Rocks & Sand

[horsehunter]

In most places where I read about aquarium setup they seem to place the rock in the tankand pour the sand around it.

 

Doesen't this bury a lot of expensive live rock( I am thinking about a 4 inch sand bed in a 24x12x20 tank)?

 

Wouldn't sand under the rock protect the tank bottom from irregularities causing pressure points against the glass?

 

Thanks Frank

[Raise]

I think the reason they do that is for stability. I have personally never done it. If your going to do a DSB than i would say forget bout that idea. youd bury four inches of LR...

[XingTheChannel]

But you can always put other kind of stone under, as a base and the LR over that one.

[Panic]

I did ask a similar question a few weeks back, and here's what I did this weekend:

 

I used silicone sealant on some dry base rock to form a secure base. This required some planning as it is rather permanent until the tank is dismantled. The rock is rather easy to twist loose (I tried) but needs a bit of wigglin' and jigglin' which may upset any inhabitants. Furthermore, you also won't be able to set down a new base, so spend some time planning. I kept all my rocks close to the back so could expand forwards with "loose" rock.

 

The rock is very stable, just be sure to grind down so that a small weak extrusion doesn't lure you into a false sense of security, and when enough weight is added cracks and moves the entire stack out of place (sending your precious corals on an interesting trajectory)

 

I then added the (dry) sand around it and will be filling this week.

 

*sigh*