Aquascaping Question?

[PMG]

I will be getting ready to start the aquascaping on my 150 within the next few weeks, and would like to get some club member opinions.

My question is; When placing rock within the tank, is it best to just sit the rock on the sand bed, bury the rock within the sand, or use risers made from 1-1/2" to 2" short pieces of PVC to support the rock and minimize the surface contact between sand and rock?

Note: The tank will have a 2" sand bed.

 

[Cove Beach]

No matter which way you go make sure if something digs you won't have a rock slide. My new wrasse is fond of digging and would have been bad had i not set the rocks on the bottom first then added sand.

 

[serpentman]

PVC risers are nice but a complete pain in the "you know what". I would aquascape first with the rock on the bottom then add sand last.

 

[the budman]

rock first then sand

 

[aerius007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14133024#post14133024 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by serpentman
PVC risers are nice but a complete pain in the "you know what". I would aquascape first with the rock on the bottom then add sand last.

+1

I have always heard to add the sand last so nothing can burrow underneath and cause a shift. I also use a Magnum 350 to polish the water after I add sand, takes a couple days worth of cloudiness down to a couple of hours.

 

[DiscoReefRover]

plus 2

 

[Murphs205]

+3

 

[PMG]

Thanks guys,
Rock then Sand it is. That's pretty much what made the most sense to me. PVC risers I would also assume are a pain, and probably more so when you go to rearrange the tank later on.

Thanks again

 

[sohal1025]

Or even put eggcrate on the bottom to distribute the rock weight evenly, it will secure the rock better from shifting when a creature wants to pull sand from the base of the rock, ya know what I mean?

 

[Thinslis]

Another thing you could look into is some threaded nylon rod if you want to make pillars. Its pretty cheap and you just drill a hole through the rocks slide the rod through and cap the ends with the threaded nuts.

Just a thought.

 

[sohal1025]

Where do you get those rods from?

 

[Thinslis]

Marco rocks sells them or someplace like USplastics sell them as well. Not sure if Salty or Phishy carry or can get them.