Tiling a 240

rwellbaum · May 12, 2014

Hey everyone I just bought a 240 gallon & I am wanting to tile the bottom instead of using sand substrate or bare bottom...

Anyone know of any tips & tricks for this? I like the looks of tile bottoms better than bare bottom
Is it better to silicon the tile down? Or is that unnecessary and just setting them down is fine?

I will update this thread with pictures of my tile job

Also anyone with tiled tanks post some pictures for inspiration!

Thanks!

soul_assassin · May 12, 2014

I just laid them down, get the largest tiles you can; the fewer the better. Bc u will have less spaces in between them. I tried both black sand and white sand to "fill the cracks" both a waste of time, the sand get washed out of the cracks and be all over the tile looking ugly

justarn · May 12, 2014

heres my 300 with roof slates jus laying on the bottom, joints could be better but its kinda rustic anyhow, im pleased but miss the cichlids digging about... its pretty crucial to have a flat bottomed tank to avoid crud gathering underneath unless you plan on lifting them regularly.
[video=youtube;6hhobb_jMyg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hhobb_jMyg[/video]

justarn · May 12, 2014

[video=youtube;sqTU4bol-xs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqTU4bol-xs[/video]

rwellbaum · May 12, 2014

soul_assassin said:
I just laid them down, get the largest tiles you can; the fewer the better. Bc u will have less spaces in between them. I tried both black sand and white sand to "fill the cracks" both a waste of time, the sand get washed out of the cracks and be all over the tile looking ugly

Yeah I wasn't planning on adding sand to fill the cracks, I was thinking of just laying them down or else running a continuous bead of silicon around the edges of each tile to keep debris from getting all the way under them... Do you have any pictures of yours? Thanks

justarn said:
heres my 300 with roof slates jus laying on the bottom, joints could be better but its kinda rustic anyhow, im pleased but miss the cichlids digging about... its pretty crucial to have a flat bottomed tank to avoid crud gathering underneath unless you plan on lifting them regularly.
[video=youtube;6hhobb_jMyg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hhobb_jMyg[/video]

Looks awesome! My 240 is just a regular glass aquarium I was planing on running a continuous bead of silicon around the edge of each tile to avoid debris from getting under them so i don't have to lift them regularly.

justarn · May 12, 2014

cheers, slate is thin, cheap and safe so seemed the idea option for me... also i wasnt one for the kitchen floor effect many tiles give.

knobhill · May 12, 2014

I love my tile tanks. When choosing slate, try to pick tiles that are the same thickness and as flat as possible so there aren't any dead spots. You will need a tile saw to trim them to get a perfect fit...they sell cheap ones at harbor freight. Also, I used ceramic hole saws to drill holes where I have bulkheads on the bottom.

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soul_assassin · May 13, 2014

From what I've read some slate can contain iron; thus rusting over time. My set up is only 36"x18" foot print, only two 16.5"x16.5" ceramic tiles. The silicone is a good idea but I would first just place the tile in and see if you like the colour for a week. Underwater it will change a bit. I also recommend taking you time with the selection of colour/design. I think granite is the best option but pricey. Black\brown will darken yuour fish. Tan/lighter will look better IMO but grows algae easier/is more visible

rwellbaum · May 28, 2014

Thanks for the advice everyone
Here is my tile job just got it done tonight

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