board wrapped in black plastic (for insulation I think) placed on top of a wooden board (for even weight distribution.)

However, I am loving the slate tile floor as seen in:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...rate/64617-new-slate-bottom-axolotl-tank.html

This may cause me to re-evaluate my floor bottom.

 

[virago]

Here is a photo of the aquarium stand in question. I shouldn't need a support board. Is that correct?

 

[SludgeMunkey]

I would add a top to this stand if you are planning on using real rock of any type in the tank. While I am unable to clearly see the stand due to to small size of the picture, I fully believe that extra support is always a good idea. When you invest so much time and money into a hobby, it is better to be safe than sorry. A piece of 3/4 inch plywood, painted black, would meet this application perfectly and would calm any fears you may have.

 

[virago]

Ok, I started to put water in it but not much so I will take it out and make changes. I think I will do the polystyrene for insulation on top of the board. I did put slate tiles down with silicone (non mildew resistant.) I had small leaks on sides of tile where the silicone was not put down properly.

Thanks for the tips. I am not sure how to make the photo appear larger. I used the insert image box and took the image which I posted to my profile album.