Water Level Not the Same Throughout Tank

[goldenpuon]

I was looking at my 40 gallon which I cleaned yesterday and noticed at one end of the aquarium vs. the other, that the water level was about 1/2 a cm lower.

I turned off the filter and pump to see if the change in water level was just from the current but nothing changed.

The aquarium does not have a bar in the middle (like some large tanks) and is on a wooden stand. The stand was left outside at one point so sometimes I get nervous it could have gotten termites and is rotting though it doesn't look it.

Also, in one of my 10 gallons on my dresser, the water level is higher towards the back, like a cm or so.

I live in a manufactured home so the floor is probably not the strongest.

Should I be concerned about this or is the slight slant the tanks are on normal if the floor, stand, or structure slants a bit?

(Note: I don't know if the floor, dresser, stand, slants but I'm just guessing they may naturally.)

Thanks.

Renee

[Carl]

I would not be overly concerned, however I would double check for any possible weaknesses in the stand.

My guess is that the stand is not level on the floor or the stand itself is not "true".
Using a bubble level (many iPhones have this applications), i recommend placing this on the floor AND the stand.

You should be able to level the stand in either case using shim of some type

Carl

[goldenpuon]

Thanks Carl.

What should I check as far as weaknesses in the stand(which holds the 40 gallon) and the dresser (has two 10 gallons on it)?

What is a bubble level? I do not own an IPhone and have never heard of a "bubble level".

I'll have to look up what shim is as well. Sorry about my lack of knowledge in this area.

EDIT: I looked up shim and apparently it is a term used in building to fill a gap between two parts of a structure.

I also looked up "bubble level" and apparently it is an IPhone App that somehow callitrates/measures the level of something (?). After looking it up, I'm still not quite sure how it works/is.

[Carl]

What should I check as far as weaknesses in the stand(which holds the 40 gallon) and the dresser (has two 10 gallons on it)?

Look for rot, cracks, joints splitting, or any other sign of weakness.

Here are bubble levels




The bubble should be centered

The first picture is better style for leveling an aquarium stand IMO
See: Checking and Using a Spirit Level

Both are available at hardware stores or similar.

Carl

[goldenpuon]

I looked up pictures of what furniture looks like when with joint splits and rotting.

I found a minor joint split in my stand in one of the corners. I also found some other things but I don't think they are of major concern, more like the make of the stand and from it being used.

Not signs of rotting. The dresser seems to be in better condition than the stand. I looked at the water level with a ruler. The water level is definitely different by under a cm, probably less.

I read the article and got a feel of how the bubble level works. However, I wouldn't understand what the author of teh article is actually saying unless I had a bubble level and a bunch of level and stooped things to measure in front of me.

I'm sorry I'm not a furniture person.

I will post pictures later today that I took of the dresser, stand, and any problems I found as well as the water level of the tanks.

Thank you for the help.

[goldenpuon]

I got some pictures. I apologize if I posted to many.

Here they are.


A picture of the stand. The light area at the right of the stand is where my the cats have skratched/minorly damaged it.




A corner at the bottom of the stand where it looks like the plates of wood that are stuck together might be getting a little loose.



Vs. this corner where the wood is snugly fit together.




This is the area that seems to be of most importance as far as damage. It is a slight gap between two pieces of wood in the corner of the stand. It is midheight up the stand.






I found no real problems of concern regarding the structure of the dresser holding the two 10 gallons.

As shown in this picture, it appears to be in good condition.



However, I do see a slight difference in water level towards the back of the aquariums as shown in these two pictures.

[bikeguy33]

it seems pretty level cosidering. mark with a wax pencil current water lines to ensure the levels arent getting worse. trailers are known to have uneven floors after awhile. i feel this is nothing to worry about renee.

[goldenpuon]

Thanks Bill. I guess it is nothing then. I will continue to keep an eye on it though. I naturally pay very close attention to these things.

Marking the level with a pencil is a good idea. However, with the evaporation in my tanks from the heat, my water levels will drop/change over time whether it the stand or dresser gets worse or not.

[bikeguy33]

what i was meaning isnt so much the height of the water , but was meaning the angle of the water level. a mark towards the front and a mark towards the back should be enough to tell if the angle is getting worse over time.

[goldenpuon]

I see what you mean now. Thanks for clarifying Bill. I will do that. Sorry I didn't quite understand what you meant earlier but now I do.

[Suzie Q (Lori)]

Renee,
My 75g water lvl is higher on one end. Mine is on a concrete slab foundation. My theory is that like my tank, yours is sitting on a towel AND on carpet (mine is on carpet). I think that is probably your problem in both instances. I would keep an eye on the "tilt" as already suggested though. Wax pencil or dark crayon would work.

[goldenpuon]

Thanks Suzie. It's good to hear that I'm not alone with slightly different levels in my aquarium. You're right, it could also be the towel, carpet, the floor, or any number of things. I won't worry about it too much but I'm keeping a close eye on it still.

I'll try crayon, wax pencil, or even tape.

I don't mind a little tape visible on my aquarium. If it looks a little bad oh well, at least it'll work.

But I know crayon or wax pencil is better, especially if I want to keep my aquarium looking its best appearance-wise. So I'll probably go with one of those.

Renee