Egg Crate or Something on Bottom

[RayAllen3422]

I recently heard about putting egg crate or something else on the bottom of the tank under the rock and sand to protect the tank from breakage. Has anyone heard of this? Is this common? I had never heard of this before. Thanks.

 

[gone fishin]

I have pieces of egg crate under my rock. Been there for about 4 years now

 

[Happyschneider]

I hav eput it as well as my LFS does it and it was my very first aquarium with so much stone. In hindsight I am not convinced. Having a pistol shrimp now, it limits the places where it can digg. If then I would only place very small pieces directly where the stone touches the glass.

 

[toothybugs]

It's generally more common in bare-bottom tanks to keep the rock from sliding around, but a handful of people put it under rocks in sand-bottom tanks too. Me, I have my eggcrate suspended via 1/2" rings of 2" black PVC to make clearing out under the rocks and crate easier. The tank is running bare.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have egg crate under my LR, but it's elevated above the sand on PVC pipe legs. Along the edges that show, I've put smaller rocks on the sand to hid the edge of the egg crate. It's only 1 to 2" above the sand.

Advantages are more sand for animals that like sand, wrasses, sea stars, sea cucmbers, snails etc. It also allows for water flow under the rocks and better flow at the sand, therefore less issues with cyano bacteria blooms. It protects the bottom glass against heavy rocks and sharp rock edges. It alos provides more LR surface for good bacteria and places for good sponges that don't like light to grow.

My tank was put together this way 5 years ago and I've had no issues with it at all.

 

[gottalikesharks]

I am also planning to use in my 120...

 

[scooter31707]

I do not personally use a egg crate. I placed my rocks directly on the glass and then filled with sand.

 

[Coelli]

I use eggcrate. Living in CA, anything that helps keep rocks from shifting is a good idea.

 

[fishchef]

Always felt it was a good idea. With over 100 lbs in my 125 some protection works for me.

 

[CStrickland]

Do tanks really break on the bottom?
I don't think I've ever seen a thread where that happened, but I haven't been looking for it either. I've dropped rocks from pretty high up without issue. They aren't as heavy under water, they fall slower.

I'm planning an upgrade, gonna put 1" cutting board platforms under the rocks. Hoping to get the best of 2 worlds: bb under the rocks where it's hard to reach and I can't see anyway, pretty sand out front that I can keep clean.

 

[RayAllen3422]

I have egg crate under my LR, but it's elevated above the sand on PVC pipe legs. Along the edges that show, I've put smaller rocks on the sand to hid the edge of the egg crate. It's only 1 to 2" above the sand.

Advantages are more sand for animals that like sand, wrasses, sea stars, sea cucmbers, snails etc. It also allows for water flow under the rocks and better flow at the sand, therefore less issues with cyano bacteria blooms. It protects the bottom glass against heavy rocks and sharp rock edges. It alos provides more LR surface for good bacteria and places for good sponges that don't like light to grow.

My tank was put together this way 5 years ago and I've had no issues with it at all.

Very interesting. Anyone else do this?

 

[reefbroao]

There would have to be some SERIOUS downward force to break the bottom. Especially since whatever stand you use most likely has a face plate, that force would have to surpass that of what the face plate could withstand as well.

 

[RayAllen3422]

There would have to be some SERIOUS downward force to break the bottom. Especially since whatever stand you use most likely has a face plate, that force would have to surpass that of what the face plate could withstand as well.

This is what I had always thought but I have only ever had one tank.

 

[AcroNewbie]

I would just use epoxy to keep the rocks in place, superglue the epoxy-glass connection (In a dry aquarium) and it should hold pretty well, eggcrate is easy but it also takes away the natural look of the tank. Only downside to using epoxy is it will be harder to rescape in the future.

 

[thegrun]

Do tanks really break on the bottom?
I don't think I've ever seen a thread where that happened, but I haven't been looking for it either. I've dropped rocks from pretty high up without issue. They aren't as heavy under water, they fall slower.

I'm planning an upgrade, gonna put 1" cutting board platforms under the rocks. Hoping to get the best of 2 worlds: bb under the rocks where it's hard to reach and I can't see anyway, pretty sand out front that I can keep clean.

I have never heard of someone having the bottom of the tank break from pressure above. The purpose of the egg crate is not to protect the bottom of the tank (although it does do that also), it is to anchor the rocks in place. The jagged edges of the rock catch in the voids of the egg crate which locks the rocks in place and helps keep them from shifting over time from the pressure of the rocks above and sand shifting.

 

[Sounds Fishy]

My aquarium is 30 inches deep. Having an egg crate bottom helped setting live rock in place while setting it up.I only wanted a very shallow substrate as well so I only put enough in to cover the grate.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have egg crate under my LR, but it's elevated above the sand on PVC pipe legs. Along the edges that show, I've put smaller rocks on the sand to hid the edge of the egg crate. It's only 1 to 2" above the sand.

Advantages are more sand for animals that like sand, wrasses, sea stars, sea cucmbers, snails etc. It also allows for water flow under the rocks and better flow at the sand, therefore less issues with cyano bacteria blooms. It protects the bottom glass against heavy rocks and sharp rock edges. It alos provides more LR surface for good bacteria and places for good sponges that don't like light to grow.

My tank was put together this way 5 years ago and I've had no issues with it at all.

Very interesting. Anyone else do this?

I learned of this idea from a long time reefer in my local club about 6 or 7 years ago. Then I found out several other reefers with big tanks were doing the same thing. I've passed the idea along to several other people. As far as I know, none of us has had any issues with doing it, but I can't point to it as being a big benefit either. There are just too many variables in a big aquarium.

However, my sea cucumber and a few serpent stars seem to really like having room to move under the rocks. I only see the cucumber about a day or two every 4 to 8 weeks as it has so much sand to work under the rocks. I really think the biggest advantage of the idea is water flow. Having the rocks out of the sand and an inch or two above it allows for water to flow under them as well as around them. Where does cyano bacteria seem to occur most often in an aquarium? On the sand, right? I've never had any cyano issues in this tank. Is it because I get better flow down at the sand due to rocks being off the bottom? I can't prove it, but I'd do the same thing if I ever set up another tank.