# Using ceramic tile in aquaria?



## Moose-Factory (Mar 13, 2015)

So, I was at home depot looking for something to build up my substrate, to make slopes, hills, and level gradations in the tank (similar to this guy's tank).

I have a tile saw, so bought some tile to cut up and stack to create topography under the substrate (of topsoil and sand over the tile). 

When I got back, I looked up whether ceramic tile is aquarium safe, but never found a conclusive answer.

The tile I got appears as though it is nothing but a red baked clay. No glazes are apparent, so I'm hoping there aren't any additives, as this is the cheapest, most basic tile I could find.

Peoples opinions on tile in aquaria on other forums seems to be all over the map. Is ceramic tile safe to use in aquaria? What do you think? Thanks!


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## lee739 (Oct 12, 2014)

I'd be _very_ surprised if it were an issue, after firing these things are inert...
I'd certainly be happy to use plain unglazed terracotta tiles for that purpose.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

I agree that glazed ceramic tile shouldn't be an issue. But some of the porous stone material used in some tile products may not be as easy to categorize since they aren't fired. I used some of them way back to glue coral frags to, and got some feedback to the idea from a guy involved with making them. The story could be summed up by "you wouldn't believe how the stuff is handled in the yard". I started soaking them in Peroxide from that point.


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## lee739 (Oct 12, 2014)

If a tile wasn't fired - it would break down when wet.... all tiles for building are fired, otherwise they'd be called mudbricks.... 
Always a good idea to disinfect with peroxide or similar though.


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

lee739 said:


> If a tile wasn't fired - it would break down when wet.... all tiles for building are fired, otherwise they'd be called mudbricks....
> Always a good idea to disinfect with peroxide or similar though.


Some of them are cemented conglomerates and may or may not be fired. Just dried.

OP - you should have no problem with red clay tile. After all, clay is used as an iron source, heck even that terra-cotta style stuff can be used as bio media. As the others said, I'd sterilize it somehow first personally.


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## lee739 (Oct 12, 2014)

OK - we would probably call those concrete pavers here....


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

I was thinking more like terrazzo tiles.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Couldn't think of the name so I deferred to "natural stone". It's been long time since I used it. Honestly, I didn't have any issues with it in SW tanks, but the guy's story did make me think about it a little.

Travertine:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_486084-9384...t=tiles&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=tiles&facetInfo=


Fired or not, the stuff is extremely porous has lots of small cavities. This is the kind of tile I was referring to that may warrant some "cleansing". 

But since this is something that's never to be seen again, you could go really cheap and go to a tile / flooring store and ask for some old tile sample boards. Tile is discontinued faster than womens' shoe styles. So they end up getting pitched in the dumpster all the time. You shouldn't have trouble getting all you need for free.


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## Moose-Factory (Mar 13, 2015)

Just to be sure, I contacted the manufacturer, and received a reply this morning:
_
Metropolitan Ceramics’ products are fired to temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and once fired it is an inert material. Our tile does not contain lead or sealants, or produce any toxic fumes. _

So, I feel pretty confident now, thanks everyone for the feedback.

Final question: like all tiles, there are very small textured ridges on the underside of the tile for the mortar to adhere to when installing as flooring. If I put the tile directly on the tank glass, these textured ridges will great maybe a 1 - 3 mm gap between the glass and the tile which water will get into. Will this create any weird anaerobic effects with this stagnant water in these tiny gaps at the base of my substrate? Or is this not a concern? And lastly, what's the purpose of soaking them in peroxide as suggested? Will there really be all sorts of bad bugs growing on this virgin tile that warrant sterilization?


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Moose-Factory said:


> Just to be sure, I contacted the manufacturer, and received a reply this morning:
> _
> Metropolitan Ceramics’ products are fired to temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and once fired it is an inert material. Our tile does not contain lead or sealants, or produce any toxic fumes. _
> 
> ...


If you opt for glazed ceramic tile, you should be fine. It's inert as you were advised. The gap under the tile raises an interesting question that I can't answer.

The whole thing abouts soaking in peroxide was predicated by the choice of tile. Some natural stone tiles are really porous and have lots of imperfections that can harbor things you may not want in a tank.


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

Personally I'd clean them. It's not going to hurt anything. Even if it's just a scrubbing. 

I wouldn't put them directly on the glass. Not for anaerobic reasons, but personally I just wouldn't be comfortable with it. Wasn't it the porcelain part of a spark plug that would explode tempered glass in vehicles? Not saying I've ever had the pleasure . I'd buffer it from the glass somehow even if it's just a thin layer of sand or some egg crate.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

Ceramic tile, terra cotta, slate, and granite are all fine.

I'd avoid marble and travertine, because these are carbonates, and depending on your water parameters, may raise hardness and pH.

Slate and terra cotta are probably going to be the easiest to cut, I've cut slate with a hacksaw before.

Depending on how much space you want to fill, it might be worth picking up some clay bricks - you won't be able to cut them as easily, but they come in normal brick sizes, and something else about 1/2 as thick, and they are really cheap. Just make sure you get the ones made of clay, and not concrete/cinders.

I wouldn't worry about the small gaps under/betwixt the tiles. There are small anaerobic spots in all tanks, and it's not a problem usually, and may even be beneficial/necessary to a certain extent. As long as you don't have large pockets where organic matter is decaying anearobically and building up gas, I don't think it's an issue.

Oh, and as Dead2fall mentioned, I'd put something down on the glass before the bricks. I like using the plastic canvas you can get in craft stores, I can usually find a big sheet, something on the scale of ~18"x12" or so for a dollar or two, and it's easy to cut to fit, and will keep rocks/tiles/etc. from scratching up the glass.


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## Moose-Factory (Mar 13, 2015)

Dead2fall said:


> I wouldn't put them directly on the glass. Not for anaerobic reasons, but personally I just wouldn't be comfortable with it. Wasn't it the porcelain part of a spark plug that would explode tempered glass in vehicles? Not saying I've ever had the pleasure . I'd buffer it from the glass somehow even if it's just a thin layer of sand or some egg crate.


What's this about porcelain and tempered glass? How would porcelain explode glass? never heard of that before, yikes :icon_eek:!


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

Moose-Factory said:


> What's this about porcelain and tempered glass? How would porcelain explode glass? never heard of that before, yikes :icon_eek:!


Well.. I've HEARD from some people that as a kid they would toss a chunk porcelain at tempered glass and BOOM. Much more efficient than a rock.


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## hinow41 (Feb 13, 2015)

Dead2fall said:


> Well.. I've HEARD from some people that as a kid they would toss a chunk porcelain at tempered glass and BOOM. Much more efficient than a rock.


Yup its an old trick, If your ever trapped in a car or need to break a window you can use the porcelain from a spark plug. Just break up and throw at the glass. Window shatters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhlmKHbPFhU


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

I mean porcelain is a little different than ceramic but not by much. I'm not sure if it would have the same effect but I wouldn't want to try it, especially with the bottom of most tanks being tempered glass.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

tempered glass is strong because there are different stresses on the glass from undergoing a special heating/cooling process. The side windows of cars (and often things like shower doors, sliding doors, and sometimes tank bottoms) are often made out of tempered glass.

If tempered glass is scratched deep enough, all the internal stresses cause it to disentegrate - this is why you can't drill/cut tempered glass.

I've heard of spark plug fragments referred to as "ninja rocks", and they work because they are hard and sharp, and can scratch the glass enough to trigger the disintegration. I think they are considered "burglary tools" in a lot of areas, and can get you into trouble. and it's not the whole spark plug itself, just fragments of the ceramic portion.


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## Moose-Factory (Mar 13, 2015)

lochaber said:


> tempered glass is strong because there are different stresses on the glass from undergoing a special heating/cooling process. The side windows of cars (and often things like shower doors, sliding doors, and sometimes tank bottoms) are often made out of tempered glass.
> 
> If tempered glass is scratched deep enough, all the internal stresses cause it to disentegrate - this is why you can't drill/cut tempered glass.
> 
> I've heard of spark plug fragments referred to as "ninja rocks", and they work because they are hard and sharp, and can scratch the glass enough to trigger the disintegration. I think they are considered "burglary tools" in a lot of areas, and can get you into trouble. and it's not the whole spark plug itself, just fragments of the ceramic portion.


Good to know. So in other words, I should avoid placing the ceramic tile directly on my tank floor? Is a thin layer of sand ok to use below the entirety of the soil substrate, to act as a "cushion" for the tile? How much of a concern is this? Thanks!


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

I don't really know the specifics, I just have a pretty general layman's understanding of it (I think?(hope?))...

I think a lot of people with the big tanks have set them up with rocks on a bare bottom, but it's something I wouldn't be comfortable with.

I like using the big sheets of plastic canvas (I think it's used for needlepoint or cross stitch or something similar) that you can find in craft/sewing stores. It's pretty cheap, it's easy to cut, and it's been used in fish/reef/planted tanks for literally decades without problems.

I'd hesitate to put sand down, because it can shift, and I like putting my hardscape down before my substrate, but I don't know if this is a serious concern, or just my preference.

I imagine it's fine to just set the tile down in the tank, as long as you aren't shuffling it around and scraping it and stuff, and I think that's what a lot of people do. I hear a lot of people use egg crate, but I think it's a bit expensive just to avoid scratches. I'm pretty sure I've read a couple accounts of people using a sheet of cardboard, but can't remember where...


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

lochaber said:


> I don't really know the specifics, I just have a pretty general layman's understanding of it (I think?(hope?))...
> 
> I think a lot of people with the big tanks have set them up with rocks on a bare bottom, but it's something I wouldn't be comfortable with.
> 
> ...


I use egg crate. Not to prevent scratches as who cares, it's the bottom. It's more to disperse the weight of hardscape.


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