I've used bricks before, but i dont recommend it the edges would always show. Ive tried lava rocks as a base, and that worked pretty good. Also adds a lot of surface area for the tank so its sort of a double feature. The coarseness keeps the lava-rock very rigid and really holds it shape even at really steep elevations. I know people also use sand bags, but i dont have any experience with this.

 

Egg crate, light diffuser. You can buy it at home depo by the sheet.

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DITTO!

Also some types of foam can be used and shaped to make slopes.

 

Oooh great ideas. I guess the biggest thing to look out for is making sure these things dont float once I submerge my tank.

 

Plants would appreciate the extra substrate instead of a hunk of rock...You would appreciate it also when planting. Hope you don't find your tweezers hitting rock bottom every time you stick a stem in. :0

 

Lava rock is by far the most effective solution especially if you use a similarly colored substrate, great for filtering nitrates too.

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I've tried using additional substrate to create slopes & the sand always manages to flatten - don't know whether it's the filter moving it or the bottom dwellers. I finally resorted to gravel in panty hose, with the sand on top, but I find the sand still slides off.

Bump: I've tried using additional substrate to create slopes & the sand always manages to flatten - don't know whether it's the filter moving it or the bottom dwellers. I finally resorted to gravel in panty hose, with the sand on top, but I find the sand still slides off.

 

Have you watched the green machines videos on youtube? He builds up pretty extreme elevations by bolstering them with strips of plastic.

 

x2, that's my vote and what I'm about to attempt. It's just coroplast corrugated sign material from what I can tell, which is $30 for a 4'x8' sheet at Home Depot etc (way less for a smaller chunk). I found green coroplast at Rona up here.