50 Gallon Lowboy and rock structure weight

NassariusLover

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Hi, first post on R2R but it has been a great source of information for me for a while now. I have been working on a hardscape for a 50 gallon lowboy aquarium, but I'm worried about the weight of the rocks against the bottom glass panel. They are all placed on light diffuser, and the total weight of the island structure is about 60-65lb. I had reasoned that the weight of the water the rocks will displaced would also be significant, but since the rockwork projects above the water it is especially heavy. I know that these lowboy tanks are non-tempered and are designed primarily for frags, so this is a big concern, and the water would cause a lot of damage if the bottom glass gave in. Here's the current scape. Should I be worried?

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Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Personally, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I've never heard of rock so heavy that it breaks the bottom glass, but I'm sure someone will have an example :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Good luck!
 
Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Personally, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I've never heard of rock so heavy that it breaks the bottom glass, but I'm sure someone will have an example :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Good luck!
Alright, thank you so much!
 
The egg crate should help disperse the weight I would imagine but I’m also not an engineer 🤭
 
Welcome Aboard! The issue with heavy rock is having them fall onto the glass (or dropped). Gravity plus a sharp point on a heavy rock can do some damage. Static weight properly supported won't be an issue.
 

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