# My way to hide overflow towers



## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

I finnally decides to start building my styro BG. After 14 months of waiting. Mainly for the $$$. I got some ideas when I posted a different thread. This is how it is going so far. 
This is the tank








This is the template for the background to fit the towers








This is the rough outline for the BG








This is the basic block for the tower








This is the box carved out to fit the tower








This is the box with the vent holes carved out








This is the BG with some carving started








That is all I have done so far any advice and comments would be greatly appreciated thanx


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## joeyballz (Jul 1, 2008)

Good luck. I have no artistic skill so I had to buy one


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## BrianNFlint (Apr 1, 2007)

Looks great so far!


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## cichlid-fan (Sep 18, 2007)

Sweet, looks great Keep it up man. :thumb:


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Here is some more carving done.
























The little black dots are nails to temporarily hold the pieces until I glue them on. Im hoping to add some caves to the sides near the towers. I read in a post a long while ago about using Dry-Lok on the styro instead of concrete. Any thoughts on that?? Thanx for the input.


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## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

looks great :thumb: one thing about caves in backgrounds is that it makes it hard to get fish out.i haven't heard of drylok right on the styro.most use the concrete to add weight to offset the buoyancy.you could use the drylok on top of a thin coat of cement.


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

Nice. :thumb: I like that your going big with it.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Where id you purchase the Styrofoam at?

Did you layer it to add depth to it then carve out the rock formations?

I usually use the green stuff from A.C. More and I layer it up with 2 layers and burn the groves in but once or twice I used different shapes made out of the same foam found in the same isle.

I glued the blocks and other shapes down where they looked good and carved them up.
The green spheres can work out well if cut into 4 pieces. You can use them for over hangs doubling as planters. Cut one in half, carve both half's into bowls and then cut those half's into quarters and find a spot for them. Then glue them down and carve them up in any aberrant way.

I used aquarium sealant to hold them in place rather then cement to weigh it down. The cement looks very good how ever but I never had them time or capability to go down that route .

I am just looking for new ideas for my new Tanganyika tank.

LOOKS GOOD! :thumb:


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

To answer a few questions I got the styro free! From a buddy at work. He had 4x8 sheets 2" thick.You should be able to pick it up at your LHS. I did layer the pieces. The sideview photo that I posted shows several layers. But most of that will be carved out later. The thickness varies greatly rite now. Some places its nearly 4" thick while in others it is barely an inch. I like the deep crevices and cracks. At some places I carved the rocks out of the existing pieces I also made smaller special shaped rocks (like over the vents) and glued them to the back piece. I glued the pieces on using "Gorilla Glue". I dampened both pieces very slightly, then applied a generous amount of glue to both sides. The stuff dries rock hard and is water proof. But it does expand/foam a little before it dries. Here are some more pics of some more carving and glueing. You can see the glue seeping out in places. Also some "Great-Stuff" foam to fill in some small places.
















The black circle shows the cave area and the dots show the entrances. The other line is the lower vent opening.Thanx for the comments


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Just got back from Lowes and Home Depot and neither have that kind of foam


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## renegade545 (Jul 4, 2008)

It looks great, good luck. And keep us updated.


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

JWerner2 said:


> Just got back from Lowes and Home Depot and neither have that kind of foam


Not to make you a trash digger or anything but you could try looking behind a car stereo installation shop or anyplace else that would recieve merchandise packed in styrofoam.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I have been staking out the dumpster by my apartment building. They are building a new building and I have been waiting to come across some...lol!


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## aussieafricans (Dec 19, 2007)

there are is a new houseing estate going up near our old house and they have massive big bits of foam 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters and is around 30 centimeters deep exept its holowed out so there are lots of cubes in the one. heaps of possibilities its awesome 

but yeah just packaging foam would work well
:thumb:


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

You should be able to find this foam at Lowes. I have seen the stuff at the Lowes near me. Try looking at a buiding supply store, the kind that supplies contractors in construction. I am a carpenter and see this stuff used all the time. Where are you located? My buddy got it free. He just had to pull it out of the wall cavities before they tore the building down. He then gave me 4 sheets. Used it for insulation in a large warehouse type building. Keep looking. Thanx for the interest in my post. R-DUB 
P.S. more pics to come should be starting Dry-Lok real soon! Does anyone think that I am crazy for putting Dry-Lok directly onto the styro?? No concrete. I have tried several test pieces and it seems to stick just fine. I even submerged several pieces for a couple of weeks in another tank. Seemed to hold up just fine. Wish me luck Im only the guinea pig.
:?


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I am in NJ right on the border of PA. I went to my local Lowe's then I drove across the bridge into PA to try Home Depot and up the road from the Home Depot they have another Lowe's and I just couldn't find foam like that. I found some that I was unsure of using.


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Keep searching you will eventually find some. Like I said try a contractor supply place. It really surprises me that Lowes doesnt have it. The area where you are at certainly gets cold enough. Here is some more pics of my progress:
















you can see the caves in the lower right side it has 3 openings for the future residents. The other hole on the upper side goes way up inside mainly to remove alot of material for bouyancy issues. I hope it holds!


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I can just keep looking. They are doing the inside of the new building now so I am sure something will turn up and if I piece things together I don't exactly need nice perfect sheets of it.

That is looking very nice! I cant wait to see it done.


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

I too wanted to say I've been enjoying reading and watching your thread.

Looking forward to the finished product :thumb:


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## rchickering (Jun 10, 2008)

I made a DIY background and used SikaTop instead of concrete. I just posted some pics and info how I made it.

It is called: My DIY Background (Not concrete based)

There is a link to the SikaTop distributor page to see if there is one close to you.

A few advantages are: easier to apply (especially for your caves), doesn't weigh as much as concrete, doesn't need to cure, and it allows you to keep the details that you've made on your rocks because you basically paint it on.

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck - it looks you're off to a great start!


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

sorry have not posted in a while. will get more pics soon.The sikatop stuff looks very interesting. Great idea. will post soon thanx


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Well I put the first coat of DryLok on the BG after some styro modifications. This is the result so far:


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## aussieafricans (Dec 19, 2007)

wow....... just WOW......... very cool and rocky it will look awesome with fish and water. are you gonna have plants?........... very good well done :thumb:


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Thanx for the compliments Aussie. To answer your question I will not have any live plants. My water here is extremely hard (good for cichlids) not so much for live plants. I tried a live plant tank years ago not much luck. Kinda scared me away from it all. But I will have some fake plants and lots of driftwood. Im hoping anyway. THANX
8)


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## aussieafricans (Dec 19, 2007)

cool, oh well it'll still look just as good and the fake plants are alright  just makes it look a bit more natural. like i said before nice job :thumb:


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## SLIGHTLY STOOPID (Dec 23, 2004)

I think that looks cool. The integration of the overflows is a big step forward :thumb: 
For some reason I like the outer pieces a little more. They have more depth I guess. Overall a good piece of work.


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Here are some more pics of my progress. I took the photos outside this time. I could get a better perspective. I re-coated the original grey DryLok with a darker color. Did this by adding concrete tint to the DryLok. I think the new color is a little more natural. Less like concrete. Well tell me how it looks.
























I agree with you Slightly Stoopid. The middle section does need some work. I still have to carve out a space for the UGJ tube to fit behind the styro.(after thought)When done recessing for the tube I would like to add several ledges to the center section. Criticism and compliments welcome.


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## aussieafricans (Dec 19, 2007)

LOOKING GOOD :drooling: :drooling: :drooling:

very cool i want it  nice work R-DUB

BEN


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## EricG (Feb 13, 2004)

Wow. Very nice work. Be sure to post more pics as you go.

Eric


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

I must need a shrink, I see two Easter Island heads vesion of a Cyclops  
..
..
..
..
JK, your project is turning out great, nice job!


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## EricG (Feb 13, 2004)

I see them too Hoosier. We both must be bonkers


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

You guys are gonna give me low self esteem. LOL. The position will change when it is in the tank. The holes for the overflow vents are really hidden when it is setting against the back wall of the tank. There are overhanging rocks that form a ledge over the holes. In that position it is kinda like looking up its nose. I hope! Thanks for the comments. More pics to come.


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

You mention that your water is extremely hard in your area ... too hard even for the likes of Java Fern or Onion plants?


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

R-DUB said:


> You guys are gonna give me low self esteem. LOL. The position will change when it is in the tank. The holes for the overflow vents are really hidden when it is setting against the back wall of the tank. There are overhanging rocks that form a ledge over the holes. In that position it is kinda like looking up its nose. I hope! Thanks for the comments. More pics to come.


R-DUB, I'm just bustin your chops... In all honesty it is awesome, much better than anything I could do like that. My tanks BG's are black paint!


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

i could do the java and such. the lighting is another large expense that is kinda hard to come by right now maybe in the future. Thanks for the compliments. I am working on the UGJ and the homemade sump right now with pics to follow soon. Just got the pump and plumbing supplies. Any UGJ help would be great thanx


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2008)

Hoosier Tank said:


> I must need a shrink, I see two Easter Island heads vesion of a Cyclops
> ..
> ..
> ..
> ...


:lol: It took me a few seconds but I see what you mean...it does resemble cyclop Easter Island statues... :lol:


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## sweede (Oct 26, 2004)

hey that tank looks just like the one i have!!

Anyways, that's very nice.

Also, for any one looking for styrofoam

http://www.closedcellfoams.com/polystyrene.html

Google is your friend


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

R-DUB, you can cut the expense for lighting by doing it the DIY way with CFL's


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

I have thought about that. I still have to build a canopy and finish the stand with plywood. For now I thought of just a simple flourescent "shop" light from the LHS. 72" light kits are a bit pricey. I thought of 2 36" set side by side. But almost need to have the light dimensions before building the canopy. By the way my 2 "easter island heads" seem to have a name now. LOL. Do they seem to hide the overflows? Or do they just compound the problem? The whole idea was to hide those ugly black boxes. I hope I have done so. Tell me what you think. Thanx


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

I think you did a great job! Mission accomplished!


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## Doc_Polit (Jul 22, 2003)

Hey R-Dub.....

Any updates? More pics? opcorn:

How is the Drylok working out?


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## crotalusfan (Jun 21, 2008)

R-dub, I'll start with what's really important...GO BIG RED!!!!!

Now, on to fish stuff. I am currently in the planning stages of my next tank, and that background is EXACTLY what I want. You have done a fantastic job, and I can't wait to see the finished project. Congrats.


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Sorry about the delay in progress. I have been extremely busy. (and broke) I have the parts for my UGJ and the container for the sump. The pump arrived a couple of weeks ago. As far as the DryLok goes it has not been submerged yet. My test pieces did just fine after several weeks in my other tank. So I am hoping for the best. I dont think the DryLok will ever come off. If it would/does it will only be in very small "flakes". I will have to get going on my UGJ and my sump. I have had this tank dry since May of 07!! Oh and by the way Crotalusfan I will probably get even less work done now that the football season is starting in less than a week. 
GO BIG RED!!!


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

So... I hear you got water in it. :thumb: Any Pics.


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