what kind of tile did you use??

[professorfluffygills]

Hi all,

I've read a bazillion things online about using tile as substrate, thought I had it down, and went to Lowe's thinking I would get some sand-colored, unglazed ceramic tile or slate. The tiles I found (that looked very similar to ones I saw someone post in photos of their tank online) were sandy colored, textured, and porcelain/ceramic. They were not glossy so I assumed they were unglazed, but I asked to be sure and the guy said, "um, pretty much everything is glazed, unless you want these totally boring gray bathroom tiles over here" (ok that's not exactly what he said, but close enough)

So, I ended up leaving (in an internal huff) with nothing, not wanting to take a chance with my precious babies. Seems like some say they have to be totally unglazed, others say that the high-heat firing makes the glaze safe, bleh. I am hoping to get input from those of you who used tiles as substrate - what kind did you use? (brownie points for links! lol) The ones I found looked like stone, and were textured like stone but were porcelain and when I held them up to the light they had little flecks of silver in them, so I'm not sure what that is. I was thinking maybe it was just mica, but idk, and the guy working there didn't know either. I think he thought I was nuts. Totally overwhelmed with what I thought would be a simple, straightforward project.

Thanks so much for any help!

 

[Irrlich]

I currently have a barebottom tank, but I am very interested in the answers, cause you just made me realise that I could glue a styrofoam cave construction to tiles to keep the whole thing down, instead of having to glue it to the tank itself!

This info I found seems useful though: Bob's Tropical Fish: Decorating Your Aquarium
summary, glazed objects can be safe if they are "dinnerware safe".
"To find out if a ceramic piece is safe, take some household acid such as vinegar. Dilute it to a pH that might be reasonably expected under the most extreme aquarium situation. A pH of 5 should be sufficient. Submerge part of the ornament in question and wait. After a month examine the glaze on the object and compare the acid treated portion to the remainder. If any of the shininess has deteriorated the decoration will be unsuitable for your aquarium."

So you could ask the store for a test piece and test it.

 

[wolfen]

Hi all,

I've read a bazillion things online about using tile as substrate, thought I had it down, and went to Lowe's thinking I would get some sand-colored, unglazed ceramic tile or slate. The tiles I found (that looked very similar to ones I saw someone post in photos of their tank online) were sandy colored, textured, and porcelain/ceramic. They were not glossy so I assumed they were unglazed, but I asked to be sure and the guy said, "um, pretty much everything is glazed, unless you want these totally boring gray bathroom tiles over here" (ok that's not exactly what he said, but close enough)

So, I ended up leaving (in an internal huff) with nothing, not wanting to take a chance with my precious babies. Seems like some say they have to be totally unglazed, others say that the high-heat firing makes the glaze safe, bleh. I am hoping to get input from those of you who used tiles as substrate - what kind did you use? (brownie points for links! lol) The ones I found looked like stone, and were textured like stone but were porcelain and when I held them up to the light they had little flecks of silver in them, so I'm not sure what that is. I was thinking maybe it was just mica, but idk, and the guy working there didn't know either. I think he thought I was nuts. Totally overwhelmed with what I thought would be a simple, straightforward project.

Thanks so much for any help!

why don't you try terracotta tiles or slate.