What do you place between stand and floor?

[ReefPharmer]

Hey guys
The floor is travertine and I am considering a metal stand (or may go w my current wood stand). What do you recommend I place between the stand the the travertine to avoid damage to the floor tiles? Thanks for the advice

 

[d2mini]

Travertine shouldn't be damaged.
Put some nice leveling feet on the stand and you should be good to go.
Seal the stone and wipe up saltwater spills quickly.

 

[ReefPharmer]

You mean the screw in kind of leveling feet ? If the stand is metal, how do I get those in? Also wouldn't that create more pressure points to crack the tiles?
Thanks

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

A nice stained and polyurethaned 2 X 4 frame is what I would do.
It should self level under its own weight, providing the floor itself is level.

 

[davocean]

Yea any decent size tank I would be concerned w/ those leveling feet, and if one fails, good luck getting to it to repair after tank is full.
I probably would not put anything down, but I suppose if you went metal and were concerned you could put a sheet of ply down first.
No matter what, plan to add shims to level stand, and then you may be skinning after and hide all shims and that ply.

 

[ReefPharmer]

Knowing myself, I spill a lot when I work around the tank/sump. Do you think I can run a bead of silicone around the edges of the plywood and the floor tiles to avoid water getting under it and causing mold/rot?

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

I would not use plywood for that very reason. It will get funky over time.
With the stained and sealed 2 X 4 frame that is waterproof any water that gets under it will evaporate. Keep it wiped down and clean and it will last forever.

 

[davocean]

Well, as I said I probably would not put anything down, but I'm a carpenter, so I build/use wood.
You can always seal that ply w/ poly, or you could throw down a PVC sheet or something.
Many place something in their stand like a pond liner or similar to catch small spills.
I personally add my own touch by making a removable panel in the bottom of my stand for just such an emergency or serious spill issue, and it's heavily coated in polyeurethane, holds/sheds water fine.

 

[ReefPharmer]

Nice work! I am more concerned about a metal stand figuring wood would be more forgiving. If i get a metal stand , and place plywood under it, I can seal the edges to prevent water damage?

 

[Metal Man 1221]

I have always had an 8ft runner mat under my tank. It is rubber backed and has done a good job of keeping spills off the floor. Originally the tank was on pergo floors, and the mat was probably the reason they weren't ruined when we moved out.

 

[davocean]

I suppose if I were doing metal, and on tile, I would probably apply a strip of something like PVC or something on the bottom of the rails only, not under the entire stand bottom, and only to keep metal from contacting the tile.
They also make a spray on rhino liner in a can, that might work for you as well.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

How about using those foam tile pieces that they use for kids to play on or in gyms for weights to fall on? They are like large foam puzzle pieces so since they interlock water would dry up before seeping into a crack. I'm planning a 210 build in a closet and planned on tiling the whole closet with these foam "puzzle" pieces over my preexisting ceramic tile.

 

[SGT_York]

Any type of thin foam or treated lumber.

 

[Pastey]

I lined the inside of my stand in that PVC sheet, siliconed it so it was water resistant and then between my stand and floor, I attached one of those rubber, high-traffic carpets to the bottom of the stand (upside down).

 

[JDavis3517]

I used a rubber industrial floormat that Lowe's sales. They come in 36x36 squares. I was going to use the foam tile pieces but the floormat is more robust.