Setting up your live rock on a platform....

[joeyz]

Dr. Ron,
I will be re-doing my display tank in a couple of weeks.
In the process of doing this, I plan on building an eggcrate/pvc platform/shelf for the rock to sit on.
I am planning on doing something like this but with a little different design http://www.fishjunction.com/Reef%20Timber_.htm.

It's my understanding that you are against doing this.
Can you please give me the negatives in doing something like this? Just curious why it would be a bad thing. In my opinion, I'd imagine that something like this could be benefical for the tank in many ways. For starters, by elevating the rock off the sandbed, you would be increasing the surface area of your sandbed which is something that we are all looking for. Correct? Also with a set up like this, you can basically have the freedom to stack your rock a little better and possibly make it a little more sturdier than simply stacking each rock on top of one another and also make a nice open structure.

What are your thoughts on this?
Thanks :)

[rshimek]

Hi Joey,

I have absolutely no problem with setting the rock up on platform. It allows you to see the bottom of the rock, how else could you do that? .... :D

Other than that, I can't see any benfit to it. If you want to use supports for your rock, though, I can't find any fault with it. However, I tend to feel - all other things being equal - that the simpler way is the better way. There is no significant benefit to be gained by having the rock elevated above the bottom provided the bed is thick enough that animals may burrow under it.

I generally embed the rock in the sand bed, and I doubt I could get a more secure way of anchoring those rocks.

This is really a non-issue. Provided the bed is a good bed to begin with elevating the rock work or not will not appreciably effect the bed.