I'm wanting to go ahead and build my wall for my 150 to go in. I've seen many folks use a sheet of foam under their tank. I know this is to help level out the weight and cushion the tank. My only problem is I don't know how much it will compress making it hard to figure the dimensions for the wall. To foam or not to foam....that is the ?
I have used 3/4"blue board foam and it has never compressed any that I could notice. Get an acrylic tank and you don't need any.
See, I have read the opposite...that if you get an acrylic tank you need it and with a glass (providing your stand is FLAT) you don't. I guess I should contact the manufacturer and see what they say. It's an oceanic.
The foam is pretty dense. I had a sheet of the 1/2" blue foam board from Lowe's under the 125 I had in the wall. It was an oceanic tank. The frame on the tank sunk into the foam by maybe 2mm. So it isn't going to sink in that much.
I have foam under my 400, 200, and my frag tanks. Do not have it under the 125, 60gal refug, and the 100gal sump. I really don't know of an instance where either was sited as the reason for a problem. I just feel it's better for larger tanks. Just my opinion, but sounds like you got your answer from the manufacturer. Now you have to decide for yourself which is what we all do in the long run anyway. Just as a note, the reason I put it under the frag tanks is because they are rimless so the bottom of the tanks sit directly on the foam and not on a rim like a standard tank.
I have always seen it just used under glass Jason as it doesn't flex as much as acrylic well. I know of no acrylic tanks with it underneath and up in the NW where I'm from, there are more acrylic then glass tanks and I have none under my 240 acrylic. I have also had glass tanks with and without it and have never had a problem either way as stated above by others as long as the cabinet is level and sound. I was just answering your question about compression, I thought you had already decided to use it.
John, at that time I had not decided whether or not to use it. I appreciate your input on the compression. I just decided with it being a decent sized tank that will hold a lot of $ in livestock in the end it might be good to get mfg's input. Isn't it amazing how much dampening the foam does, but how little it compresses? And what you said about the acrylic vs glass makes perfect sense. Glass won't flex but acrylic will so I could see more of a need under the glass tank. Again, thanks for all the answers to the questions I ask. Answers from both you John, as well as everyone else. I feel very lucky to have such seasoned vets of the hobby to get advice from.
