Egg Crate

[weezawoo]

I hear so much about this egg crate, what exactly is it? If it held eggs wouldn't the holes be bigger? Am I dumb... hmmmm yes perhaps!!

Anyhoo, I am going to get some for in my sump, my lfs has advised instead of a filter sock I could place some eggcrate across the inlet to the sump with some filter floss across it. He hates the filter socks as they are anoying to clean apparently

Also would everyone reccommend I get some for under my rock in the tank? I see some people don't use it, any reasons for this?

Lastly is this the stuff I need? I see mainly white ones! http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Filter-Media-Grid-Egg-Crate-Koi-Fish-Pond-Marine-Coral-/280463489831?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PondsWaterFeatures_UK&hash=item414ced3b27

Cheers!

 

[woody88]

Never used egg crate myself so i can't really say!.....I know some people use it as a base to spread the wieght of the live rock across the bottom of the tank. I've also heard that it can produce bad spots in your substrate.

Sorry for the pointless reply!

 

[weezawoo]

Nope not pointless
Its the same few things I have heard and not sure if it is worth me getting more for under my rock as well as in my sump!

 

[HappyGeorge]

I use it on my Reef tank not on my FOWLR does spread load and I used because my big reef plate goes to a point and had about 35kg on top so was worried about such weight over a single fingertip sized point. It will also offer some protection should you have a rockfall but if it's a low scape then no need to bother. I'm not convinced one way or the other about deadspots, my little snails seem to dig down in the holes. I have heard discussion on other sites about the black Koi stuff not being salt water safe and possibly leaching chemicals over time but not sure if this is old wives tales or someone has some real results to show that it does. As for it's name and use, name don't know but it's for covering light fittings in suspended ceiling light boxes etc, although can never find it on any DIY website.

 

[weezawoo]

Interesting thank you At least I know its proper use!

I don't know what my LR is like tbh at the moment. It is from someone elses tank so don't know how I will scape it and what kind of pieces there are.
Also aren't things 'lighter' in water. I mean that whereas 35kg on one spot dry would be a lot, the pressure is reduced in the water? I can't remember where I heard that, it could well be false

I don't want to risk anything in my tank, so if it helps stabilise the rocks thats great, but if it causes dead spots.... hmm.

With the leaching thing, I have heard so many things on different plastics not being suitable etc, how do I know what is and isn't salt safe?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Uriel]

Didn't the name orginate from egg crate displays used by game shows to display things like scores. The rows of bulbs inside the cubes looked like eggs in crates. I've read a couple of places where people reccomend only using the white egg crate for marine, but never any proof to go along with it.

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Hmm, I've used the black stuff in my tank since its the only stuff my LFS had... slightly worried about it now!

 

[dayzofspeed]

Interesting thank you At least I know its proper use!

I don't know what my LR is like tbh at the moment. It is from someone elses tank so don't know how I will scape it and what kind of pieces there are.
Also aren't things 'lighter' in water. I mean that whereas 35kg on one spot dry would be a lot, the pressure is reduced in the water? I can't remember where I heard that, it could well be false

I don't want to risk anything in my tank, so if it helps stabilise the rocks thats great, but if it causes dead spots.... hmm.

With the leaching thing, I have heard so many things on different plastics not being suitable etc, how do I know what is and isn't salt safe?

Thanks for the help!

by raising and supporting the eggcrate wouldn't that avoid deadspots

 

[Harry1996]

Some people use that putty to stick the rock on the base or raise it off the glass

Im going to do that when i upgrade

 

[Uriel]

Nice idea officially ed

 

[weezawoo]

Some people use that putty to stick the rock on the base or raise it off the glass

Im going to do that when i upgrade

Isnt the whole idea of egg crate to spread the weight? Not sure how the putty would help with that, it would just secure the rock in place!

 

[HappyGeorge]

Some people use that putty to stick the rock on the base or raise it off the glass

Im going to do that when i upgrade

Isnt the whole idea of egg crate to spread the weight? Not sure how the putty would help with that, it would just secure the rock in place!

I agree Weezawoo whole point is to spread the weight, putting putty down that then sets hard and transfers all the rock weight onto one point sounds like a pretty bad idea to me. In my experience the egg crate doesn't cause dead spots, my Vortech manages to drag sand out of the holes 3 ft away and round the corner of the tank so don't think the movement of sand is restricted too much by the egg crate. My 5ft doesn't use egg crate and if you're not stacking high then I wouldn't necessarily bother.

 

[weezawoo]

I don't know how high it will be yet until I get all the rock so it is possible it could be quite a low scape, unless I do 2 'hills' either side!
One question, do I need to make sure the sand gets moved from underneath the rock or is it ok if it is undisturbed?

 

[Chris_C]

I don't know how high it will be yet until I get all the rock so it is possible it could be quite a low scape, unless I do 2 'hills' either side!
One question, do I need to make sure the sand gets moved from underneath the rock or is it ok if it is undisturbed?

Try to keep sand away from where rock will be sitting many fish etc.. like to have a good dig and can disturb the rock if it is on a sand bed. If possible rock in first then add your sand around it

 

[weezawoo]

I plannned to put egg crate then rock then sand, Just wasn't sure if the sand around the LR needed to be disturbed