New aquascape

[check45]

Marco rock. I used fiberglass rods and epoxy to hold it together. Its sitting on three layers of egg crate. I like it. I do wish I had built it about ten to fifteen percent bigger. Hopefully after I get some coral growth it will be just that. I wanted a natural look while still getting up to the top of the tank. Being a column tank i also wanted to minimize the footprint of the rock. I will be using a sand substrate. Its a 37g tank.













Any opinions or suggestions?
Thanks for looking

 

[flower]

Hi,

Welcome to the site.

The rock design itself looks pretty cool...get the egg crate on the bottom out of there. We have sea critters that clean and sift our sand, having egg crate is going to cause toxins to build up where the critters can't reach. Even if you leave it as a bare bottom tank, stuff is going to get trapped in those crevices. Not to mention the weight over time is going to break it down and topple the rock, since the saltwater is going to make it even more brittle.

The rock should be right on the bottom glass with no ability to topple, and the substrate around it. I used branch rock in my column tank. It's nice and tall, you really are very handy at creating your column rock...

 

[check45]

I put the egg crate under the rock to add some height. The marco rock comes with some pieces that are flat on one side. I used them as the base. I want to go with a 2" sand bed. If I put the rock on the bottom I would bury a lot of rock. I was planning on packing the egg crate with sand. Is there a better way to raise the rock off the bottom? What i really need is a couple inch thick scraps of granite or marble.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by check45 http:///t/396456/new-aquascape#post_3532532
I put the egg crate under the rock to add some height. The marco rock comes with some pieces that are flat on one side. I used them as the base. I want to go with a 2" sand bed. If I put the rock on the bottom I would bury a lot of rock. I was planning on packing the egg crate with sand. Is there a better way to raise the rock off the bottom? What i really need is a couple inch thick scraps of granite or marble.

H,

I understand WHY you put it there...I'm telling you it is not a good idea.

The toxins trapped in the sand, via the small squares of the egg crate under the sand, where it can't be stirred is the problem. Also on top of all of that, the saltwater will make the plastic more brittle, and it will crack and break under the rock...not necessarily all at one time, a single corner and the rock tilts...and it won't matter if you have rock on the side to try and keep it stable. The corner where it breaks down will tilt the entire rock work. It isn't worth the risk, BESIDES the danger of the sand trapped in the little squares where it can't be stirred.

I'm not entirely sure about granite or marble in a SW tank, they may have trace metals in them. You can find SW rock ledges to put under the rocks you created, or use branch rock, or even just more rock added to your creation built up higher from the top instead of the base.