# Purpose for egg crates????



## hatterbee (Apr 20, 2008)

Can anyone explain the purpose of putting egg crates in the bottom of your tank and where can you get them?

Thanks

Allen


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## Adrnalnrsh (Mar 18, 2008)

If you are using sand and have large rocks like Lace Rock and the Mbuna dig up the sand underneath your rock it could crack the glass.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Egg Crate can protect the bottom glass from a falling rock... or can disperse the weight of a large rock which may have a point on the bottom...

I've never seen it sold at the store as "Egg Crate"... It is usually found in the lighting section sold as "light diffuser"...


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

Adrnalnrsh said:


> If you are using sand and have large rocks like Lace Rock and the Mbuna dig up the sand underneath your rock it could crack the glass.


If you have sand and large rocks, you should have put in the rocks before the sand in the first place. The sand could slip away even without the fish digging.

There's been a lot said about egg-crate. I've never used it, because:
- it's ugly to see when the fish dig it up. 
- a tank is strong enough to take the load of any amount of rocks you put into it.


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## kraylon (Feb 6, 2006)

what is the "egg crate" made of of???


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

it's usually made of plastic.


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## Britnick (Apr 18, 2008)

I've always seen the reason for egg crate as being as much about keep any rocks placed on it stable, as about static weight distribution.

As highlighted in other responses cichlids dig and if they undermine the rocks the rocks will shift and you can end up with a rock slide and depending on the size and shape of the rock you can loose the front of a glass aquarium very easily (Iâ€™ve seen the aftermath of a 1,000 liter break and it wasnâ€™t pity). Egg crate will provide more grip for the rocks than a smooth glass bottom, which will help prevent rock movement should the fish move the substrate.

Yes, you can use silicon to stick the rocks, but Iâ€™ve not always found that to be highly reliable, especially as it ages.

If you can't get egg crate then you can use Koi filter plastic mesh

Just my $0.02 

Nick


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## hatterbee (Apr 20, 2008)

Thanks for all your help and input.


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## dwschacht (Jan 8, 2007)

Egg crate is also good if you use under gravel filters. Put the normal UGF plate down, egg crate over it and the fish cannot completely unearth the UGF plate (which renders the UGF useless)

This works with small gravel or a really large grain sand (like blasting sand)

I only use egg crate in small pieces right under 100+ lb rocks. You don't need it in the entire tank.

I purchased it at Home depot in the lighting section and it was labeled as egg crate.


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2008)

should you put it in a plexi tank???


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