grate support for rock in tank

I might be purchasing a tank in the very near future, and wonder about the use of the white square grating support for the rock before the live sand goes in. See Jim's 75 tank as an example:



My question: I read that some plastic grates can leach a byproduct into the water after time. What is the chemical that leaches into the water, and what is the proper thing to use to support the rock?

I have read that some just set the rock onto the top of the sand, and aquascape accordingly. This can be concerning if the sand shifts and rock lands against the tank walls.

Lately, I have seen more tanks set up with the grating used in the bottom.
I have also seen some people use PVC tubing as a support platform. I would imagine PVC might be more difficult to use to create a platform.

Suggestions???

Thanks!
Moose

 

Hi Moose

my opinion

I like wrasse species of fish and they enjoy burying themselves in the sand bed for the night
so egg crate is not ideal for me


so I placed the rocks 1st and then spread the sand around them - I have no sand under the rock work

as long as you properly secure the rocks , check to make sure there are no pivot points
when aquascaping ( if they wobble, they can topple) IME its not a problem

Steve

 

Steve - I have a wrasse also. I just added enough sand to cover the grate and then epoxied my rock to it then added the additional 3" of sand around the rock. BUT I am concerned with the information from moose that it leaches a chemical. I thought it was made out of PVC which is inert in salt water. Any further information about this??

 

Adicus

just spent 15 mins Googling - using different search paramaters

" egg crate - reef safe"
" egg crate - toxin release in reef tanks"
and a couple of other permutations of the above

I cant find any negatives
I find a few threads started by people on this site and all the usual suspects who are asking if they need to use reef egg crate
and in response to those I find tips from experienced reefers directing them to Lowes or B+Q etc

So unfortunately I have drawn a blank in terms of toxins from egg crate?
which is good news for you I believe


Steve

 

I think what he may be referring to is there are two different qualities of egg crate out there. One tends to shatter when you try to use it and supposedly it can leach a chemical that causes hair algae to grow on it.

 

found it 2 in 10 - brilliant , the GHA hint helped narrow the search parameters for me

there are a number of articles on the net about the possibility of phosphates being leached from non acrylic based egg crate ( there is debate though on this subject so it does not seem to effect everyone that uses it)

a vinegar soak prior to use is said to help with this issue
as is painting with Krylon Fusion paint - which is reef safe once fully cured/ dried

Steve

 

Ah, so there is a PVC egg crate out there- that, I did not know.

Sorry for not posting the information about the chemical leach- I didn't want to blast someone else's findings on here. I figured information about the leach capability may have been common knowledge, and I just wasn't using the right search attributes in google to learn any more about this condition. I suspect the lack of information is likely because the person posting the leach condition did not use the proper materials in their aquarium. Just trying to learn as much as I can before building mine, and asking questions from you, the knowledgeable and experienced.

Thanks to everyone for their input/advice. It's much appreciated! Trying to get up the ThatPetPlace in Lancaster PA today and pick out an aquarium and as much supplies I can haul in my suv. It's a 100min drive each way, so I'm trying not to make too many trips. Get the big/heavy stuff and order the rest online and have it shipped.

 

the only thing I have ever heard was to use the white egg crate instead of clear plastic or mirror finished crate.
As far as using it under your rock you can cut it down to smaller pieces to support the rock but allow your burrowing friends to be safe digging everywhere else.

 

Thanks Telgar. BTW- a previous post discussion we had about House of Tropicals-- I was way off. I went there this past saturday after work. They had a lot more in stock than I remembered. The corals were beautiful, as were the fish. I also spent some time looking at their tanks for sale. Lots of new JBJ 28gal nano's, with three different lighting options (HQ/TF/LED). A 50gal rimless setup was really nice, but no stand for it. Lots of tanks standing up in the back. More tanks without overflows than with, but they have to appease all customers If you ever get the itch, a visit might be in order if it's not too far for you.

Cheers,
Moose

 

thanks for the update, I remembered liking the stock a few years ago but these days its 45 minutes out of the way. The few close shops left near me are a waste of time so I think i'll make the trip as soon as I resolve my current employment situation