Egg Crate Below Live Rock

[Clurin]

I am in the process of setting up my 65G and I remember reading at some point that people would put a layer of egg crate on the bottom of the tank and rest the live rock on that to more evenly distribute the weight.

It sounded like a good idea, but what worries me a bit is substrate becoming stagnant within each square. Would this cause any problems, or is the amount not substantial enough to have any negative effect?

Also, do any of you actually recommend it, or do you think putting the rock directly on the glass is the way to go?

Thanks!

PS - In case I used the wrong term, the "egg crate" I refer to is the white grid intended for lighting use, but useful for frags, etc.

 

[SaltCreep]

I like the eggcrate method.

If I had enough time when setting this tank up , I would have done it.

My last tank had eggcrate across the entire bottom. It was raised up about a half an inch by small sections of vinyl tube that I siliconed to the bottom glass.

That tubing prevented the square dead spots and made a shock absorber in case of falling rocks.

The eggcrate held the liverock where I wanted it.....and when I broke the tank down there were no dead nasty spots underneath at all.

 

[BIG SEY 93]

I have heard the eggcrate used for setting up plenums. The issue with plenums is that denitrus (sp) would seep past the screen and turn the plenum into a nitrate factory. Plenum set-ups basically went away as reefers started using refugiums.

Also, your sand bed (unless you are going bare bottom) would be your fallen rock cusion. IMO, the eggcrate would be a waste unless used as some sort of shelving in the tank.

 

[PenMan]

Just took down 125 gallon tank that had been set up for 4 years with egg crate and screen. I was amazed how clean the Southdown was below the screen. The sand above was also clean from the wrasses and diamond gobbie. Did not use egg crate on the new set up.

 

[Clurin]

I have heard the eggcrate used for setting up plenums. The issue with plenums is that denitrus (sp) would seep past the screen and turn the plenum into a nitrate factory. Plenum set-ups basically went away as reefers started using refugiums.

Also, your sand bed (unless you are going bare bottom) would be your fallen rock cusion. IMO, the eggcrate would be a waste unless used as some sort of shelving in the tank.

I am unfamiliar with plenums. Is that basically a deep sand bed, or something else?

 

[Sean Irwin]

Basically, the plenum is an area of dead space below a DSB that houses bacteria that convert nitrate to nitrogen gas. The plenium method was developed by Jaubert at the Monnoco Aquarium. Building a proper plenium is difficult and the so called Jaubert method was almost universally disliked by aquarists. More recent experimentation with DSBs shows that effective denitrification can occur without the plenium, so most people go without them. IMO, if you have proper DSB the plennium is unnecessary. But I digress, I have my rock work on egg crate that is supported by eight 1inch diamter 4 inch high pvc pipe columns. Among other reasons, I have a pistol shrimp and goby and it was very possible that there burrowing could cuase any unsupported rock structure to collapse.

 

[MikeG]

My rock is on this.

And in the tank

 

[Clurin]

Okay, so I guess the question becomes, if I sit the rock directly on the glass and add my substrate AFTER I have stable rockwork, how does the presence or absence of the eggcrate help or hurt me? I am not planning on a DSB in the display.

 

[SaltCreep]

Eggcrate may hurt you by having to add more sand than you wanted to in order to cover up the egg crate.

Also, it has the potential to collect yuck in its little square sections if not done right.



On the other hand....egg crate seemed to hold rocks in place better....and with a plastic screen over it the digging crew couldn't destabilize the rockwork.

Again..if I had the time...I would have done it with the current tank.