# Marine Tank on Hardwood Floor - what to put under?



## Ken (Jun 6, 2012)

Hi all,

Setting up a new marine tank in our living room, with hardwood floor underneath. I'm looking for some suggestions and experiences regarding what to best put under the tank.

Ideally I'd look for something that can protect the floor to some extent, but look good enough to keep in the living room. Some vibration absorption would be good, as the pumps do make some vibration noise that the hardwood amplifies.

I used to use a piece of plastic stair runner... when I took up the tank after a few years, some salt water had seeped under the plastic and caused minor damage... but perhaps that's the best we can come up with?

I'd wonder if there is some kind of a product that has a rolled-up plastic bag in it or similar integrated into it, that could contain a leak. Now that would be a nice find, if it exists.

Ken


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

Hey ken. I just setup a tank and wondered the same things as you. I ended up buying indoor/outdoor carpet from Walmart. It comes in a roll and was $20 for a big piece. I cut it to the same size as my stand so you cant see it at all but it will protect the Laminate from scratches. I hope! I also like that its breathable incase water gets between the mat and the floor. That way it wont rot the floor. Again I have no idea if this carpet works but I guess I wont know until I move the tank one day. I also bought a smaller roll that I use to put on the floor when I am working on the tank. I thought of using a plastic material but decided if water did get under it that it would have no way of drying so this was the easiest and cheapest solution I could find. 

Let us know if you figure out a better way!

Good Luck


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I've been using this under my tank stands. Cork Rubber Tape by Foamtapes.net | Rubber and cork blend, cork tape, glass setting tape, single sided foam tape, closed cell rubber tape I've used in on my cube tank and even on my 400g tank. I just stick the foam to bottom of my stand, any part that would touch the ground. Even under the massive weight of the 400g, the tape still did not completely crush. I figure I would use foam to compensate for any irregularity in the hardwood floor. So far so good.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

For the bottom, I would put a bunch of nail on nylon pads. Also allow the stand to slide without damaging your floor. You may be able to find those pads at Windsor or HomeDepot. If not, I can sell you a few - I think I have about 100 of them 

Any type of floor cover would be a bad idea as you have found out. It will also leave a different shade in time due to different exposure to UV/light. 

If you create a lip at the top of you stand, you can alway line them with pond membrane to create small containment. To get real fancy, I have seen a stand with a drain to a drum inside the stand.


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