Rockscaping Question

[Raven20]

Setting up my 300 gal Acrylic with African Cichlids, i want to put in about 150-200lbs of rock, using sand as a substrate, do i need to put eggcrate down first or will the sand be enough support?

Thanks

 

[Raven20]

C'mon Monster tank guys and gals.....help me out here

Thanks

 

[rpow]

The egg crate imo you shouldn't put in, because i read the cichlids like to dig in sandbeds. maybe put it where the actual rock surface meets the bottom of the tank you could just attach pieces here and there with silicone.

 

[smitty03281964]

Sand is not any support. But I do not see why you just can not put the rocks on the bottom.

 

[puppy_wounder]

acrylic scratches easily and they probuly want to keep their tank in nice condition

 

[txjimbob911]

I second using silicone to attach pieces together.

 

[Fishfan713]

I have a glass tank and have around 250 lbs of lace rock and I use egg crate I feel more confortable with it,but I think acrylic is stronger so you can go either way. What kind of sand are you going to use? Here is my tank , I use pool filter sand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsZxIpmSYFs

 

[Jon M]

I use a lot of heavy rock in my 125g acrylic with no egg crate. The egg crate will distribute the weight in a glass tank or something with a trim where the glass is elevated off what it is sitting on but unnecessary IMO if in an acrylic tank that is sitting directly on a stand. Mine is 3/4" acrylic directly on the 2x6 board top of my stand and I have no issues. Using PFS. Those two large rocks alone are about 60lb together I believe.

Here's pics of the tank w/ the rocks on the last page. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?428606-Redecorated-125g-Tank&highlight=

Of course if I had thsi in a glass tank I would be more comfortable w/ the egg crate evenly distributing weight. I wouldn't have the rocks I have in my acrylic 125g in the old glass 95g I had since the bottom trim elevates the glass and makes it not sit on anything to support it.