Lining the bottom inside of a tank before scaping

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Autumnsky

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What do you use???

Before building,

SW often uses egg crate grate on the bottom.

FW???

Last year when my Innovative Marine tank was going to be SW I decided to forgo the egg crate and bought a plastic drop ceiling light cover panel like this

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...wXCUJGmZPJkcvGnfVKxoCqe8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Just enough to help prevent scraping the glass and using the textured side up helps give the rocks something to grab a little to.

The egg crate seems like it would capture lots of gunk and get toxic pockets more easily and not allow burrowing snails convenient movement.

But then I wondered if it would leach out any thing toxic.

Also considered using either

wire rack shelf liner
https://www.homedepot.com/pep/203688059


or softer drawer liner Rubbermaid Con-Tact non adhesive liner
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NPDFGM/ref=twister_B072KR5T21?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thoughts/ experiences???
 
I have never used anything on bottom of any of my tanks ??
I know some do but it is not really needed.
Most I see doing this are new IMO and think they need too..
 
Hey Coral....
Quick question for my *first* tank guru
I have never used anything in the bottom of my tanks but I recently *discovered* I had somehow been blind to the fact the my 67g had no bottom trim, top yes bottom no. I definitely can't take it out of circulation for any more than a few hours as I just *lost* 2 of my largest tanks to seal leaks, one of the *joys* of used equipment ::facepalm::
The bottom edge of said tank IS suppoted all the way around but I am wondering if lining it with egg crate would help the gravel weight any more evenly.
 
I would not imagine flimsy plastic adding strength to glass ??? Maybe that is just me ?:ermm:
Love posting this video..Bum deal on bad seals ..I'll never buy a used tank again .
The tank is cheapest part of show usually..I hate scratches so most used tanks are un acceptable to me anyways ..
 
Wow, impressive video / job weighting down that tank!

Hmm, I haven't used anything in the bottoms either. Wondering with my new tank, the low iron glass scratches more easily and is more brittle.

I broke my other low iron tank bottom a few years ago when it slid out of my hand during cleaning it out and I raised up my leg/knee to stop the fall and the knee impact popped it (smaller 12G tank and much thinner). It wasn't tempered glass.

So dropping a rock / rock slipping off its spot, could cause a problem.

In the middle of setting up both tanks. The other is a Waterbox 2418

The bottom looks just like the glass of the sides - being low iron. Glass thickness is 12mm /.472 inches.

60074-albums14791-picture72287.jpg
 
Ive never put anything under my substrate. Never seen the point myself.
 
There is a potential , particularly if you are using gravel, to create a point load beneath a rock. This can break the bottom. While it may be unlikely to happen, a friend lost 2 tank bottoms to this. After that he placed a piece of styro under each rock. The bottom frame serves to lift the bottom of the tank above a surface so it doesn't break from a point load from below. It really doesn't add any strength. If you have no bottom frame place it on styro. As for used versus new tanks, I have 3 I bought used that were returned to the store because they leaked when new. For me, the tank is the most expensive item in the setup, and I do like to save. Further, I have the first tank I ever built (rather badly I might add) that still holds water.
 
The wire rack plastic sheet is a little bit thick and comes in a 2 pack 18" x 48" so that is ideal in size.

For the Innovative Marine 4' tank and the low iron tank is half the length the 2 pieces would fit just right. And I still have the drop ceiling plastic 4'x2' which can be clipped to fit.

Guess I will order the wire rack plastic and can use it in the pantry for it's intended purpose if not used in the tank! Mostly I am concerned of breakage in the low iron tank.
 
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