Rimless Glass Tank - Can I set it up on carpet?

[Chris]

Hey guys,

I've got a 47 gallon Eheim Rimless tank that I've had in my closet for about a year, and I'm finally ready to set it up for some new fish I just put into quarantine. However, I'm planning on moving in the next few months, and would probably end up putting this tank on a double rack in my new home - something that wouldn't make sense to build here in my teeny tiny apartment. So, I figured I'd set it up in the floor, for now.

I've always heard that for rimless tanks you want to ensure that the surface the tank is on is completely smooth and that you also usually want to sit the tank on a layer of Neoprene to make sure the weight is 100% evenly distributed. Is all that really necessary, or is it another false claim that's been circulated around on the internet without ever really being fact-checked?

Would I be okay to simply set the tank up on a rug that I laid down on my carpet (after making sure there's nothing underneath the carpet to break the tank), or would I need to pick up some plywood and neoprene and go that route?

Any advice is appreciated.

[Zenzo]

To be safe, it would probably be best to have it on a sheet of wood with a thin foam/neoprene layer between the tank and the floor. It may be okay, but why risk having 47 gallons of water on the floor?

You can find a thin yoga mat and cut it up for your foam layer. 

[Minanora]

So, I will say this as well. Plans can always change. So unless you're 100 percent certain that you're going to be moving in the next 3 months, I would go ahead and do your setup in a way that fits your end goal, or something similar.

Setting a tank up on the floor sounds like a pita to enjoy imo. Plus with foot traffic, dander, vacuuming etc, I'm sure that isn't the most suitable environment for a rimless.

That and water changes are very difficult, and/or near impossible, if you're using a gravity siphon at similar levels.

If you do set it up on the floor, I recommend putting something under it like Zenzo said. Better safe than sorry.