Milk Crate/Table Under Rock Display

[swilliams2207]

Looking for advice on suitable plastic to "boost" my rockscape. I have 120 lbs of rock going into a 36x36 150 cube. The tank is 28 inches high so I would like to have the rock go up about 2/3 towards the top.

I don't really want to buy more rock so my thinking was to artificially raise it by putting a shelf/support/milk crate box underneath and stack the rock on top. I was thinking of cutting arches out of it to allow swim-through space etc. Also thinking this may allow for better flow and less dead space underneath.

Do I need food-grade plastic? Any tips for alternatives? I essentially need a small 4-legged table to act as a support.

Here is my inspiration that I would like to replicate.

plan was to grab one of these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/GSC-Tec...13-in-Black-Milk-Crate-MC131311-002/204793156 and cut it in half and wedge it in the back corner towards my overflow. Will easily buy me height.

 

[KrisReef]

Whatever you end up doing it may be a challenge to leave access room for cleaning or trimming corals, if needed. The tank you posted used rock pile. I have a bunch of rock in barrels in my garage that I'd hook you up with if you were close by. Where is Sictuate? (Too lazy to Google it )

 

[swilliams2207]

Whatever you end up doing it may be a challenge to leave access room for cleaning or trimming corals, if needed. The tank you posted used rock pile. I have a bunch of rock in barrels in my garage that I'd hook you up with if you were close by. Where is Sictuate? (Too lazy to Google it )

South Shore MA

 

[Tub Life]

Back in the day I essentially did what you are looking to do.
I used egg-crate, pvc pipe, and zip ties.
Built open-ended boxes, and 'tables' to lean rock on and pile on top.
Let's you have a larger rock structure with less rock.
Makes 'rooms' and shelter for fish to swim through and in as well.

 

[JayM]

Some of those crates are fairly flimsy, even more so after cutting it up. I'd consider an assortment of PVC fittings to build the structure exactly as you need it and use epoxy putty to attach rubble on any areas that show.

 

[Naekuh]

I am in the same boat.
I have a Nuvo 150EXT coming, and was thinking of crateing the sections where rocks were going to sit on top.
But i have heard a lot of people tell me no, because i intend on having Wrases and they can seriously hurt themselves if they decide to kamakazi into that substrate.
The crates can trap biological nasties which make it very difficult to clean.

Someone said you would need to vacum out each individual square, and cover any part with like a soft pvc layer incase your wrase decides to take a nose dive into it.

I have also heard that you really don't need to do it because on most tanks the bottom is tempered glass, so the rock shattering the bottom is very difficult unless you apply a tremendous amount of force.

But i am all ears in what you experts think, if its something we should do, especially if we intend to keep wrase, or something which is like a witch potion that somehow still exist for this hobby.

I was thinking it would make my foundation a bit more secure as i was going with a NSA scape, and the base would need to be stable.

 

[Gobi1canobi]

I am in the same boat.
I have a Nuvo 150EXT coming, and was thinking of crateing the sections where rocks were going to sit on top.
But i have heard a lot of people tell me no, because i intend on having Wrases and they can seriously hurt themselves if they decide to kamakazi into that substrate.
The crates can trap biological nasties which make it very difficult to clean.

Someone said you would need to vacum out each individual square, and cover any part with like a soft pvc layer incase your wrase decides to take a nose dive into it.

I have also heard that you really don't need to do it because on most tanks the bottom is tempered glass, so the rock shattering the bottom is very difficult unless you apply a tremendous amount of force.

But i am all ears in what you experts think, if its something we should do, especially if we intend to keep wrase, or something which is like a witch potion that somehow still exist for this hobby.

I was thinking it would make my foundation a bit more secure as i was going with a NSA scape, and the base would need to be stable.

I use egg crate on my bottom and yes structures more stable and easier to angle if you need to . I like to keep my structure somewhat floating or many caves and it does keep stable with wrasse crabs urchin Gobi lawnmower blenny shrimp sand sifter and still no structure movement