# Anyone do a Amazon DIY BG?



## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

Has anyone here done an amazon DIY background yet? I'm thinking of tree trunks roots and branches more than rocks. In fact No rocks would be great.

I'm thinking of doing one and looking for pictures. The only ones i've found sofar are the premade ones you can buy. They look great but $$.

I was thinking of using plaster to take a mold of a tree in my yard then using cement to mimic it.

Pics anyone? Ideas?


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

My next project is going to be an amazon style BG for the 75. My 29 background was a test run to make sure I had the right techniques.

I plan on mixing the concrete to be brown streaked with red to try and simulate an eroded clay bank and I want to incorporate some "roots" protruding out of the "clay" and into the water. One of the young guys that I work with is always out fishing in a local brackish marsh and he is supposed to drag me some bogwood out the next time he goes.

I plan on making the background sort of overhang at the top with roots protruding out of it. Finding good bits of "rooty" driftwood will be the key to pulling it off.

I have a great picture of it in my mind, it just stands to be seen if I can pull it off.


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## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

There are a few terrascapes at: 
www.savethereefs.com

You might find some ideas there...

.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

kingpoiuy said:


> The only ones I've found sofar are the premade ones you can buy. They look great but $$.


Do you have any links to them?

I have made some simple ones with thick foam from AC More or Michale's crafts.

I silicone two layers together with aquarium sealant and then I burned the foam with a candle to make groves and such in it for some nice looks. I then painted it with some fusion in some Earthy tone brown colors with some black in the groves I burned in for shading.

I took some pieces of stumps and roots ( and was lucky enough to find stumps with roots ) that I found and cut some of the stumps in half and pressed those and the roots down into the foam and silicone them in place with aquarium sealant also. I had black sealant around the edges of some of the wood but what didn't get covered with algae I covered with epiphytic plants or java moss. Most of them were also paludarium style tanks for amphibians but I did make a nice big one ( the more elaborate one I am mentioning ) for Angels.

This was about two years ago so I don't have any pics and it only lasted about a year and needed to be taken down for other reasons otherwise I think it could have lasted for ever.

Someone tossed a rock through the window on Halloween and managed to take it out.


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

http://www.aquaterra-intl.com/

These are probably the amazon styles ones the OP is talking about.  If not I am sure he'll send along another link. I stumbled across them a while back and they are what got me interested in 3D backgrounds first, and eventually DIY backgrounds.

Heres the background I cooked up as a test run:


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Those are very nice! I think I saw those a long time ago but I lost the link and coulg not find them again.
This one is very simmilar to the one I had made....


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## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

Yeah, Aquaterra is what i saw here http://www.gillsnfins.ca/aquaterra.php

Some great Ideas! Keep em comming! *mccluggen* that looks pretty nice! Anyone with some construction data or color data if you could post it. I'm most worried about getting the colors and shapes right... Hmm I guess there isn't much more to it than color and shape. haha.

Has anyone tried the plaster idea?

Edit: Almost forgot to say. My original desire is to replicate buttress roots under the water line for my discus.


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## RWaters (Nov 11, 2002)

There was a great background made by oside, who is (was?) a member of this site, using foam and store boought tree roots. It's several years old, so I'm not sure if all the pictues will still show. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=68787


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

Pangea also make great looking backgrounds and I believe they have a US distributor


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

Pangea also make great looking backgrounds and I believe they have a US distributor


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

BenHugs said:


> Pangea also make great looking backgrounds and I believe they have a US distributor


http://www.pangearocks.com/ The only US distributor I could find.


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## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

Ya, that's really cool. That first background that comes up when I click on the link you provided is exactly what I wanted for my tank. But way too much money for my budget


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## chefkeith (Sep 25, 2004)

I did something like that Amazon background with roots. It could easily be done 100x nicer if you have a design ahead of time and hand paint it.










Here's the link to how I built it-
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=127401


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

You could buy one of those fake stumps from just about anywhere cut it in half and you have two backgrounds (just a thought) I've even seen some realistic ones at petsmart


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

BenHugs said:


> You could buy one of those fake stumps from just about anywhere cut it in half and you have two backgrounds (just a thought) I've even seen some realistic ones at petsmart


 Or even a real tree stump!


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