Egg crate under aquascape?

[BigDaddyD1992]

I seen people putting down egg crate, then doing their aquacape and putting in sand. Why do people do this? What are the pros and cons of using egg crate? I would think it would make it hard to clean the substrate, I look forward to hearing your opinions.[emoji2]

Thanks

 

[Sounds Fishy]

I did it in order to help evenly distribute the weight of 350 pounds of LR in my aquarium.I am not having any difficulty with keeping the substrate clean.I only have enough gravel to cover the eggcrate.It also helps keep the rock in place.

 

[Ebone]

I used it under a few of the bottom structure, when I built my aquascape I was planning for a pistol/goby pair and didn't want any chance of them digging out under my rock.... in hind sight I would have never put the little bugger in there he decorates his home with all my corals he can move

 

[matt_97055]

I put it down because I didn't want a 100 lb rock siting on the glass bottom of my cube

 

[Ron Reefman]

That's pretty funny. You put a bunch of heavy rock on egg crate and think it isn't heavy anymore? Sure the weight may be spread out better, but it's just not a big issue. And egg create in the sand just creates places for stuff to accumulate.

I set my egg crate on pvc legs that are an inch or two above the sand. That way 95% of the bottom has sand for the critters that want to use it. It also allows for water circulation over the entire bottom of the tank. I hide the edge of the egg crate by using smaller LR on the sand around the edge of the rock structure.

 

[tharkins]

I just put the rock on the glass and then filled in the sand around it. Didn't want to mess with egg crate. Unless you are talking about crazy weight...I woudlnt' worry about the glass not being able to handle it as any well built tank can handle quite a bit.

I have about 130 lbs of rock in a 110 gall tank.

 

[Wazzel]

I put it down because I didn't want a 100 lb rock siting on the glass bottom of my cube

The water weighs (8lbs/gal) lots more than the rock and 100lbs of rock does not weigh 100lbs when submerged.

 

[matt_97055]

I didn't want this sitting in the glass without something under it.

 

[DavidinGA]

I put down egg crate not because I'm concerned with the weight on the bare glass, but because it is an anchor point so that my 24" plus tall landscapes would be less prone to slide on the slippery bare glass bottom.

 

[CHSUB]

Egg crate under aquascape?

this is a good question, as i have always wondered why people put egg crate under their rock? unfortunately, i still don't know why?

 

[DavidinGA]

Egg crate under aquascape?

this is a good question, as i have always wondered why people put egg crate under their rock? unfortunately, i still don't know why?

So the landscape doesn't slide (or at least that's my reason).

 

[ericarenee]

Egg crate under aquascape?

this is a good question, as i have always wondered why people put egg crate under their rock? unfortunately, i still don't know why?

When i see people Put that under there rock and fill all those little squares with sand. In my mind I think about that black Dead area Growing and becoming more and more stagnated . Like a Ticking Time bomb waiting to Crash the tank and Kill everything .....

Just my opinion.... If you put something on the bottom use something solid and run a bead of Silicone around its bottom edge to prevent the above..
I had a 8 year old reef Crash from using PVC PIPE similar effect....... Took me 6 years to decide to set back up after loosing all that MONEY...
NOW I am bare bottom and going to do a Raised area and sand in the front as i do not like the bare bottom look.......

 

[DavidinGA]

When i see people Put that under there rock and fill all those little squares with sand. In my mind I think about that black Dead area Growing and becoming more and more stagnated . Like a Ticking Time bomb waiting to Crash the tank and Kill everything .....

Just my opinion.... If you put something on the bottom use something solid and run a bead of Silicone around its bottom edge to prevent the above..
I had a 8 year old reef Crash from using PVC PIPE similar effect....... Took me 6 years to decide to set back up after loosing all that MONEY...
NOW I am bare bottom and going to do a Raised area and sand in the front as i do not like the bare bottom look.......

I seriously doubt all those tiny little squares filled with sand is going to cause any issues (especially if your running a typical shallow sandbed)...

 

[ericarenee]

I seriously doubt all those tiny little squares filled with sand is going to cause any issues (especially if your running a typical shallow sandbed)...

I had 2 inches in the front to about 3 inches in the back.The tank was absolutely Gorgeous and Stable.Then within a few days everything was Nearly gone.
When i tore it down The area between the pvc pipe and the pipe them self was totally Black Like the inside of a sewer pipe...


There is NO Doubt in my mind what caused it.. As this was only in the areas Trapped by the pipes..
I have heard others claim similar issues where the Egg crate turned black as well.. There is a huge technical term why and how this happens....

I am sure someone will Reply and explain

 

[DavidinGA]

I had 2 inches in the front to about 3 inches in the back.The tank was absolutely Gorgeous and Stable.Then within a few days everything was Nearly gone.
When i tore it down The area between the pvc pipe and the pipe them self was totally Black Like the inside of a sewer pipe...


There is NO Doubt in my mind what caused it.. As this was only in the areas Trapped by the pipes..
I have heard others claim similar issues where the Egg crate turned black as well.. There is a huge technical term why and how this happens....

I am sure someone will Reply and explain

Are you talking about the egg crate when your say pvc pipe?

With egg crate it's pretty easy to see what's going on down there - just look up under the tank from inside your stand. My little squares are pretty clean looking right now...

 

[mgraf]

I think a hundred pounds of rock is still a hundred pounds under water. It just feels like less cause the water weighs more than air.

 

[mgraf]

I would also think for distribution of weight and to prevent a protrusion from the rock from being in direct contact with the glass. I have heard of people dropping rocks and cracking tanks.

 

[Wazzel]

I think a hundred pounds of rock is still a hundred pounds under water. It just feels like less cause the water weighs more than air.

Nope, buoyancy principals still apply even if the item does not float. The weight of the rock is reduce by the weigh of water it displaces.

I am an engineer that works in subsea construction. I calculate dry and wet weights of items all the time.

 

[Wazzel]

I would also think for distribution of weight and to prevent a protrusion from the rock from being in direct contact with the glass. I have heard of people dropping rocks and cracking tanks.

The only danger to the tank from a rock is if it gets dropped from a significant height when the tank is empty.

 

[DaveMorris]

I use egg crate on the bottom primarily to keep the rock from sliding around as well as a comfort level I have of not concentrating all of the rock weight on several tiny points of rock. The idea of the sand fouling in the little squares is humorous to me. Those little squares aren't big enough to cause an area to get nasty. Besides if you have the right mix of sand critters like you should if you have sand anyway, it won't matter. I have always done it this way and have never had any issue with it in any of my past tanks ranging from 90g to 300g.