# Plastic grate in tank bottom?



## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

I see that some folks put plastic eggcrate in the bottom of their tanks but I never seen an explanation for it.

What purpose does it serve? Is it some sort of buffer for rock based aquascapes?

Thanks

Jim


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

It can be used to help distibute weight and also just protect the glass itself from direct contact by the hardscape. 

Care should still be taken at all times when placing rocks. The crate only has a limited roll in poviding some additional support.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

I use strips of egg crate around the edges to lock the capping material along/against the glass on my soil based systems. This has eliminated the soil creeping to the edges where it can be seen. (it works:smile


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

wkndracer said:


> I use strips of egg crate around the edges to lock the capping material along/against the glass on my soil based systems. This has eliminated the soil creeping to the edges where it can be seen. (it works:smile


Very creative. I hae noticed that it will eventually creep no matter what you do.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

I can absolutely live with eventually. My top soil tank has been flooded since April 2009 and my MTS tank went wet July 2009. No creep yet :biggrin:


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

Will egg crate affect root development? I'm thinking of having a planted section with eco-complete and an unplanted section of just river cobble and don't want the plants and the eco-complete to spill over too much. Would cutting up some egg crate to fit the shapes I want keep things separate and not hurt root development?

note: I'm assuming that what people mean by egg crate is that plastic stuff in a grid pattern and not the foam stuff with egg shaped depressions.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I have used expanding foam filler to keep the plant substrate out of certain areas of the tank, with a rock wall. Works better than rocks by themselves.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

The egg crate I was referring to is used mainly for florescent lighting. White or chrome in color 1/2" squares arranged in a sheet that is 1/4" in height/thickness.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Its not "egg crate" in the sense of what people are thinking.

This is it. Its actually a fluorescent light fixture diffuser


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