Is eggcrate safe? Your thoughts??

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Stumbled across this link today: http://www.njreefers.org/showthread.php?58778-Egg-Crate-Phosphate-Contributions">http://www.njreefers.org/showthread.php?58778-Egg-Crate-Phosphate-Contributions</a>. Although this article is old; wonder if the egg crate could be a contributor to the bad stuff; especially is smaller tanks where the water column is very limited. What are you thoughts? Where would you purchase you next piece of egg crate?

Wannabee

 

[camellia]

Pretty sure HD & Lowes sells it in the lighting section.

I've had a sheet of white in the bottom of my sump for a 18+ months. It's basically there to trap sand & small Rock that may make it into the sump. I store rock and rock with coral on it sometimes when vacuuming DT etc. and don't want my VU pump sucking up sand or debris...

I do take it out and clean the entire sump every 6 months or so.

 

[crew]

HD and Lowes do sell it in their lighting department, but in my experience, they have no idea what "egg crate" or "light diffusers" are... you pretty much have to find it yourself.

 

[enderg60]

Perfectly safe as its an inert plastic. Yeah you have to ask for lighting diffusers at HD, but they have it in white. Black needs to be special ordered and is 4x the price of the white.

Only downside is since its plastic algea loves to grow on it.

I use it for something to put my rocks on, frag racks, custom rock skeleton, screen for the tank top. Works great.

 

[axio]

I've only ever heard of any real issues with the black egg crate. Also some companies spray different agents on the egg crate to help prevent waste/dust build up so you want to clean any egg crate you buy before use. These agents manly leach phosphates in small quantities. The amount of agents used will depend on the brand. The egg crate we order in bulk tends to get way less algae grow on it then the stuff at HD/Lowes