my diy backgrounds

[gmoses]

my corner tank
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f149/goinonbro/IMG_3740.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f149/goinonbro/IMG_3738.jpg
my 55 gallon
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f149/goinonbro/1.jpg
thoughts and opinions always welcome

[fischfan13]

Really nice.
I like that you have incorporated ledges to the background as well.

If you ever want to show pictures or a video on how you did this it would be greatly appreciated!

[Afreakin]

Very cool. I tried it a few times but gave up. I didn't like the results:wail:

[AMBUSHPREDATOR]

Nice work G ! The air bubbles rising in the second tank looked like dirty glass at first.

[eggzackary]

Nice job! I had always wanted to try making one myself but never got around to it.

[gmoses]

Someone recently asked me for help so i wrote him a very long and detailed step by step instruction on how to do what i did... also it may help to check my albums with some pics from early on to the finished product

DIY BACKGROUND

i purchased a couple things of Styrofoam but i found the best was the
pink insulation foam. A sheet of 1.5 inch thick 2ft by 8ft was plenty
and about $11.
I also purchased a 20lb bucket of quikrete quick dry cement $10
qukrete cement dye terra cotta color $5
GE 1 silicone (no mold protection clear $4 a tube at least 2
gloves $2
paint brushes $2-3 bought 2 and 3 inch
steak knife and regular blade
measuring tape
black marker
plastic tarp
Ok to begin i did the 2 different varieties as you can see the one
more reddish brown is the 55 gallon and the other grey will be
referred to as the corner.
Now the corner one was much simpler and less work but more as a
background and less interactive for the fish. For that one i simply
drew a basic outline on the foam with the marker to get an idea of
what i wanted the rock to look like. Then i started carving. make
sure to put the tarp down and spread it wide because this foam gets
every where.it

sticks to everything and trust me my girl was not happy
with two weeks of messes and one broken vacuum from repeatedly trying
to clean up. So make sure you do all work on the tarp.
Ok back to the carving. Pick a location stick the knife in a bit then
just try and pop the piece out. I found doing that instead of always
carving gave it a more natural bumpy texture. try to dig deep in
between your "rocks" its gives a better shadow and greater depth to
the background. Also try to vary the height be making cutting off an
1/2 inch or so off the top or some of the rocks. As well as create
some hole that can be used as caves for the fish.
As you can see i built on the corner a couple ledges and stuff that
can also be used as hiding spots for the fish.
The 55 gal. i went a different route.
I took pieces of foam and carved individual rocks and formations to
varying degrees. The hole right wall is one piece dug into levels.
While the other pieces have rocks and caves attached to a solid
background piece. For a lot of the caves an this one i actually
siliconed pieces together so i can do 3-4 inch deep caves and
formations making it more usable for the fish.
If you decide to go this route remember to always make homes so that
water can pass through these caves so you dont get to much build up in
them.
Also remember to incorporate your filters. A lot of people built out
and put the filters and heaters behind the background with pass
through holes covered with mesh. I did not go that route as i was
concerned that my tanks are small and i did not want the fish to have
any less room. Of course that is up to you.
Ok once everything is carved. (55 gallon i left each piece separate
still) Mix the cement about 3 cups mix to one water keeping it very
liquid and runny. Then i just took the brush and coated everything.
Basically trying to soak as much as i can. The reason i left pieces
unglued at this point is so you can cement the inside of the caves as
well. I let it all sit and dry for 24 hrs. Then i did a slightly
thicker coat on the back and sides for everything as i only did one
coat on the back and sides.
I now glued all the caves and everything on making sure it all fit and
look right.
( if i did it over i would buy a 3/4 or 1 inch thick piece of
styrofoam to silicone everything to so you take up less space from the
tank. I used white styrofoam but found it flimsy and it actually
cracked at one point) Let the silicone dry 24hrs. and be heavy with it
as foam is very buoyant.
The second coat i made a bit thicker 2 cups cement to 1 water. I also
added dye this time to get a feel for how it affects the color and how
it dries. At this point i used the brush to spread it all around some
time finding it easier to use my gloved hands to get a thicker layer.
(this is a good reminder that i spent a lot of time trying to give the
foam a texture when carving. But later realized in this process you
loose the detail when cementing. So create bigger deeper and more
dramatic holes and curves) I quickly realized i made it to dark but
after it dries over night it was a lot lighter but still not right.
Third coat was runny and lighter... And this i used more sparingly to
start giving tonal differences in the rock. (once again i learned the
differences should be dramatic for effect as the water tends to lose
the detail) I let this dry for only an hour or so then used the left
over in the bucket added some water and dye and changed the color and
added more layers in different spots. Did this process a few times...
I actually found that letting the leftover sit in the pail and harden
a bit gave it a good final texture. I slapped it in a few spots then
took some styrofoam and scraped it giving it a nicer more natural
look...
Ok that is alot of rambling so you get the drift.
Finally (some people said not to) i soaked the finished product in the
tub for a couple of weeks till the effect on the ph seemed to
dissipate. Then let it dry a few days...
Siliconed it heavily into place let it dry for a few days and that was that.

Ok for the valuable lessons learned...
1.Definitely should have bought extra thinner sheet as a backdrop for
the 55 background.
2.Definitely use a tarp as i still have styrofoam pieces floating around.
3. Oh i forgot to mention if you have a 55 or bigger with a piece in
the middle you may need to cut the background into three pieces so you
can get it into the tank. I originally did not and fortunately i
caught in time.
4. make sure you dig a little deeper and use layers. When the light is
on it creates more shadow and looks better.
5. You can never have enough silicone.
(i built a separate cave form styrofoam that i love..i anchored it to
a rock and it floats. I bought a new expensive rock 6lbs and it still
floats. Now i am really annoyed )
6. Wear the gloves i cute myself many times. ( i found the serrated
edge of a steak knife to be useful)
7. make the background a bit smaller as the cement will add a good 1/2
to 1 inch.
Take a look on you tube and the othe rsites to get an idea for which
stylke you like the most...Soem are simpler or just bigger rocks or
more complicated. I went with th eones most impressed me for the tanks
i had and the fish i was going to stock.
Please feel free to ask any questions as you can see i have no issues
writing some answers. Hope it wasnt confusing and to long.
I really enjoyed the process and would love to do it again when i have
another tank.

[AMBUSHPREDATOR]

Moses, I really thoght you bought some and cut and glued. I'm very impressed with the fact you did it from scratch. I really never even thought of making my own I just figured I'd plunk down a couple of hundred and buy one . Thank's for the inspiration.

[gmoses]

the total cost for the two backgrounds was an extremely reasonable under $60. Cant beat that