Polystyrene under tank?

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MandyT84

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Hi guys I got a new tank today and I am going to set it up over the weekend and start cycle etc however I have been told I should use polystyrene under the tank. Is this right and why? My tank is 3 feet how thick should the polystyrene be? Thanks


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I have a board of polystyrene under my tank. I have always usually done this as the general idea is that it supports the tank, particularly glass tanks. I got mine from Aquarium Shop Australia. They come in different sizes and the one I have is 10mm thick. My tank is a four foot tank (just under 450 litres).
 
Thank you for the reply I will have a look tommorrow and see if I can find somewhere to buy some from. Just to be clear, it needs to be the same size as the bottom of the tank is that right?


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A thin layer of polystyrene will cushion and protect your tank from small vibrations and impact, and any scratches

It's not absolutely necessary - it's the equivalent of putting an extra layer of carpet under any piece of furniture. I don't have one, I have my large tank on small felt pads at the join points where the tank sits on it's stand. I have white towels under my 2 smaller tanks because it makes it easier to see my babies.
 
MandyT84 said:
Thank you for the reply I will have a look tommorrow and see if I can find somewhere to buy some from. Just to be clear, it needs to be the same size as the bottom of the tank is that right?


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No worries :) It should be the same size as your tank for even support. What I have is two pieces side by side to make up the size of my tank though. They are pretty cheap too. :)
 
Ok so doesn't matter if it isn't one piece can use 2 side by side thanks :) thank you auntiejude for your reply I think for piece of mind I will get some, I don't have it under my smaller tank but just worried with the bigger one


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2 side by side would be fine :)

From my understanding, the polystyrene also helps distribute the weight of the tank evenly which is good if the surface it is on is slightly uneven preventing cracks. So it is a good thing to have, particularly for larger aquariums and it is cheap to purchase but as Auntiejude mentioned, it is not absolutely necessary.
 
Great :) thank you for your help :)


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From my understanding, the polystyrene also helps distribute the weight of the tank evenly which is good if the surface it is on is slightly uneven preventing cracks. So it is a good thing to have, particularly for larger aquariums and it is cheap to purchase but as Auntiejude mentioned, it is not absolutely necessary.
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From 44 years of keeping fish plus an engineering background, I'll chime in here with a big thumbs up on this answer. Yes! If the surface your tank's setting on is not quite even, adding this layer can go a long way toward lessening the stress on the tank's seams, especially if you're using a glass aquarium, where all the weight is on the outer edges of the frame.
 
I use yoga mats, theyre cheap and do the job :D
 
Got some today thanks heaps for the advice :)


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