Anyone forsee using clay bricks as a problem?

mkroher

Member
I plan to have a 3-4" sand bed. Instead of base rock, I was thinking about using clay bricks, since the width of the brick is about how deep my sand will be. Then I'll have a nice level foundation for LR.
I'm wondering if there is some unwanted mineral that might leach. Or will the brick affect my pH?
Thanks
 

mech-a-nic

Member
I am not sure it it will be a problem but when you have toxic or hazardes waste in soil it is usualy disposed of by being sent of to brick makers.....
I use to work For CAT and when we washed of dirty equiment the runoff was collected in a trench type setup and the soil and clay setteled to the bottom. once a year or so we would have to despose of it. a brick maker alwase got it because the heat the bricks and that was accpable to the EPA as a way of Disposing it. Not sure if anything might leach out of them?
 

spanko

Active Member
I would be concerned with any dye colorant used in them. Just buy some Tufa rock and us it.
 

small triggers

Active Member
terra cotta pots are usually okay, but to make sure put them in a bucket of saltwater and let them sit for a week or 2 and check for copper,,, some of the ones from mexico have copper or even lead in them (much less likely)
 

drtito

Member
My buddy it a professor at the local collage I will tell him to make me something cool, the clay is industral grade . I am sure they buy it bulk.
Thanks.
 

chilwil84

Active Member
bang guy has regular concrete blocks in his lagoon and it has been up and running for a long time. if i remember correctly a block has a clown pair and an anenome in it. you could always use cap blocks that are 3-6 in tall depending on the type.
 

drtito

Member
Cap brick
I did a search and found some sites , its heavy I would think(there I go thinking again), nice to know tho.
Is there a spacfic shape i should be looking for ,something that dose not wight so much?
 

chilwil84

Active Member
i dont know if anyone makes a type with hole in it like clay bricks that would reduce its weight but you could always make your own to the shape you want just like making homemade live rock
 

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by mkroher
http:///forum/post/3110310
I plan to have a 3-4" sand bed. Instead of base rock, I was thinking about using clay bricks, since the width of the brick is about how deep my sand will be. Then I'll have a nice level foundation for LR.
I'm wondering if there is some unwanted mineral that might leach. Or will the brick affect my pH?
Thanks

I don't think the clay would hold up to boring and scraping animals, perhaps several years but I think they would eventually detroy the brick. If I wanted to do it I would use cement.
 
V

vince-1961

Guest
May I suggest you make your own rock? Sure, it'll take some effort and some time to cure (6-8 weeks), but in the end, it costs very little, it's fun, and you get exactly the shape you want.
For example, if all you want is something to serve as a base to support the pretty stuff, you can make a table with legs the height of your sand and then shape the table top to fit your LR perfectly so it won't rock or roll and tilt over. In other words, you can create a "seat" for the good stuff. This has the added attraction of leaving more cubic inches of space for the DSB, specifically the space in between the "legs" of the table.
If you make your "table legs" long enough to get your "table top" above the surface of the sand, you can also add various hidey holes in your D.I.Y. rock for critters and fish. The possibilities are endless. ( If I remember, I'll come back to this post when I get home tonight and edit it to add some pics of some D.I.Y. rock so you can see.)
Sure, it'll be a boring, monochromatic gray at first, but after a year in the tank, you'll never know it was D.I.Y. rock anyway.
 

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/3114545
Sure, it'll be a boring, monochromatic gray at first, but after a year in the tank, you'll never know it was D.I.Y. rock anyway.
Not if you coat it with sand while it's still wet
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by DrTITO
http:///forum/post/3110772
My buddy it a professor at the local collage I will tell him to make me something cool, the clay is industral grade . I am sure they buy it bulk.
Thanks.

make sure it is fired in a kiln...or it will turn to mushy goo.
 
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