The proper way to level a tank stand?

It's been a while since I leveled a new tank stand. I had a 150 gal tank that was way off and needed a lot of shiming. My new 210 gal tank has a low left front corner. I haven't put anything into the tank so please correct me if I'm wrong. Take the Home Depot shims and push them under the stand with a hammer until the corner is level. Then mark them with a pensil. Add a shim every 6" to 12" of raised area until there is no gap and mark them with a pensil. Then pull the shims out one a time and cut them on the pensil line so they are not exposed. A thing I have done before was to make a base molding for the stand to hide the shims. The manufacturer has offered me the finishing paint. Is this the proper way to do it?

 

That sounds fine. I would probably use a dremil tool with a cutoff wheel to trim the shims to the correct length rather than pull them back out but you might end up marking up the floor below the shim. I've got to do the same thing on the new stand I built. My stand is level but my floor isnt really.

 

I just leveled my stand and left the shims exposed. I cut them when I completed filling the tank. I just used a razor knife to cut the exposed part of the shim.

 

The more I think about this it will probably sink into the shim when I put all that weight in so I will have to tap it in further as the weight is added. What is a dremil tool look like?

 

the shims are most likely ceddar. they should cut real easy with a utility knife. saves from putting them in and taking them back out. a dremel tool is motorized, fits in the palm of your hand and has a 1001 and 1 uses. awesome little tool. many different tools and adaptors.

 

Dont use wood shims. spend the 50 cents and get the plastic. I left my shims exposed until my tank was full and settled in. And then I snapped off the excess. Plastic ones have holes in the shims so its easier to snap them off.

 

Where do I get plastic shims? Home depot?

 

one video i have watched suggested putting styrofoam directly between the tank and stand to take care of the leveling

edit: this was a whole sheet to cover the bottom of the tank not just one corner

 

I'd heard about that but that could be a little tricky with a 210 gal tank... It's heavy and how would it slide into the stand with a 1 1/2" trim?

 

I just squatted down and put my shoulder against the stand and leaned iit back and slid a couple covers from a hardback book under it. But then it is only 55 galoon so its pretty light. And still about a 32nd off....