Plan on making a False Elevated Bottom (My first DIY project!)

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divemaster99

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
4,795
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107
Pittsburgh, PA
So my 75 gallon tank has been set up for a month and a half now and finished cycling two weeks ago. The tank's will be focused on a severum with maybe one other cichlid and as many cats as I have room for! The stocking list has changed SO MUCH in the past month as those of you who have read my threads know but I have an approximate stock decided which I will be ordering the last fish of in a few days. The stcok will be something like: 1 green severum, 1 blue acara, 6 giant danios, 1 striped raphael catfish, 1 spotted raphael catfish, 1 jaguar catfish, and 1 sailfin pleco (pleco is going into a 180 in 1.5 years). So as you can see I love doradid and similar looking catfish.

However all these cats are nocturnal by nature (other than the pleco) so I want to make something to let me watch them and give them a sense of security at the same time. In one of my threads knifegill gave me the idea of doing a false elevated bottom and showed me some pictures of how successful it was in viewing the cats so I figures I might as well try to make one. I am new to DIY (other than hooking up an air stone which is probably one of the easiest things to do :)) and am looking for some advice from the masters and those who have made one of these before.

For those who don't know what it is I basically plan on getting a slate about the width of my tank and proping it up several inches of the bottom by siliconing pvc pipe on the corners of it. Then I'll put a piece of driftwood in front of the entrance with a few entrance holes drilled in it so the cats can enter but no other fish can. It will also be nice and dark other than light coming in from the sides of the tank. I will be able to view my cats and they will feel safe at the same time, its a win-win situation.

If anybody can give me some advice before a attempt this I would appreciate it such as what size pvc, what kind of silicone, etc.
And probably my final question would be whether I can get my drftwood from the woods or should I get it at my LFS because the next time I will be at my LFS that has all the things I need will be to get the fish and I want the setup made and ready for them when I put them in the tank.

I'll keep you guys updates!
 
Yoimbrian said:
Make sure you put a powerhead down there too. If that water is stagnant it'll get toxic quick.


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I do not but I have an air stone that is right next to it. I can't get a powerhead because somebody in my house sleeps on the couch next to my tank and complains that all of them are to loud. They even think the air stone is to loud but it's definitely staying. I'll be sure to lift it up to vacuum under it when I do water changes though to avoid any "feces-piles" :)
 
The best material for this is thin, almost paper-thin, pieces of slate. You can cherry-pick these at your local landscaping store for pennies. They are easy to clean, score and crack into shapes you want. Even 2' by 3' pieces at that thinness (they charge by weight) will only cost you a few dollars. Avoid the iron-looking flagstone types, just get the darkest, grayest ones you can find.

Then go to a local plumbing store and find 90º black plastic elbows, stone cubes (make sure it's an aquarium-safe type of rock), anything inert that is about 3" tall. For each piece of slate, you want at least three blocks/pipes/pieces of driftwood, etc. to hold the slate up.

You've got to be sure the slate can't roll or move sideways to crack your aquarium, so when you set it up, have it already touching a wall or two and put something gently on the other side so it's not going to go anywhere. Always move very slowly when you put it in and take it out.

And don't worry about covering the whole floor of the tank, 2/3 is more than enough to keep kitties happy and playing. Leave plenty of gaps if you can to make sure water can get in and out as it circulates. If you do it right you shouldn't need a powerhead, just build it so the filter return enters the cavework somehow. Even an open area below your HOB waterfall will do if it's a big HOB with strong current.

Almost forgot, if you boil and dump coconut shells a few times, they work well! Just make sure they aren't perfectly flush so they don't stagnate, or even better, cut doors in them for your fish to hang out in them!
 
ive thought about this before, like a dungeon below for my wyckii catfish lol! horizontal divider if you like!-)
 
divemaster99 said:
I do not but I have an air stone that is right next to it. I can't get a powerhead because somebody in my house sleeps on the couch next to my tank and complains that all of them are to loud. They even think the air stone is to loud but it's definitely staying. I'll be sure to lift it up to vacuum under it when I do water changes though to avoid any "feces-piles" :)
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Decent powerheads are pretty quiet...quieter than air stones. You wouldn't need a ton of flow, just something to circulate the column of water under your slate.
 
knifegill said:
The best material for this is thin, almost paper-thin, pieces of slate. You can cherry-pick these at your local landscaping store for pennies. They are easy to clean, score and crack into shapes you want. Even 2' by 3' pieces at that thinness (they charge by weight) will only cost you a few dollars. Avoid the iron-looking flagstone types, just get the darkest, grayest ones you can find.

Then go to a local plumbing store and find 90º black plastic elbows, stone cubes (make sure it's an aquarium-safe type of rock), anything inert that is about 3" tall. For each piece of slate, you want at least three blocks/pipes/pieces of driftwood, etc. to hold the slate up.

You've got to be sure the slate can't roll or move sideways to crack your aquarium, so when you set it up, have it already touching a wall or two and put something gently on the other side so it's not going to go anywhere. Always move very slowly when you put it in and take it out.

And don't worry about covering the whole floor of the tank, 2/3 is more than enough to keep kitties happy and playing. Leave plenty of gaps if you can to make sure water can get in and out as it circulates. If you do it right you shouldn't need a powerhead, just build it so the filter return enters the cavework somehow. Even an open area below your HOB waterfall will do if it's a big HOB with strong current.

Almost forgot, if you boil and dump coconut shells a few times, they work well! Just make sure they aren't perfectly flush so they don't stagnate, or even better, cut doors in them for your fish to hang out in them!
Click to expand...

Woah, I was just planning on one probably 18 X 18 inch piece of slate as a large cave. It would be so much easier to show a picture but just imagine an 18 by 18 piece of slate rock (all one piece) held up by 4 small 4-5" tall peg-like rocks on one side of the tank with the filter intake in the cave part. There would also be a large piece of driftwood in front of the one open side with a few holes drilled in it so the catfish would enter it through those means. I know they would all just lay in there all day but as long as I can view them I'm fine with that :) also as long as they are eating.

I may try your idea though, it seems like a better way to light acclimatize them, just a bit more work.

Do most LFSs have aquarium safe silicon, if not where should I get some?
 
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