Question: Slate Bottom Question

[mareofnight]

So I decided to use a slate tile bottom for my tank, and got it cut correctly. For those of you who have them, did you silicone it down or not? If not, does debris build up underneath and how often do you clean underneath them?

Anything else you have to say about slate bottoms would be appreciated too! Thanks!

 

[RobM]

Personally I wouldn't silicone it down, just encase I wanted to later remove it. However I would assume you would get debris fall down the sides of the slate, so if you are going to silicone, only silicone the edges. At least that way you can cut the slate out if you ever want to remove it.

 

[Jennewt]

Actually, if you silicone the edges, it would still be impossible to remove it without damaging the silicone that seals the tank itself - you'd probably end up needing to reseal the tank if you attempted this.

I did use silicone, but I made the mistake of letting some of the silicone squish down UNDER the slate. The result was that it took a couple of MONTHS for the thing to stop smelling of vinegar. So I agree with Rob that it would be best to just seal around the edges. (Put the slate in place, then apply the silicone.) But if you do seal it, don't ever expect to get the slate back out. Then again, why would you want to? Even if you later want to have a gravel-based fish tank, you can just put gravel over the slate.

 

[Grete]

Definitely silicone the bottom. I had put slate down in my smaller (50 gallon) tank and since the pieces fit perfectly, didn't think I had to silicone it. Afterwards, when I was moving the axies to their 93 gallon, I pulled up the slate to transfer it and was amazed at the amount of debris/poop build-up that collected underneath!

 

[mareofnight]

Thanks for the input! Seems like I will silicone it!

 

[brillB07]

what if you silicone the inside of the slate..? that way it can be removed in one chunk if ever bored with it xp and decorate the sides to keep anything from falling.
i thought about doing something similar with glass tile then thought of slate...but my fear was that the bottom would be too heavy and break! so i guess just make sure it isnt heavy thick slate ;p

 

[Grete]

I wouldn't worry about their being too much weight causing stress to the tank's integrity. Keep in mind that most axolotl keepers don't fill their tanks to the max.

For example, a 50 US gallon tank would have around 25 gallons of water x 8 lbs. per gallon + 20 lbs (of 3/8" slate) = 220 lbs. If that 50 gallon tank was filled with water it'd be closer to 400 lbs without slate.

My 93 gallon acrylic has about 65 gallons of water + around 40 lbs of slate siliconed in it and it's going strong

 

[Kaysie]

Tanks are engineered to handle the weight of a full tank of water. There's no reason to only fill up the tank half way. Don't get crazy with slate, but you can put some in.

I wouldn't silicone it down. It'll be more of a pain than its worth.

 

[brillB07]

lol sounds like you did alot of weighing in recently xp
i put river rocks, opals, and slate caves in my tank and try to distribute the rock weight just for the fearing idea that the tank bottom might break lol over active imagination i guess :wacko:

what of putting down the slate and filling the cracks with sand? no poop surprises, yet still easy to clean, plus you could put down plants in between as well, yet its not premenant in case you get bored with the arrangement...sand would only add a few more pounds..haha

 

[Kaysie]

That sounds like a wonderful idea.

 

[Grete]

Welllll..... yeah, I did alot of number crunching to figure out what each of my aquariums would weigh once setup. I've got over 1100 lbs of water/substrate between 2 tanks, wanted to make sure the stands would hold up

 

[Kaysie]

That's also a valid concern, especially when using homemade stands. Most commercial stands are, again, engineered for that. You also don't want to forget the weight of the tank itself, which can be considerable with larger glass tanks.

I've used Gorilla Racks (brand name) for some time, and had a fully loaded 55 gallon tank + sand, which is around 500 lbs, 225kg, and the stand never wobbled once. It's always a good idea to put the heavier tank on the bottom, though. Top-heavy stands are a lot less stable.

I've also made my own stands, and used 4x4 posts, lag bolts, and doubled-up OSB, which I sealed with a couple layers of primer/paint. These held up decently, and looked like they could hold a lot more weight.