Eggcrate/light diffuser on aquarium floor?

i know one purpose for the eggcrate/light diffuser on the tank floor is to act as a buffer between the rocks and the glass bottom.

are there any other beneficial reasons for this and are there any negative effects for doing this?

thanks.

 

If by buffer you mean a mechanical barrier to prevent glass breakage by falling rocks, etc--then no--I can't think of any other benefits when eggcrate is used in this particular fashion, but maybe someone else knows different. As far as negative effects; it might prevent the complete stirring of sand by critters that are housed to perform this function. This could be an issue when using a shallow sand bed (for aesthetic reasons only). If sand is not permitted to be stirred it can form anaerobic pockets which can eventually cause production of hydrogen sulfide gas, which is bad.

 

I certainly wouldn't want it with a DSB as it would encourage Hydrogen Sulphide zones. However, with a DSB, you would need it as a buffer between the rock and the glass.

 

It would help cushion a blow from falling rocks.
I personally dont see an issue with the buildup of wastes, egg crate is just too thin. Not enough depth to allow the build up (which is why we steer clear of DSB's). As long as the sand above it is stirred properly, it should be able to easily breathe out.
Of course you could just properly stack and secure your rocks and not worry about the plethora of "what ifs".

 

so its not good with a DSB but with a DSB, it is necessary? did you mean something else?

 

I can't speak for Curt, but I'm pretty confident that a thick layer of sand would act as a cushion for falling rocks, and as such, he may have meant to say that WITH a DSB, ". . you WOULDN'T need it as a buffer. .. .. "

EDIT: just noticed that he does infact say directly before that statement that "with a DSB you certainly wouldn't want to have eggcrate down there" because it would encourage hydrogen sulfide zones. So--we can be pretty confident he meant to say "wouldn't" where he said "would."

 

thank you, i kinda knew where he was getting at but wanted to confirm.

 

Thanks Reefsparky

I did, in fact, mean "Wouldn't"

 

Dont do it, my buddie did it and wished he didnt due to build up, and the fact that ir messes with any sand sifters you want in the future and like stated above sand is def enough to stop the rock from hitting the glass