[Guest]

when using styrofoam as a substrate, do you silicone it to the bottom of the tank, or is there something else that you can do to keep it from floating when water is added?

i am working on a 15 gal, and i don't want to fill it with rocks, but i don't want to set it up wrong and have to tear it apart and do it over again. any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[kyle1745]

If you are planning on a water feature you may want to use rocks or geolite, as a very small amount of water will go stagnant very fast. I have this problem in a tank were I used styrofoam as a substrate. Its fine without a water feature, and with a larger tank.

when using styrofoam as a substrate, do you silicone it to the bottom of the tank, or is there something else that you can do to keep it from floating when water is added?

i am working on a 15 gal, and i don't want to fill it with rocks, but i don't want to set it up wrong and have to tear it apart and do it over again. any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[geckguy]

You can use styrofoam peanuts as a base instead of panels of styrofoam or rocks. If you dont like the look you could put an inch of gravel infront of the peanuts to make it look like the whole bottom is gravel, but still have the tank be very light.

 

[Guest]

i am going to have a water feature. it is a piece of corkbark with water running down it. under the water feature i was going to use rocks. but on the other side, i was going to use the styrofoam so i didn't have to have two or three inches of rocks. i basically wanted a lighter way to build up the ground to the level that i am looking for.

 

[xxll]

if you want something lighter then rock, you can use terra-lite there little terra cotta balls that are much lighter then rock, you can get it from blackjungle.com

 

[Matt Mirabello]

If you have a decent layer of soil ontop of it then the weight should keep the styrofoam peanuts from floating. I put a nylon sheet over the styrofoam before I add the soil (about 2 inches).

when using styrofoam as a substrate, do you silicone it to the bottom of the tank, or is there something else that you can do to keep it from floating when water is added?