RE: [GSAS-Member] rocks in a 90 gallon

["Susan Welenofsky" <welenofsky@comcast.net>]

I like Plexiglass tanks myself...

Susan

-----Original Message-----
From: gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com
[mailto:gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com] On Behalf Of Erik Olson
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 5:56 PM
To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat
Subject: RE: [GSAS-Member] rocks in a 90 gallon

another 2 cents:  Having had this exact experience, with 
noteven-that-large rocks and a tank of Julidochromis that managed to dig 
out just the wrong spot and crack the bottom, I now embed "egg-crate" 
material in the bottom of all my digging cichlid tanks I intend to put 
rocks in.  Works like a charm.

   - Erik

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005, matt kaufman wrote:

> my $.02
>
> Lots of big heavy rocks in tanks with cichlids really really really is a
bad 
> idea. They dig, and what's worse, when they reproduce and begin flooding
the 
> tank with offspring, it becomes impossible to get the offspring out of the

> tank without a lot of work moving rocks around. Just not worth it. Sand
under 
> rocks is a *bad* idea. Dig dig dig crash crackle splash!
>
> I used lava rock, which I had in big, 'softball' sized chunks. It hardly 
> weighs anything, weighs even less when submerged, gets a nice coating of 
> algae on it and is full of good nooks and crannies for bacteria, plus 
> hoisting it out when removing a few hundred julidochromis offspring is
much 
> easier than big lake stones or whatever. I got the rocks at a landscape 
> supply house, much cheaper than a pet shop.No substrate except in front of

> the rocks, where I kept some sand.
>
> I also did 'breeding' tanks with PVC for caves, works great though not
that 
> attractive. The best breeding setup I saw in a 90 was a 'honeycomb' of
clay 
> ceramic hexagonal tubing. My buddy bred malawi cichlids like yours by the 
> handful - males claimed one or two tubes and egg-carrying females would
hide 
> out in the tubes. It was cool to watch, you could see the territorial 
> disputes. I think the shape of the honeycomb spread the weight around
nicely, 
> too.
>
> Matt
>
>> From: Trish <snips36@yahoo.com>
>> Reply-To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member 
>> chat<gsas-member@thekrib.com>
>> To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat
<gsas-member@thekrib.com>
>> Subject: RE: [GSAS-Member] rocks in a 90 gallon
>> Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 10:06:52 -0800 (PST)
>> 
>> Bob-
>> 
>> I have sand as substrate. And their are Africans in
>> this tank as well. Iced Blue Zebra{Red tops}7 of them
>> and also 4 Yellow Labs.
>> 
>> I do know about the styrafoam, but found this way
>> after this tank was set up...for it was orginally just
>> a tropical tnak with Goramies, and one time
>> Angels.....but the last say 3 or 4 years it has been
>> just Africans, so now adding the foam is not possible.
>> Well it possible just not wanting to. LoL....
>> 
>> The rocks I am using larger rocks on the bottom, and
>> then stack up to smaller ones. And also siliconed
>> together rocks with using a pastic crate as frame, and
>> made caves, and also a wall so the filter tubes can
>> not be seen.
>> 
>> And your right the Africans love to dig!
>> 
>> Trish
>> --- Bob and Judy Holmes <jbholmes@nwlink.com> wrote:
>> 
>> > Trish, what kind of fish will be in the tank? Some
>> > fish like to move the
>> > gravel around which can undermine the rocks, causing
>> > them to shift. Could
>> > be disastrous. I used a piece of 1/2" styrofoam
>> > under the substrate & rocks
>> > in my Tanganyikan cichlid tank to prevent the point
>> > loading Clay mentioned.
>> > You'd have to tear the tank down to install it.
>> > Bob
>> >
>> >
>> > At 11:25 PM 2/27/2005 -0800, you wrote:
>> > >Sooooooooo, without doing all the math and research
>> > to see what glass
>> > >can handle and having put some crazy huge rocks in
>> > tanks of glass with
>> > >no visible side effects.....I will give my best
>> > guess if you like.  If
>> > >you do not "point load" the glass you will be fine
>> > with whatever rock
>> > >you place in the tank.  Soooooo, what does "point
>> > load" mean?  It means
>> > >do not place all the weight on one tiny spot on the
>> > tank floor.  If your
>> > >rock has sand underneath it to help dissipate the
>> > load across the glass
>> > >tank floor you will be fine.  If you let the rock
>> > sink through the sand
>> > >such that all the weight could potentially rest on
>> > one point on the
>> > >glass floor you could be in for some issues.
>> > >I can give you an example of what happens with
>> > point loads in airplanes.
>> > >If you get on an airplane in tennis shoes the
>> > aircraft floor will
>> > >support the load easily, as it is spread out over
>> > the entire shoe base,
>> > >and you will make it to your seat.  If you get on
>> > an airplane in stileto
>> > >heels and try to accomplish the same thing, you
>> > will find the heels
>> > >punching holes in the floor and it will be very
>> > difficult to make it to
>> > >your seat.
>> > >Sooooo, it is all about the number of pounds per
>> > square inch you are
>> > >placing on your floor, be it glass or foam core
>> > aluminum panels.  I am
>> > >sure if you wish to do a little surfing online you
>> > can find the pounds
>> > >per square inch your glass is designed to handle.
>> > Doing some quick
>> > >estimates of your tank size....and I could be off a
>> > bit.  If I assume
>> > >your tank dimensions to be about 2'x4' on the base
>> > and assuming the
>> > >weight of water and rock to be about 10 lbs/gallon
>> > of tank space.  You
>> > >come to 900 lbs/1152 square inches or .781
>> > lbs/square inch.  Doing a
>> > >little surfing myself, here are some average glass
>> > strength values
>> > >Annealed Glass 6,000 psi, Tempered Glass  24,000
>> > psi.  These values are
>> > >based on a Typical Breaking Stress (large light 60
>> > sec. load).  This is
>> > >all fine and good, but, your load from rocks will
>> > not be a typical 60
>> > >sec. load.  Even so, you can see glass can take a
>> > heck of a load
>> > >compared to what you are currently putting on your
>> > tank.
>> > >Soooo, all that said, be careful.  If you are truly
>> > working with
>> > >tempered glass you need to make sure you do not
>> > scratch it near where
>> > >your higher loads are placed on the bottom.  Simple
>> > scratches in
>> > >tempered glass can be a invitation to disaster as
>> > the glass will shatter
>> > >easily once the surface has been damaged. This is
>> > why you cannot cut
>> > >tempered glass by etching it and snapping it.
>> > >Wanna learn more about glass than you could ever
>> > imagine.....check this
>> >
>> >out.....http://www.glassonweb.com/glassmanual/topics/index/tempered.htm
>> > >
>> > >Now, your house floors.....there is another load
>> > issue.....but, that is
>> > >another discussion.  One quick suggestion here
>> > though....do not build
>> > >your aquarium stands on stiletto heels.
>> > >
>> > >Clay
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >-----Original Message-----
>> > >From: Susan Welenofsky
>> > [mailto:welenofsky@comcast.net]
>> > >Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 5:21 PM
>> > >To: 'Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat'
>> > >Subject: RE: [GSAS-Member] rocks in a 90 gallon
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >The bottom is probably tempered glass, so it will
>> > be extra strong. I
>> > >would contact All Glass and ask them to be sure. I
>> > would like to see a
>> > >picture of your wall and tank!
>> > >
>> > >Susan
>> > >
>> > >-----Original Message-----
>> > >From: gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com
>> > >[mailto:gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com] On Behalf
>> > Of Trish
>> > >Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 5:15 PM
>> > >To: Fish List
>> > >Subject: [GSAS-Member] rocks in a 90 gallon
>> > >
>> > >I need a question answered. And hoping someone here
>> > >can help me.
>> > >
>> > >I need to know how much rock can a 90 gallon hold.
>> > It
>> > >is an All Glass Aquarium, is on a wood stand, with
>> > >only the plastic bar which comes across the middle
>> > on
>> > >the bottom. I have no plywood underneath. Tank is
>> > >filled and has been running now for 5 years, so
>> > >putting one underneath is not an option.
>> > >
>> > >Thanks in advance!
>> > >
>> > >Trish
>> > >
>> > >BY the way my rock wall is finished and is going in
>> > >this tank, but have exsiting rock in here
>> > >already.....so need to know how much wieght it can
>> > >support. I let it cure now for 4 days.
>> > Outside....so
>> > >no oder left.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >__________________________________
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>> 
>> 
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-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com
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