# Natural rock aquarium gravel for drainage level?



## Venomgland (Dec 31, 2017)

Is there any problems with that? Wash it off, maybe bake it. It should be ok, just heavy..


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## Easternon (Oct 13, 2017)

I use natural rock and gravels (aquatic and horticultural) regularly in my setups without issue. Using multiple grades allows for proper movement of water if you have the finer gravel at the top.


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## ninjazx777 (Oct 30, 2013)

Don't bake or boil rocks they can explode


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## Venomgland (Dec 31, 2017)

ninjazx777 said:


> Don't bake or boil rocks they can explode


So just wash the heck out of them and they will be fine?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Make sure you put that viv in it's permanent home before putting gravel in. If you ever have to move it, you'll wish you'd "blown" a few bucks on some lightweight, LECA/hydroton.


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## Louis (Apr 23, 2014)

The issue of weight reminds me of something I've not been able to find an answer on.
I use leca rather than gravel or rocks for exactly this reason and luckily I've never needed to move a vivarium without dismantling it, but I think I'd be scared to even try. Does anyone have any idea how much weight the base of glass terrariums like exo terras and zoomeds can actually take? 
Obviously there are a lot of variables with uneven temperature and pressure etc. but if we know the type of glass, it's thickness and other dimensions I think there should be a formula for calculating it's load bearing capacity? Any engineers that can help?


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## Venomgland (Dec 31, 2017)

Well I wanted to use the gravel in my water feature that I completely failed on. So I scrapped that totally. I'll try again on my next build. I just didn't have the space for it in this one. This one is 18x18x24. My next one I want to be 18x36x24.. I'll just have more room. The plants filled this one up quickly.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Could you put a piece of eggcrate across it, like a lid? Eggcrate, window screen mesh (because most weedblock will NOT drain properly), substrate, leaf litter. Lightest possible repair.


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## AuroraK (Mar 29, 2017)

Venomgland said:


> Well I wanted to use the gravel in my water feature that I completely failed on. So I scrapped that totally. I'll try again on my next build. I just didn't have the space for it in this one. This one is 18x18x24. My next one I want to be 18x36x24.. I'll just have more room. The plants filled this one up quickly.




I have gravel in my water feature (that I basically never use, but it still looks nice), which is now basically a little “pond” into the “water table”. But I still used a light weight drainage layer (josh’s frogs false bottom), then the substrate barrier, THEN the gravel over the water feature and soil elsewhere. Which is all to say, you do not need to use gravel for the drainage later to use it in your water feature.


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