Eggcrate for rocks

[gray808]

Six-ish years ago, when I first started reading seriously about reef tanks, one of the things I saw suggested a lot was having pieces of plastic "egg crate" cut to shape, and place between your large base rocks and bottom tank glass.

I don't see this mentioned much anymore.

I'd kinda like to do this, the thought of rock sitting right on glass makes me nervous. Is there a compelling reason to not do this? Or is there a better way to put some sort of buffer between rock and glass?

--Gray

 

[schuby]

I used white eggcrate from Home Depot (fluorescent light diffuser panels) in my 150 gal tank. Besides preventing rock from directly touching glass bottom, it also prevents rock from moving when u stack them. I put sand in after rock was all positioned.

 

[adromero]

I used white eggcrate from Home Depot (fluorescent light diffuser panels) in my 150 gal tank. Besides preventing rock from directly touching glass bottom, it also prevents rock from moving when u stack them. I put sand in after rock was all positioned.

I will have to do this the next time I set up a tank

 

[gray808]

I used white eggcrate from Home Depot (fluorescent light diffuser panels) in my 150 gal tank. Besides preventing rock from directly touching glass bottom, it also prevents rock from moving when u stack them. I put sand in after rock was all positioned.

This is pretty much exactly what my plan was. I didn't realize it came in white, that is probably even better.

I can see the little squares being a nutrient trap... but will the trap significantly more than the sand that works it's way under the rock naturally?

--Gray

 

[AdamNC]

The only reason I do not use it anymore is I had just bought a burrowing wrasse, Canary Wrasse. 5 mins after putting him in the tank, boom he dives into the sand bed not to be seen again until 3 days later, with a broken/dislocated jaw. Poor guy couldn’t get it back in place and I lost him about a week later.

 

[evelio118]

If the tank is empty now. You can glue down a piece of black ABS. It is strong and if you decide ever decide to go bare bottom. I looks great.

An issue I see with egg crate is the possibility of pockets of sand getting trapped in the squares.

 

[gray808]

If the tank is empty now. You can glue down a piece of black ABS. It is strong and if you decide ever decide to go bare bottom. I looks great.

I thought of this. If well-silicon-ed in, it shouldn't let any water in, should it? If so, maybe I'll just coat the whole bottom of the tank in black ABS. A little more expensive, but I think it would give me piece of mind.

--Gray

 

[evelio118]

If you silicone in several areas and seal the edge along the ABS. It should not let water in. While it is drying you want place something on top of the ABS that can apply equal pressure.

 

[Biglew11]

I used the thin flat textured light diffuser. Protects the glass. gives the rock a surface to grip.

 

[Lizbeli]

I have used it before and personally would not do it again. First reason is while vacuuming sand after a few water changes I needed to add more to recover the crate. Second, I prefer a more shallow sandbed. I found that it didn’t allow for the microfauna to thrive like my other tanks.

Whatever works for you. But I found that and aquascape that is glued or epoxied is perfectly safe if added before sand. When a rock falls in saltwater its not likely to do damage unless you were bare bottom and it fell a weird way.