# 3D Background Research



## tmazz71 (Aug 3, 2011)

I have been browsing this sub forum for months now while casually planning to make a 3D styrofoam background for my 65 gal cichlid tank. I think I have almost everything figured out but I have two questions before I being and I figure what better place to ask then here? First off when the background is finally complete and ready to be put in the tank, do I need to drain it or can it remain mostly full, and the second which pertains to the first somewhat is do I really need to silicone it the back wall of the tank or is there a less permanent solution to attaching it to the aquarium which would be accomplished easier than draining the tank and drying to silicone it in place?


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

There are two ways you can attach a Styrofoam background- silicone or magnets. For acrylic tanks, I recommend the magnets and for glass tanks, I recommend the silicone. Silicone is cheap and permanent whereas magnets can be expensive and you may have an issue with the background sliding up the back of the tank. To stop the siding, you're going to have to make a top large enough that covers the width of the background. That's why acrylic tanks are ideal for backgrounds attached with magnets; the top sheet only has holes cut large enough for lights and filtration. Whereas on glass tanks, the entire top is open and the 1" rim is not enough to hold the background in place.

The type of magnets that work best are epoxy coated magnets found on any number of websites including this one. The larger diameter magnets (with a pull force no greater than 36 lbs) work best in the background. On the outside of the tank, you don't need anything more than a pull for of 5 lbs. To attach the magnets, carve out the background, flush mount the magnets with silicone and once dry, smear a thin layer of silicone over the magnet. You can attached the background without draining the entire tank, but you'll be fighting the buoyancy of the Styrofoam. For ease, I would recommend draining the tank.

If you make a Styrofoam background and attach it with silicone, then the entire tank must be drained.


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## tmazz71 (Aug 3, 2011)

Thanks for the response, I kind of figured that if this was something I wanted to do it would end with my draining the entire tank and siliconing it in. Would carving an area out of the background toward the bottom and placing weights in it accomplish keeping it in place or would the water moving around it ultimately still get behind the background and cause issues?


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2012)

you can wedge the background under the top frame also.. i have 2 installed like this without siliconing or magnets


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

*m1ke715m*, how wide (back to front) is your Styrofoam background?

*tmazz71*, you can try to place weights behind the background but you'll have to figure out the amount of weight to compensate for the buoyancy of the Styrofoam. Having a water flow behind the background would certainly stop detritus buildup. I would only caution you if you had small fish because they can wedge themselves behind the background. If you have larger fish, then I wouldn't worry to much about it.


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2012)

the ones that are only wedged in are both in 75 gallons.. one is a designs by nature.. id say its maybe an in and half thick... its about an inch off the back wall.. theres a heater back there and the filter stem to my ac 110 and a bubbler bar to move the heated water a bit...the other 75 is plumbed, the filter stem and heater have their own little crevice carved out of the back of the background ... the background is wedged basically to the back except on one side it tapers out maybe an inch so i have room to get to the heater... the guy who made it made it a lil bit too long so i cut it down till it was perfect..id say its 3 inchs at its thickest point.. its not uniform thou its actually in 3 pieces and i lucked out that they locked together well enough to stay in place and not pop out since that tank has a centerbrace .. the designs by nature one is 1 piece and that 75 gallon tank is an older model with thicker glass and no center brace i can try to take some pics soon of the business ends we are talking about if you like

3 piece plumbed 75 gallon with a center brace









1 piece 75 gallon no center brace


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

The backgrounds look good. 
At 1.5" (which you said is actually 2.5") and at 3" I can see why the frame is enough to hold them in place. Now if a DIY Styrofoam background was exceeding 6", I don't think the tank frame would not be enough to hold it in place without implementing something to hold the Styrofoam down; rocks leaning against it, sand, etc...

Obviously if the backgrounds are small enough in width, wedging it could certainly be worth a try.


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