# weight of stones on glass?



## DerCribben (Mar 15, 2011)

I was wondering if anyone had any experience or thoughts about whether you need to take special care when setting stones in an all glass aquarium? Which is not to ask whether or not it's ok to drop a rock on a glass aquarium, but instead, do you need to take special care distributing weight out? I really like the Amano style of hardscape and would like to try my hand at centrally placed stones and this is the first question that comes to mind when I think of putting a huge chuck of shale in the middle of my tank...

tia,
Chris


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## Cuchulainn (Nov 2, 2010)

I use egg crate under all stone work just to be safe


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

I don't buy into the eggcrate thing at all. People have been using rocks in aquariums for ages. Don't drop them, and your fine. Egg crate does a horrible job of diffusing weight. It doesn't do anything to not create pressure points either. I've argued it a million times. 

In planted tanks, all it does is get caught in the roots. 

People grossly underestimate the strength of tanks. Water weighs 8 lbs a gallon on its own... if your tank can hold hundreds of pounds of water, the rocks won't do much. 

Just don't drop them. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgEwEiTyYcs&feature=channel_video_title


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## Zareth (Dec 13, 2010)

As long as the stones arent directly resting on the glass its fine. 
The issue is not the weight of the stones but how its distributed
As long as you put the substrate in the tank and wedge the stones in the substrate, even if the stones are touching the glass, they will be supported by the substrate due to the way you placed them.
Now if you put the stones in first and then all the substrate surrounding the stones it could be problematic.


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

I've never had a problem with heavy rocks directly on the glass. This is how I've always done it. If you ever get into African Cichlids and want holy rock you will find that everyone says to place directly on the glass. If you put it on top of the substrate it will eventually cave in and can be harmful to your fish. 

But like over stocked said, the water weighs enough as it is. If it can take the weight of the water it can take less from a rock.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Everyone watch the video over_stocked posted... It's awesome.


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## Higher Thinking (Mar 16, 2011)

Feel free to check out my 75 gallon picture. I have
a center arrangement of rocks and it works perfectly. Like said before, don't place them directly on the glass. I've rested mine into the substrate and then used aquarium sealant to glue the rocks together.


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

I have over 150kg of rock in my 75 stacked up along the back, nearly to the surface. I put egg crate underneath cause it's tempered (in case of a pointy rock directly on the glass) and it's all good. You can fill the tank with rock and then add that much again on top and you'll still be good. And then you can climb up on top of that and it will still be good. 

Tanks are ridiculously strong.

PS. If you do that and injure yourself somehow, I accept no responsibility.:icon_roll


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## limz_777 (Jun 29, 2005)

i place thin Styrofoam below the rocks


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

Well, I might be new to the planted tank, but I kept african cichlids for years.

The bottom glass is tempered, and as far as weight is concerned, it is as strong as steel - as long as you don't actually drop the rocks.

In my 75 gallon I used about 200 lbs of rock to creat my rockscape, all placed carefully onto the bottom of the aquarium. Then I poured in the playsand. Resting the rocks on the bottom the glass meant that none of my cichlids could ever dig under and undermine my structure. Never a problem.

Seriously, don't worry about it, and don't do anything silly like drop rocks into the tank.


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## DerCribben (Mar 15, 2011)

Ok great! I get the aquarium is built to hold a s*#%ton of weight, but they are also designed to distribute it all to the sides/corners, good to know you can put 2oolbs of rock in one place and the temper of the glass will hold.

Well..."seiryu rocks" look a whole lot like the shale/slate that I've been seeing here in Maine my whole life. I'm going rock hunting at the shore today and will post some pics later if I find anything good.

Man....waiting for all your "stuff" to get here so you can get started creating can really drive you batty sometimes huh...

thanks everyone for the great info!
Chris


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## cmosh (Jan 14, 2011)

A common trick in saltwater reef tanks is to place a cutting board below the substrate so the rock isn't resting directly on the glass, tempered glass is strong but if you manage to hit a sweet spot you are going to have one hell of a mess. Take for example a glass patio table if you give it a good whack halfway between the umbrella opening and outer rim of the table the whole top will just burst into pebbles.


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## Granny (Feb 23, 2011)

All I know is that my unsinkable decorative wood that I was determined to use, was eventually bolted to a heavy paving stone to hold it down. I put aquarium sealer dots and globs on the bottom and sides of the block to cushion it from the glass.

It was very heavy when it was put in the tank. When it was removed years later after being in the water, I had to get a really big guy to pick it up out of the tank. He guessed it weighed in at about 60 pounds soaking wet. 

Just be sure you don't bump any of the glass, bottom or sides, with any stone of any kind.


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## jahmic (Jan 30, 2011)

mordalphus said:


> Everyone watch the video over_stocked posted... It's awesome.


+1, that was a great link.


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## DerCribben (Mar 15, 2011)

over_stocked said:


> I don't buy into the eggcrate thing at all. People have been using rocks in aquariums for ages. Don't drop them, and your fine. Egg crate does a horrible job of diffusing weight. It doesn't do anything to not create pressure points either. I've argued it a million times.
> 
> In planted tanks, all it does is get caught in the roots.
> 
> ...


WOW:eek5:...ok so question answered...I didn't see the link at first... another +1 for watch the video

Thanks OverStocked...


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

That video is enough proof! Great link.


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## ReefkprZ (Aug 21, 2010)

after a LOT of expirience with reef tanks and live rock etc. I know for a fact that you can fill and entire tank chock full of rock (a 55g) with nothing on the bottom except rock,and not worry about it. I'm talking so full that I had to place the pieces and rearrange a bunch of times to get it all in the tank under the water level. I displaced so much water doing this that I wasted about 30 gallons of water by having to drain it off.


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## SNAKEMANVET (Jan 6, 2011)

I always use plexi-glass for my rocks to set on.


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## latnem (Apr 10, 2011)

OverStocked said:


> ... if your tank can hold hundreds of pounds of water, the rocks won't do much.
> 
> Just don't drop them.
> 
> ...


I like rocks but I think your hardscape needs some work


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

latnem said:


> I like rocks but I think your hardscape needs some work


LOL. Not my tank.... and it appears to be function over form...


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## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

Before having a planted tank I kept a 30 gallon cichlid tank. Had it for close to 4 years, with about 125lbs of river rock, no eggcrate, and never had a problem.


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## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

Now you've got me looking up photos of my old setup 

Tank









The dominant male


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

(wathes Overstocked's video) YAY! PHYSICS!


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## HarryGreene35nT0 (Aug 6, 2020)

Thanks for the information.


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## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

ok extra points to that video for using Vivaldi as the soundtrack. Always makes me happy to hear.


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