# "Sealing" Egg Crate?



## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

So I bought a 4 sheets of egg crate tonight, and I am using two to frame my tank (conveniently they are 47-1/2"x23-1/2"), and the rest to build the frame work for the two cliffs on which my stumps will lie. 

I started on my left stump first. Substrate, when it reaches the base of the first "cliff/hill", will be around 3.5" and the cliff will be approx. 7.5" above that. I plan on facing the egg crate with stone all around. I also have a cave cut out of the egg crate, which will need it's walls (made of egg crate, not attached yet), sealed as well. I want basically all of the crate aside from the top row of boxes, to be "sealed" if you will. The top piece of the box, basically, will be sitting 2 inches below the top to allow for a nice layer of Eco complete for planting. I have PVC cut out to 10" (6 pieces, going to try for three for each cliff section), as support legs. 

Is there anyway to seal the egg crate walls? I was initially going to fill it with lava rocks and then place Eco on top, but with the cave especially, I don't want a zebra or something of that size, to find a gap in the lava rocks and get stuck. And I want to make it a solid structure too.

Is it worth sealing everything? Or am I being way too paranoid? 

Here is a picture I took, edited with paint. The big black bar is where the substrate will sit on the bottom "level", and this is just half of the "tank"

I outlined the egg crate in black to make it a little easier to see. I have both the bottom piece and top piece of my tank "frame" outlined with the 1/3 and 2/3 marks (golden ratio) but I don't believe you can see them in the picture. 










I'm going to also be spraying all of the egg crate black as well, and I plan on leaving some of it exposed at the top to allow for easy tie off points for moss, which will "in theory" cover it up, and hopefully begin to grow down the rock face. Same goes for the row over the cave entrance. I have the pieces cut for the cave, and it will go back approx. 5", but I am in the midst of sanding the edges. 


I also have a lot of extra branches I plan to add on to both of the stumps I have. I already started with the one thats hanging down on this one, just a stainless steel screw for simplicity.


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## SingAlongWithTsing (Jun 11, 2015)

you can try to glue corrugated plastic to the egg crate but im not sure how well super glue or silicone would bond the two


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## Turningdoc (Apr 2, 2014)

Krylon fusion spraypaint lasts well under water. Only reason to seal is the color in case it ever becomes partially visible as substrate shifts ( which it will )


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

Well I do plan on leaving a little on the top exposed actually, because I did it in my 10, and it was the easiest tie off point for moss! And it doesn't take long for it to disappear. Worked really well for me /

I'll have to remember that about the Krylon. 

I really mostly want solid walls on the cave section that will extend underneath the box, in order to give me peace of mind that a fish won't get caught inbetween all the lava rock...


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Expanding foam filler will work, is fish safe, and can be sculpted (after it is dry). The pond version comes in black, which can be fairly subtle, especially with EC as substrate.


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

You got me thinking. I have extra pieces of pond liner from when we put in the new skimmer (small pieces), would this be adequate enough?


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Michaels has plastic "canvas" that you can zip tie. I think it might be stuff for something called "needle point" but not sure. I'm using it around an outflow on a tank so fry can't escape into the sump.


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

GraphicGr8s said:


> Michaels has plastic "canvas" that you can zip tie. I think it might be stuff for something called "needle point" but not sure. I'm using it around an outflow on a tank so fry can't escape into the sump.


I'll have to check that out. Thanks!


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## jrygel (Jan 29, 2014)

Little Soprano said:


> I'll have to check that out. Thanks!




I was going to say the same thing. I used some of the plastic canvas stuff to make a box to keep my biomedia where I want it in my sump. I go mine at Hobby Lobby. Zip ties work great to hold it together and to tie it to egg crate.


-Justin


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Update, with pics, please.


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