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Rocks: Placement (003)


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Hi all,

I am in the process of setting up a 5'x18"x20" tank for tangs. I using marble chip as the substrate and will have approx. 10kg of rocks stacked in a pile at either end.

Just in case some of the fish decide to do excavations under the rocks I would like to put something under the substrate to prevent the rocks coming in direct contact with the glass and if possible to spread the weight of the rock piles across the whole base instead of concentrating the pressure on two points.

Can anyone suggest an appropriate item to put in there and where to get it?

I guess a thin sheet of styrofoam would prevent the rocks from coming in contact with the base but is it ok to put styrofoam in the tank and would it solve the weight distribution hassle?

Would under gravel filter plates be an (expensive) option?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Mike smile.gif

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Place the heavy rocks directly on the tank base, or on a styro sheet, however you decide to do it. DO NOT place rocks on top of substrate. Substrate should be added later.

A UGF plate would work, but they also would trap a whole lot of gunk underneath which wont be pretty. Also, the UGF plate would break very easily if something fell onto it. Again make sure the rocks go in before the substrate!

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Hi Mike I have found a cheap 4" angle grinder with a cheap diamond blade (supercheap _ _ _ _) does a great job at leveling up bases to increase contact area from points to flatish surfaces this should save the base of the tank from scratches as well. Just use saftey glasses and a dust mask outside whilst cutting

Neil

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I am going to be doing a similar thing shortly and I was thinking of using a large terracotta tile or any other floor tile that matched the same colour of the substrate that I eventually decide to get. I am thinking of silicone glueing the rocks to the tiles as I want my rocks to be like tall pillars, not laying flat.

regards, Jdhogg

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I am thinking of silicone glueing the rocks to the tiles as I want my rocks to be like tall pillars, not laying flat.

Good idea JD, I'm going to silicone the rocks together so I can stack them up with a reduced risk of them falling.

a cheap 4" angle grinder with a cheap diamond blade (supercheap _ _ _ _) does a great job at leveling up bases

You can me tight if you like but I was hoping to get out of it a little cheaper than buying an angle grinder I'll never use again. Power tools and I don't mix blush.gif

A UGF plate would work, but they also would trap a whole lot of gunk underneath which wont be pretty.

Ducksta, do you really think gunk would get trapped under there? What if I put an uplift tube in place and occassionally hooked it up to the powerhead and used it to suck all the gunk out?

Thanks

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copy and past!

In regards to what you can put on the bottom inside of the tank to protect the glass from the rocks. Some people will use polystyrene itself but don’t use this as it has the potential to leach poisons into the water and damage the fish (as it will release toxins if burnt). I wouldn't use sheets of rubber.

In the same position as you are in, I came up with the idea of putting beads of silicone sealant on the inside bottom of the tank (when empty), where you intend to put the rocks. Put a series of “silicon worms” on the bottom and let them dry.

Alternatively, if you know what rocks are going to come in contact with the bottom you could put a few lumps of silicon on the rocks itself.

Craig

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i believe u can buy uv treated rubber mats at bunnings , although the toxicity of them i am unsure of , but the ones im thinking off are honeycombe shaped , and u could possibly line the whole tank with it be fore adding rocks and substrate , or just in the places u plan to have rocks , i , on the other hand have never worried about it , and have never had a mishap yet *touch wood* , another thing to consider is the habits of the tanks inhabitants , if they dig a lot then yes , i would make the tank safer , but then again i have never heard any "cracked tank horror storys" about rocks comming tumbling down and smashing bases , also depends on the size , type and weight of rocks ur using , as limestone is quite light and if the peices are small enuff dont really pose a problem

hope it helps

steve green

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