What Do You Put Under Your Rock Work To Protect The Glass?

[odannyboy]

new tank,tonnes of ocean rock and plans to make a nice backdrop of caves and holes for my mbuna from ocean rock , but im getting paranoid about the weight distribution on the glass base,heard people put stuff underneath but what and where to get it???

 

[raptorrex]

a thin layer of sand may help, i have thought of this for a while, my Crayfish digs/ undermines many of my heavy tank items. i dont have many so i have not done anything. but i too would be interested to know, if our more experienced members have a solution.

 

[keith00]

I use egg crate and it works a treat.

a thin layer of sand may help, i have thought of this for a while, my Crayfish digs/ undermines many of my heavy tank items. i dont have many so i have not done anything. but i too would be interested to know, if our more experienced members have a solution.

 

[odannyboy]

iv seen people mention egg crate but i thought it was an american term for something else.
so not wanting to sound stupid or state the obvoius, what is egg crate and where do you buy it?

 

[Ferris]

I've never bothered with anything other than a thin layer of sand - If the rocks are heavy enough, Mbuna aren't able to remove the sand completely from under them, just around them. I've never had any problems/collapses.

 

[dthoffsett]

I don't use anything under my rocks either. However, you can if it makes you feel better.

Eggcrate is a plastic grid used as a light diffuser in dropped ceilings. You can find it at most hardware stores.

 

[raptorrex]

I've never bothered with anything other than a thin layer of sand - If the rocks are heavy enough, Mbuna aren't able to remove the sand completely from under them, just around them. I've never had any problems/collapses.

lol as i thought, but its nice to hear from someone else

I don't use anything under my rocks either. However, you can if it makes you feel better.

Eggcrate is a plastic grid used as a light diffuser in dropped ceilings. You can find it at most hardware stores.

that would smash if a rock hit it, would it not? thanks for the explanation though!

 

[dthoffsett]

that would smash if a rock hit it, would it not? thanks for the explanation though!

It might, they're pretty well constructed, and if the rock is big and heavy enough to break the grid, chances are it could either crack or break the glass. The theory behind using it is that it gives a more even weight distribution on the glass, and works as a buffer for the glass.

 

[PoPoV]

Plastic diamond grating works good as well. Home Depot (Agent Orange, Home Cheapo) in the garden section.

 

[fishytyke]

again i'd say if you wanted to use anything i'd use "egg crate", which is just filter grid like you would use in a koi filter

or....

you could use milliput (the underwater epoxy putty the marine fishkeepers use to attach corals etc) to make little feet for the rocks which will be on the bottom, this will stop any sharp points from pressing on the glass, and spreat the weight more evenly

just take the rock and llittle balls or putty and stick it to a plastic bag on a flat surface, when its dry peel off the plastic and hey presto to have a rock with feet.

it's a pain and a long job, but its an option.

neil

 

[raptorrex]

again i'd say if you wanted to use anything i'd use "egg crate", which is just filter grid like you would use in a koi filter

or....

you could use milliput (the underwater epoxy putty the marine fishkeepers use to attach corals etc) to make little feet for the rocks which will be on the bottom, this will stop any sharp points from pressing on the glass, and spreat the weight more evenly

just take the rock and llittle balls or putty and stick it to a plastic bag on a flat surface, when its dry peel off the plastic and hey presto to have a rock with feet.

it's a pain and a long job, but its an option.

neil

lol man i've been using milliput for years, in modelling, and for general repairs. never used it in a tank though. saying that, i once sealed a leaky headlight with it. Humm wonder if it could seal cracks, not holes, in a tank?

 

[schooly20]

Egg crate is what I'm using on my tank and I havent had any problems with it yet. But I will say that some of the other ideas mentioned seem like they would work as well.

 

[kj23502]

Egg crate is what I have in mine! I was a little concerned with pressure points on the glass and the theory (as stated above) is that it distributes the weight evenly over the length of the egg crate.

I took pics when I was setting up my journal for those that didn't know what it was either. (I had no idea what it was when I first started my 125 gallon tank and the biggest tank I'd ever had before that was a whopping 29 gallon )

my bad...I just saw that the guy before me resurrected this topic from last year!

 

[CamaroGurl]

Egg crate is what I have in mine! I was a little concerned with pressure points on the glass and the theory (as stated above) is that it distributes the weight evenly over the length of the egg crate.

I took pics when I was setting up my journal for those that didn't know what it was either. (I had no idea what it was when I first started my 125 gallon tank and the biggest tank I'd ever had before that was a whopping 29 gallon )

my bad...I just saw that the guy before me resurrected this topic from last year!

Well, while it's alive, I've got a question.....is there any fake rocks that would not be as heavy, but yet still look nice in the tank?

 

[kj23502]

Well, while it's alive, I've got a question.....is there any fake rocks that would not be as heavy, but yet still look nice in the tank?

Yea. from the petstore. But you'll probably pay alot for them I'd personally be reluctant to buy fake rocks from anything but a petstore, because if the right paint or material wasn't used it could be detrimental to your fish

--edit--
wanted to take out pic and stuff as it isn't needed right here