Exactly how much weight can a 30g breeder hold? I have a very good lfs, and I asked them about how deep the sand needs to be for Julies. They said about 3-4 inches deep. According to an online calculator that I found, I'd need a bit over 100lbs of sand to get the desired depth, and then add the rock to that... Will the Julies dig around in the sand enough to keep it from building deadly gasses? Or will I have to sift the sand during a water change?
Cichlid Hardscaping
- Thread starter Arget
- Start date
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3-4 inches of sand? That is a huge amount for cichlid behavioral purposes.
I don't think the weight will be a huge deal in a properly constructed tank but I can think of no reason to have 4 inches of sand.
If you want 4 inches and are worried about the gasses produced from anaerobic bacteria buildup you could always get some MTS(Malaysian trumpet snails). Personally, I view them as a pest snail but some people love them. I am also not completely sure if this a real risk or a fishkeeping myth.
That being said, 1.5-2 inches of sand should be plenty. The cichlids may move it around and expose the glass from time to time but you can just rake it back into place once in a while.
I don't think the weight will be a huge deal in a properly constructed tank but I can think of no reason to have 4 inches of sand.
If you want 4 inches and are worried about the gasses produced from anaerobic bacteria buildup you could always get some MTS(Malaysian trumpet snails). Personally, I view them as a pest snail but some people love them. I am also not completely sure if this a real risk or a fishkeeping myth.
That being said, 1.5-2 inches of sand should be plenty. The cichlids may move it around and expose the glass from time to time but you can just rake it back into place once in a while.
The sand I plan on using Tahitian Moon. I've read some articles on hardscaping, but how much rock is too much? I just don't want the bottom of the tank to break. I've seen pictures used as examples, and some of those rocks were huge, but probably really heavy, which is a major concern of mine.
I would worry more about the rocks shifting and a sharp corner hitting the glass then the weight. We use egg crate under the rocks in my wife malawian tanks but it doesn't look very good when it gets exposed and she doesn't have fish that dig all that much.
I always put the rocks in before the sand to give them a stable base. Some people actually cement them to each other and the tank. You would need a fish-safe adhesive for that.
HUKIT
Aquarium Advice Addict
Anaerobic gas pockets are present but they are harmless, as the bacteria start transforming due to the lack of oxygen they start reducing iron and sulfur. One of the by-products of this is hydrogen sulfide which is truly dangerous but when exposed to oxygenated water it's utterly harmless...just another perpetuated myth reguritated on aquarium forums.
Regarding rock weight in your tank. If the tank has the standard plastic frame and is seated on a sturdy "level" stand you would be surprised how much weight the tank glass can hold.
I have 3" of gravel in my 120 gal. It is hardscaped with over 200 lbs, of Texas Holey rock. It's holding up pretty good. Remember your rocks will displace a lot of water weight. It's. Important to spread the weight as evenly as you can and it's extremely important for your tank and stand to be level to avoid a bottom glass break.
Another member suggested " grating " buried in the substrate to help distribute the rock
Weight. I think that is a good idea, but with your deep substrate plans you will probably be okay without it. Make sure your base rocks have wide smooth bottoms. I'm not real good at posting photos yet but I did manage to post pictures of my two largest tanks heavily hardscaped on my "introduction of new member" site if you are interested.
Good luck.
I have 3" of gravel in my 120 gal. It is hardscaped with over 200 lbs, of Texas Holey rock. It's holding up pretty good. Remember your rocks will displace a lot of water weight. It's. Important to spread the weight as evenly as you can and it's extremely important for your tank and stand to be level to avoid a bottom glass break.
Another member suggested " grating " buried in the substrate to help distribute the rock
Weight. I think that is a good idea, but with your deep substrate plans you will probably be okay without it. Make sure your base rocks have wide smooth bottoms. I'm not real good at posting photos yet but I did manage to post pictures of my two largest tanks heavily hardscaped on my "introduction of new member" site if you are interested.
Good luck.
Thanks for the replies. I plan on getting the rocks stacked right, then gluing them together, then gluing the stacks onto some styrofoam, then I'll add the sand. I've read up quite a bit, but wanted to make sure that I've got everything right before I get it all setup. The spot where I've got the stand is not quite level, but it is in an area that can support it.
Tpalmer
Aquarium Advice Regular
Put some wooden shims under the stand to level it out. That really is pretty important not just for structural support but for looks and water changes.
