Tank Rock

[navygirl76]

i use eggcrate in my malawi tanks.. and set the rock pile directly on the eggcrate, then add the sand around the rock and cover the eggcrate. i wouldnt recommend styrofoam (the fish can pick chunks off of it and eat or choke on it) and rubber would probably crack and fall apart over time...

eggcrate is really the best thing especially if you are putting rock weight in the tank..

 

[navygirl76]

sorry for the double post--this mouse is trash

 

[oii]

this made me think.. I have 50lb's of gravel in my 60g tank. On top of that I have 60lbs of slate rock. How much is a egg crate going to cost me at home depot?

 

[Snake_Eyes]

Maybe $15.

 

[cvermeulen]

Styrofoam would leech chemicals into your water. With egg crate, you simply cut to fit and lay it in your tank, add sand, then add rocks. Also, if the rocks were to fall, theres almost no chance of it smashing your base.

Styrofoam and eggcrate are the exact same chemical composition (polystyrene plastic) Many people have run styro under their substrate successfully for long periods of time. Get your facts straight.

Plexiglas would also work. You are just trying to eliminate the point loading on your glass bottom. If it's a larger tank, the point about it being tempered is a good one indeed - a chip in a tempered bottom = disaster (as I'm sure you know if you took the same mech materials courses that I did).

Eggcrate however IS the most widely used... given the history of success, it'd be tough to miss with putting a layer down under your sand. The major advantage it has over styrofoam of course is that it doesn't float!