Ideas for building up the bottom of a tank.

Lighting, filtration etc
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sns26
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Ideas for building up the bottom of a tank.

Post by sns26 »

I want to use some sand in my next scape. My last experience with sand was not great. Too much of it, a mess to maintain, and covered in shrimp poop fast. I want to solve that problem by using just a very thin layer on the bottom that I can vacuum out and replace easily. (I'm getting too old to trim foreground plants.)

Here's the problem. My tank is rimless on the top but not the bottom. That means I have the usual black plastic bottom frame that you see on most aquariums. That frame hides the bottom 3/4" or so of the tank. So when I did this the last time I needed 3/4 of an inch of sand on the bottom just to get it visually level with the bottom of the frame. And I think that was the source of my problems.

My idea is to put down tiles, slate, or a piece of glass to create a false bottom for the tank that is level with the plastic rim. Does this sound crazy? I'm hoping to find some neutral colored tile at home depot that will actually be pretty close to sand-colored so it won't be obvious if some spots get a little bare.
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krisw
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Re: Ideas for building up the bottom of a tank.

Post by krisw »

I think it sounds like a good plan. Just make sure whatever tile you use isn't cement based or some other material that would leach things when submersed.
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sns26
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Re: Ideas for building up the bottom of a tank.

Post by sns26 »

I went to home depot and bought a bunch of cheap sandy-colored ceramic tiles. $0.50 each. Of course, then I got to thinking.

1. I could put down a 3/4' thick layer of sand and then put some window glass (or acrylic sheet) over it. Then, of course, a thin layer of regularly-replaced sand atop that. Advantage is that if I end up with thin spots of sand, you see sand through the glass. (Instead of tile.)

2. I could put down some really coarse crushed rock--the kind you'd use for a gravel driveway. Then sand on top of that. Why do I keep thinking that the rocks will sift their way to the top and sit on top of the sand? I just can't picture it.
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Jim Miller
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Re: Ideas for building up the bottom of a tank.

Post by Jim Miller »

If the aggregates are closer in size the big ones will definitely float over time. This is how my Flourite Black Sand always is atop my MTS.

It will happen with the larger stuff too but more slowly. Of course if you have freeze/thaw cycles....

jim
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