Live Rock???

[zeroghd]

I am getting a 135g soon and will be putting @200# of LR and @a 3-4" sand bed. The guy at my lfs said some people put the LR on a piece of egg crate to keep it off the glass and in case any of it falls over it would not be as prone to break the glass. Is the egg crate a big no-no? Will it be a breeding ground for a disaster later on? This lfs guy is more into freshwater but he has tanks on the cheap, so I'm not sure he is all that familiar with the marine aspect of the hobby. Also, is 3/8" glass thick enough for the bottom of a 135g or should it be 1/2" or a double 3/8"?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by zeroghd
I am getting a 135g soon and will be putting @200# of LR and @a 3-4" sand bed. The guy at my lfs said some people put the LR on a piece of egg crate to keep it off the glass and in case any of it falls over it would not be as prone to break the glass. Is the egg crate a big no-no? Will it be a breeding ground for a disaster later on? This lfs guy is more into freshwater but he has tanks on the cheap, so I'm not sure he is all that familiar with the marine aspect of the hobby. Also, is 3/8" glass thick enough for the bottom of a 135g or should it be 1/2" or a double 3/8"?
Welcome to the boards!!!! People often use eggcrate under their rock. You place the crate, then the rock, and then the sand. It makes the rocks much more stable and less likely to be knocked over and protects your glass from having the rock directly on it.

 

[f14peter]

I put some egg-crate down (not on the whole bottom, just cut sections to go under the rock), primarly to make the rock more stable. The holes in the crate accept the uneven bottom of the rock a little better.
After I was done, I did come up with an idea to deal with the rock placed on glass being unstable (rocking back and forth, not sitting just how I wanted) . . . for the lower baserock that will support the rest of the rock, take some aquarium-safe epoxy putty and put a couple a' three big globs on the bottom of the baserock, enough so the putty extends down past the lowest point on the rock, then set the rock in place. The globs of putty will squish down a bit and as they harden, create "feet" for the rock to set on, and the baserock should be . . . er, rock-steady.

 

[zeroghd]

Thanks, I will consider the crate, but what about the thickness of the glass?
Anybody?

 

[1journeyman]

Welcome to the boards.
Do a thorough research on sand bed depths. 3-4 inches can lead to problems. Suggested depth is less than 2 inches or greater than 4.

 

[deric203]

I cant help you with the glass thickness, but, where are you getting your rock?. Skip the lfs and other online dealers. will post photos of the rock I got today from SWF.com. Amazing. Photos will include 100 pounds of "great deal" from other source. No comparison.
The SWF rock blows the other away.
will post photos on the thread just before this one.
Amazing!

 

[outatime97]

Usually, (I say usually, NOT always) the glass on the bottom is tempered glass so it is generally thinner than the tank walls.