# AquaTerra/Pangea 3D backgrounds



## Lindsey Dindsey

I want to get a 3D background for my new 180 gallon tank. I am trying to decide between the Aquaterra Malawi Rock or the Pangea Rocky IV.

The Pangea is 1" shorter (23"), not sure if that will matter. The tank I ordered is 24" high but I don't know if that is the inside or the complete height of the tank. The Pangea is also $60 more than the AquaTerra.

Also, I wanted a kind of grey color. The Pangea charcoal looks grey in some pics but black in others. One other concern I have is that the left hand side of my tank is going to be very visible, one of the first sides of the tank people will see in my house. Will you be able to see behind the background very well or does it wrap around towards the back of the tank on that side?

If anyone has either of these backgrounds or has seen them in person, please comment! (and please show me any pictures you may have) Thanks!

Edit: One more thing I forgot to add! I want to place my heaters and filter intakes behind the background. Do both of these backgrounds have room for that?


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## cevvin

I read the FAQ on that website, so here is a few answers to your questions.

The backgrounds are SUPER easy to cut, just a hard foam. So if the 24 inch is to high then you can trim it to fit under the lip of your tank. To hide the left side behind the background, just mask tape the part you dont want seen and paint it. I use latex paint, it peels right off when your done with it, some use krylon spray paints. If you want to place filters and heaters behind the background, just silicone the background forward enough to place the equipment behind it. Then cut water flow holes into the background for water movement. You just seal the background around the bottom and edges so you can move it as far forward as you need it.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Well, turns out they are out of Rocky IV so I might just go with the Malawi one, and with the extra $60 maybe buy a rock module to go with it possibly. That's a good idea about the latex paint, I'll probably do that. Thanks.

Still would like feedback if anyone's got one of these, especially the Malawi one. Was it worth the $$$ ?


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## BenHugs

I have the aquaterra malawi background in my tank (a whole 3 weeks now) It looks really cool it's depth will range from 1" all the way to 13". You have your choice between gray or brown (I have the brown one) I found it really easy to cut using either a fine hacksaw blade or a knife. What I didn't like was the finish. I found that there was several spots where the foam showed through. Although these spots were small I was told this was common and to use a brown marker to fix it. They also said that when the algae grew on it that it would look much better. It was still the shape I wanted so I kept it and now am waiting for algae ( I should mention I'm a perfectionist and that it wasn't really that bad). I have seen the pangea stuff, they are a better product. I'll try to post some pics soon :thumb:


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Thanks Ben! I would love to see pictures. :drooling: I just got done ordering mine, brown as well.

I am dreading cutting into it but if it's easy then great. Did you drill holes in yours for the intakes? I am nervous I will mess it up doing that, but I need to do it. I am wondering where to have the intakes. I see a lot of people have them at the top, but I thought it would be better to have them lower down so that the circulation of the whole aquarium is better. I'm not sure what I am doing yet.

That's too bad about the finish but I do think with algae it should be fine. Is it safe to use a marker in the aquarium? I guess so.

I did like the detail of the Pangea background better but since they were out, and I'm impatient, I went with this one and I am glad I did so far. It was cheaper (or less EXPENSIVE), so I ended up getting one of the rock modules also to (hopefully) match. I am probably not going to have any other rocks in my tank.

I should be getting it in a few days, I can't wait to receive it! I don't even know if I will have my new tank when it arrives though. That I will be getting either this Wednesday or next.


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## BenHugs

I didn't drill mine I cut a rectangle in the very bottom as it could be hidden by the rocks and also does a great job of keeping the gravel clean. The rectangle has a black painted peice of eggcrate glued in to keep the large fish out and some of the small ones think it's a great place to hide. I also cut a couple tiny slits in the top so that the surface water could also drain into my sump. One major difference with my setup is that I put it in sideways. My tank is a 255g island style (room divider) and it sits on one end (24"wide 35"tall). I'll try to get picks soon.


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## fishnmaine

Where is the best place to get a 3D background in the US. All I see is Can. & overseas.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

fishnmaine- {edited reply}

Ben- Cutting a piece from the bottom sounds like a possibility, I guess I'll have to wait and see it in person to see how I'll set it up. Your tank sounds pretty amazing! I wanted to do a room divider tank too but my house is too small.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn

Because we have a 'Reviews' section that includes opinions on retailers, we ask that you take advantage of this resource when possible. We feel that it is better for all who use the site to have a structured place to conduct reviews. Reviews on a discussion board quickly become buried and it is inevitable that your input will not be seen next time, or the time after that. This is not the case with the reviews section. In addition, it is easy to compare retailers and products there. Thank you for your consideration.

Lindsey Dindsey, I suggest you PM the recommendation if you wish.

please try and avoid mentioning retailers, and keep it a discussion purely based on the merits of the backgrounds and not on where to buy them


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Oops, sorry!  Didn't know.

I just found out that I should be getting my background on Friday! I HOPE to have my tank before then. If not, there's not much I can do execpt maybe drill the intakes.


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## BenHugs

You may want to coat the edges with black silicone so when glued in it looks completly black otherwise you may chance having the yellow foam showing through


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Hadn't thought of that. I'll have to find some black silicone in the next couple of days.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I received my background and rock module today! Won't have my tank until next week though. :?

Hope my fish like it as much as he does :wink:


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## moi_eater

Nice! 

Please keep us updated with more pics as you get your tank setup!

I will be sure to follow this thread closely as I am planning on purchasing a 3D background also for my 125g tank. I don't have the time or space to make a DIY 3D background so I just have to dish out the dough for a premade one.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I will definately post more pics once I get my tank and start the installation. When are you planning on getting yours?

I would have loved to do a DIY background but I don't have enough faith in my artistic abilities.


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## moi_eater

I am still deciding which one to get and also I will probably be upgrading my filtration first.


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## TrashmanNYC

looks awesome, but thats a lot of $$$ for foam...........


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## Lindsey Dindsey

TrashmanNYC said:


> looks awesome, but thats a lot of $$$ for foam...........


 :lol: Don't remind me!


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## Philg

i am keen to see hhow it looks too! good luck
Phil


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## Philg

Lindsey It will look great. I am interested in seeing the end result, and please try take photos from above down so that we can see how the equipment is set out behind the BG. Is your tank glass or acrylic?
Phil


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## mrfish30

although i am new to this forum i have been coming here for a while and just reading up, im setting up a 9o gallon tall and i'm using the Pangea Rocky IV bacgrounds yes lindsey i found it it came yesterday and i have put it in the tank but have not siliconed it in place yet if you would like to see pictures please inform me how to put them up[/img]


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## JWerner2

God you people are lucky! I only dream of affording the cash to shell out on a back ground like that, but I am still pretty young. Maybe one day when Im more settled down and the kids are older.

Good luck, I have for ages wanted quality backgrounds like that for both my aquariums and terrariums so if anyone reading my post has links to other more cheaper back grounds please shoot me some links! ( I already am aware of the DIY's )

Good luck that is going to look stunning,... *its freaking huge!*


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Philg said:


> Lindsey It will look great. I am interested in seeing the end result, and please try take photos from above down so that we can see how the equipment is set out behind the BG. Is your tank glass or acrylic?
> Phil


Thanks, my tank is glass. I will definately take a bunch of pics. Hopefully I will be getting my tank in the next day or two so I can get started.



mrfish30 said:


> although i am new to this forum i have been coming here for a while and just reading up, im setting up a 9o gallon tall and i'm using the Pangea Rocky IV bacgrounds yes lindsey i found it it came yesterday and i have put it in the tank but have not siliconed it in place yet if you would like to see pictures please inform me how to put them up


I would love to see pics. You have to have them uploaded somewhere (like photobucket) and then you use the IMG tag to put them in your post.



JWerner2 said:


> God you people are lucky! I only dream of affording the cash to shell out on a back ground like that, but I am still pretty young. Maybe one day when Im more settled down and the kids are older.
> Good luck, I have for ages wanted quality backgrounds like that for both my aquariums and terrariums so if anyone reading my post has links to other more cheaper back grounds please shoot me some links! ( I already am aware of the DIY's )
> Good luck that is going to look stunning,... its freaking huge!


I looked everywhere for a cheaper one and couldn't find anything nearly as nice quality wise for less money. It's really a ridiculous amount to spend for a background but I got a pretty good deal on my tank so it made up for it a little bit. Good luck though, I hope more companies start to make some nice 3D backgrounds at a more affordable price.


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## JWerner2

Every few years from what I have noticed it tends to take off and companies come from out of nowhere! Then as the hobbies get slow so do the production lines.

Well, if you have any other shops in mind regardless of quality ( and anything not T-Rex related ) I would still be thankful.


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## mrfish30

[/url]
try this linkphotobucket.com/mrfish


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## JWerner2

Sure, Im on it :lol:


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## Lindsey Dindsey

mrfish- Well the hyperlink didn't come up but I just pasted your link in my browser. 

Looks good, did you have to cut yours?


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## JWerner2

Hmph, the first time I tried it it tok me to PB's home page :-?

Now it works.

What are they? They look like two stacked on top of each other.


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## FLGirl1977

Hi Lindsey. Congrats on your new background. I just sold my 75 gallon that had the Pangea Rocky IV installed in it. Honestly, I loved it.... but it doesn't matter what color your background is, after a while the algae starts growing on it. I did 40% water changes weekly AND had a UV sterilizer on the tank with my eheim thinking it would prevent algae growth, but still got it. I like the clean look of no algae, but many people liked the algae that was growing on it and said it looked more 'natural'.

Also, fish poop liked to hang out on the parts of background that stick out, so when vacuuming... make sure you vacuum the background as well.

I kinda got bored with the background after a while though.... and it's pretty difficult to remove once it's siliconed in. In fact.... that's why I sold my tank rather than trying to remove the background. :lol:

Good luck and enjoy.... I know I did! :thumb:


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## mrfish30

yes i had to cut it, the reason they look like two pieces is because they are due to the height of the background i needed two piece the rocky iv only has a height of 23 inches i needed 29. But the guy where i got it from had an extra piece and sold me both for 270+ 100 shipping so i jumped on that deal.FLGIRL I Have a question about the sand color do you think another color would go better with the type of bacground we have? black was my first option but i was wondering if a white and brown chiclid sand wouldnt be better.


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## FLGirl1977

I started out with black sand, but wanted a more 'natural' look, so I vacuumed it out and put a tan sand in. It didn't look that great.  I ended up searching high and low for a sand that would look natural, but still 'match' the background, but wasn't able to find anything I really liked (the background was the 'charcoal' color). If I had it to do all over again, I would have stuck with the black sand with the charcoal color or.... I would have gone with the 'sand-stone' color background so that I would have had more choices of sand color to coordinate with the color of the background. I guess I'm pretty picky.. :lol: You can check out my 'TANKS' and see my background and sand color there before I converted it to the tan sand. Oh...and that was right after I set it up, so there wasn't any algae on it then.


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## TrashmanNYC

mrfish30 said:


> 270+ 100 shipping .


thats insane


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## FLGirl1977

It's an incredibly large box...that's pretty standard for shipping pangea backgrounds..


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## TrashmanNYC

FLGirl1977 said:


> It's an incredibly large box...that's pretty standard for shipping pangea backgrounds..


i really mean the total price for foam :fish:


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## mrfish30

yeah i have the sand stone color so i was thinking of going with some ivory coast chiclid substrate it has some tan and a little white so it should blend well


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## FLGirl1977

TrashmanNYC said:


> FLGirl1977 said:
> 
> 
> 
> It's an incredibly large box...that's pretty standard for shipping pangea backgrounds..
> 
> 
> 
> i really mean the total price for foam :fish:
Click to expand...

 :lol: :lol: :lol: Yeah, I agree.... but it _IS_ a high-density poly-urethane foam....(its heavy) :lol: :lol: :lol:

Totally know where you're coming from tho..... :wink:


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## FLGirl1977

BUT...... I will say...... its well worth the price. I NEVER regret paying that money for it. I enjoyed every bit of it. Plus.... I had plenty of bragging rights and jealous jaw-droppers when my friends would come over and see that tank, including non-a-fishanados! :thumb:


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## TrashmanNYC

i would definately love to get one, but i cant justify spending that much......im gonna attempt a DIY backround for my 75g.........


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## Lindsey Dindsey

FLGirl1977 said:


> BUT...... I will say...... its well worth the price. I NEVER regret paying that money for it. I enjoyed every bit of it. Plus.... I had plenty of bragging rights and jealous jaw-droppers when my friends would come over and see that tank, including non-a-fishanados! :thumb:


I hope I feel that way! I guess I won't know for another week because it turns out I am once again not getting my tank this week.  Now it suppose to come NEXT week but next week is Thanksgiving week so who knows when the heck I am going to get it.

FLGirl, did you drill intake holes in yours and, if so, where did you put yours? I am still trying to decide, but I know I want at least 2 in my tank since it's so big. I am still thinking having them lower down will provide for better circulation.

Oh and I am glad I got a brownish color background since you were saying the charcoal colored ones are harder to find the right substrate. I think my silica sand will look good with mine.


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## FLGirl1977

We drilled two intake holes, one on each side in more of the 'inconspicuous' areas. We found a nice covering at the LFS to go over the intakes. We also drilled four outputs and for two of the outputs we used a 'T' tube for the output of the canister to go out into two separate areas. For the other two outputs we had a maxi-jet behind the background and used another t-tube connection for added circulation. After all was said and done, I noticed there wasn't any surface agitation, so I bought another Korella (I think that's what it's called) magnetic powerhead and pointed it up at the surface for added agitation. Hope that helps. Feel free to pick my brain (what's left of it!)... :lol:


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## fishnmaine

Boy I tell ya this* Pangea "Rocky lV"* in charcoal color is the most popular. Nobody has this stuff in stock. major dist in the US says not till Jan or later. We all know this stuff is from overseas.
Even the other retailers in the US doesn't have this. Just have to be patience and wait. But it'll be worth it.


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## mrfish30

i myself got the sand or brown if you will you can do alot more with your substrate by getting this color I lucked out I guess!1  :dancing: :dancing:


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## mrfish30

fishnmaine what kind of fish are those yellow fish in your tank


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## Sakaane

You guys might be interested in this thread from another website. The guy shows in detail how he installed his AquaTerra background in his 90g. If you're not logged in the pictures only display as links, but it's still a great thread.

http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=20908


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## Dewdrop

I like that background alot. Especially how it curves out & is so much thicker on one end than the other. Gonna make a great looking tank and I bet worth every penny when you think of how time comsuming and the mess you have with a DIY one. Love the dog too :winkgorgeous colors and markings) is it a King Charles Spanial?

I think it's great that you saved enough to get a matching rock to go with it. That's really gonna add to the tank too. Do you know where you'll place it yet? Can't wait to see pics :thumb:


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## Lindsey Dindsey

FLGirl1977 said:


> We drilled two intake holes, one on each side in more of the 'inconspicuous' areas. We found a nice covering at the LFS to go over the intakes. We also drilled four outputs and for two of the outputs we used a 'T' tube for the output of the canister to go out into two separate areas. For the other two outputs we had a maxi-jet behind the background and used another t-tube connection for added circulation. After all was said and done, I noticed there wasn't any surface agitation, so I bought another Korella (I think that's what it's called) magnetic powerhead and pointed it up at the surface for added agitation. Hope that helps. Feel free to pick my brain (what's left of it!)... :lol:


Wow, you did all that and you can't see anything in your picture. I am now thinking of going with three intakes, left, middle, right. I think two of them will be pretty well hidden but one of them may not be. For my outputs I was just going to have them returning from the top of the tank, but I'm not sure yet. I thought about using a powerhead somewhere near the bottom, maybe I will use your idea of it coming out from behind the background with a t-tube. Thanks, I'm sure I will have more questions once I can get started. 



> Boy I tell ya this Pangea "Rocky lV" in charcoal color is the most popular. Nobody has this stuff in stock. major dist in the US says not till Jan or later. We all know this stuff is from overseas.
> Even the other retailers in the US doesn't have this. Just have to be patience and wait. But it'll be worth it.


That was the one I really wanted originally but since they were out I went with the AquaTerra. I couldn't wait to order mine so more power to you. :thumb:



> You guys might be interested in this thread from another website. The guy shows in detail how he installed his AquaTerra background in his 90g. If you're not logged in the pictures only display as links, but it's still a great thread.
> 
> http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=20908


Thanks for that link! That is very informative and gives me some ideas. Instead of cutting the background into sections, the guy just took the whole top frame of the tank off. Great idea but I am not confident enough to do that myself.



> I like that background alot. Especially how it curves out & is so much thicker on one end than the other. Gonna make a great looking tank and I bet worth every penny when you think of how time comsuming and the mess you have with a DIY one. Love the dog too (gorgeous colors and markings) is it a King Charles Spanial?
> 
> I think it's great that you saved enough to get a matching rock to go with it. That's really gonna add to the tank too. Do you know where you'll place it yet? Can't wait to see pics


Thanks! Yep, my dog is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I have two more dogs, my smallest is half the size of that one and looked even funnier walking around in front of the giant background but I didn't get a pic. This tank is going to be the perfect size swimming pool for those two. 

The rock I am probably going to put right around where it is in the picture, just off center. I am hoping the rock and the background will be enough in the tank and it won't look too empty. I wanted to keep it pretty open because I am going to have all male haps and peacocks and I don't want too many territorial issues.


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## FLGirl1977

The secret to not seeing the work is to look for spots like a crevice to hide an output, or a 'cave' to hide an intake, etc....BTW, LOTS of poop gets trapped behind the background and eventually you will need to siphon it out. I took a tube and coat-hanger and attached the tube with a rubber band on the end of the straightened out coat hanger and siphoned out the poop like that. I will try and see if I have any pictures of the intakes, etc... too bad I don't have the tank anymore or I could just snap a couple of pics...


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## Lindsey Dindsey

FLGirl1977 said:


> BTW, LOTS of poop gets trapped behind the background and eventually you will need to siphon it out.


Uh oh, I can just see myself leaning over my tank on a step stool and taking a dive.  I am not going to be able to see behind most of it since the tank is so big. I might have to try and do that often to keep it at bay.


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## esben

If any of you have a Aquaterra background, and would like to have it at the homepage www.aquaterra.dk please then let me know.

http://www.aquaterra.dk/feedback.html

The Rocky backgrounds will soon be avalible i gray also

http://www.aquaterra.dk/news.html


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## lamster

I'm in the process of installing the Aquaterra Malawi into my 70gal. I got it from Ebay for $150 (after MS Live 30% Cashback) and think it's definitely worth it versus the DIY route.

I'm also interested in seeing pictures of other installations. Particularly of the water circulation openings. I have currently only drilled two 2.5" holes, one in the lower left for water intake and one in the upper right for the overflow. I plan to have the intake of my XP3 canister filter right behind the lower left opening and then have the output jet send water directly into the front of the background.

After reading about some of your tanks with 5-6 openings in the background, I'm starting to think I need to drill more holes. Do you guys think my setup has adequate water circulation? I also plan to have the output of my Emperor400 HOB filter dump into the front of the background too.

Well, here're the pics of my setup so far. Feedback welcomed.

Background siliconed in place. Notice the holes on the lower-left and upper-right:









Lower-left hole. I just used the plastic gutter mesh siliconed in place w/ sand thrown on it to help hide it.









Top-right hole and output jet:









XP3 intake:









XP3 output:


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## TrashmanNYC

^it looks awesome, but do you think it takes up too much volume in the tank?


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## lamster

TrashmanNYC said:


> ^it looks awesome, but do you think it takes up too much volume in the tank?


Yes, that is the only negative I have about the background. My tank is only 18" deep and the background juts out 12" at its deepest point, therefore taking up almost half the tank. 

I had to decide on either a generic-looking aquarium with lots of volume or a nicer-looking, realistic habitat with half the volume, and I decided to go with the latter (for now). I plan on only keeping a small number of juvenile Mbunas, plus I could always remove it later if I ever decide to go back.

But yes, realistically, I would only recommend this background if you have a tank that's at least 24" deep.


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## Philg

lamster
where did you get such a great looking cabinet and canopy?
thanks
phil


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## BenHugs

Here's pics of my sideways Aquaterra Malawi in my 255g which is still in progress (sorry the pics are not the greatest quality)


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I finally received my tank last night! So I am in the process of installing the background. I am going to post some pics in the next day or two.



lamster said:


> After reading about some of your tanks with 5-6 openings in the background, I'm starting to think I need to drill more holes. Do you guys think my setup has adequate water circulation? I also plan to have the output of my Emperor400 HOB filter dump into the front of the background too.
> 
> Well, here're the pics of my setup so far. Feedback welcomed.


I wondered about this too, but I only ended up drilling three intakes in my 180. I hope it is enough. Thank you so much for the pictures, looks really nice. I might try putting sand around my intake holes as well.

I agree that you need a deep tank for these backgrounds. I was originally going to get a 125 gallon, which is 18" deep but went with the 180 specifically because it gives an extra 6" so the background won't be quite as intrusive. I am really glad I did because I will be keeping some bigger fish.



> Here's pics of my sideways Aquaterra Malawi in my 255g which is still in progress (sorry the pics are not the greatest quality)


Thanks for the pics Ben! Great looking tank and fish as well.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I started installation today but I really underestimated how much silicone I would need so I need to buy some more before I can finish.

Pictures!










My new tank (didn't get a picture of the canopy).










Background cut into 4 pieces.










Another view of the background, you can see two of the three intake holes.










The third intake hole which is all the way on the right hand side of the background.










Same intake hole, now with black silicone coated on the inside, plus the mesh screen.










Backside of intake, plastic mesh siliconed into place.










Pieces placed inside tank, not siliconed together yet.










Back view. Pieces are siliconed together here.


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## FLGirl1977

Looks great so far!!!! :thumb: How about some pics of the front siliconed together? Also for the intakes, do you think the holes in that mesh screen are small enough? It's hard to get an idea of size through the pics without anything for size comparison...


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## fishnmaine

Curious what kind of filter system are you going to use? Looking forward to your process of your project.....What black silicone are you using?..........unfortunately my Rocky IV charcoal color is out of stock......it could take a month.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

FLGirl1977 said:


> Looks great so far!!!! :thumb: How about some pics of the front siliconed together? Also for the intakes, do you think the holes in that mesh screen are small enough? It's hard to get an idea of size through the pics without anything for size comparison...


Thanks! I'll try and get some more pics today. I am hoping to have it finished today or tomorrow. It's turning out to be kind of a pain to silicone the sides of it because my tank has extra supports on the top, sides. They are kind of in the way and it's getting pretty hard to reach some areas. I am going to try using a toothbrush to apply it today. 

I do think the holes in the screen are small enough, especially since I am going to be keeping adult and subadult haps and peacocks, nothing less than 3" probably. I will have to measure the holes but I think it will be more than fine for those guys. The place I ordered the background from threw that screen in unexpectedly.



fishnmaine said:


> Curious what kind of filter system are you going to use? Looking forward to your process of your project.....What black silicone are you using?..........unfortunately my Rocky IV charcoal color is out of stock......it could take a month.


I am going to use canisters... a Fluval 404 I currently have on my 100 gallon, plus a Rena XP4. The black silicone is an aquarium silicone, I couldn't find any around here in black so I ordered it online. Sorry about your Rocky IV, it was because of that reason that I ordered this one, I wasn't patient enough. But then I had to wait nearly a month for my tank to arrive so I was forced to be patient anyway. Hang in there, it will be worth it in the end!


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## mrfish30

lindsay how are you able to put your pictures directly in?


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## Zack2112

mrfish30 said:


> lindsay how are you able to put your pictures directly in?


I use photobucket. Its free and easy to use. On each of your pictures you will have a little thing you can click on that copies the link. There is one meant for message boards and forums that will allow them to show up directly instead of a link.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I use photobucket as well. If you already have yours uploaded somewhere else, just use the Img button above where you type your message.

Below is a picture of the almost finished product. I still have to trim the extra silicone off the sides and add the rock module. I once again ran out of silicone so I will do that tomorrow. There is some sand in there because I used it on top of the silicone. As you can see, I put some over the cracks in the background. You could barely see them but I wanted to cover them up. The sand doesn't show up as much in person as it does in the picture. Once algae starts growing I am sure it will blend even better.


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## maddyfish

Thanks for the pics showing how much space these take up. I never imagined they were that wide. Unfortunately they are totally unsuitable for my uses.


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## fishnmaine

Lindsey.....Have you seen this.......http://www.gillsnfins.ca/3d_install.php........... I think you have not sure but have you giving any thought to this instead of cutting your background in 4 sections.....Not sure if anybody has tried......I'm thinking of taking that top off so I don't have too cut the background......Maybe somebody out there has....give a little input on it if it was hard or not.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Yeah I saw that and it looks interesting, seems a lot simpler BUT I was terrified to do that myself, especially with such a big tank. Maybe on a smaller tank or if I had some experience in sealing tanks myself.

I added the rock module today so I am just about finished. Tomorrow I will paint the sides of the tank black, just the back half where you can see behind the background. I'll probably post some more pics tomorrow.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The background is a little too short for my tank. It is only 23" high, my tank is 24" high, plus it's about another half of an inch up to the glass top. So with and inch and a half of space between the top of the background to the bottom of the glass lid, I was afraid some smaller fish could possibly get behind the background. I ended up going to Michael's and buying some black plastic mesh canvas sheets to form a little barricade along the top. I just cut the sheets and siliconed them to the back of the top of the background. It doesn't look too professional but you can't see it when standing in front of the tank, just when you are kneeling or sitting. I'll get a picture of that tomorrow as well.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I painted the sides of my tank black to hide the stuff behind the background and I am curious to what other people think of how I did it. I was going to just paint it straight down, but that would have taken away a lot of viewing from the side, so I painted along with the curves in the background. I am not so sure I like it. It looks a little funky, and I think it would look cleaner with a straight line, but I will keep it for now and maybe change it later.










Opinions? You won't hurt my feelings. 

I also painted part of the back of the tank, just the ends. I wanted to prevent light coming in through my intake holes from surrounding doors and windows. I didn't paint the whole back because I thought it might be too dark to see back there for maintenance.










More pictures:










This is the barricade I made at the top of the background to prevent any jumpers from getting back there. It is just siliconed to the back.










The back of the tank set up with a Rena XP4 and a Stealth 250 watt heater. The filter outtake is a spraybar on the left end and the intake is on the right. I am also going to add another heater to the other end and my Fluval 404 from my other tank.










Added the rock module. It was wider than expected and would only fit on this end or in the middle. In the middle it covered up the cave on the bottom that I like so much so I decded to put it on the end. Sorry about the glare, the above picture shows the color of the background better but here's one with flash:










Tonight water and sand will be added. :drooling:


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## ridley25

Lindsey, I think you've done a really nice job.

I'm going to be building a 4x2x2 120 G next year that will be visible on 3 sides (and a 1x2 picture window on the back!) and I'm really struggling with how to have so many sides visible _and_ have a great looking 3D background. I think I may have to go with Slimline and some modules stuck on the Slimline and the bottom to hide equipment.








I suppose I'll have to start my own thread closer to the date so as to not hijack your post.

Your approach is definitely one of many, so I'll be watching to see how you eventually make yourself happy. Thanks for sharing your build - it's already helping me with mine!

kevin


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Thanks for the nice comments Kevin!  Your tank looks like it is going to be quite something. I don't think I have ever seen one with a picture window like that, what an awesome idea. I do agree that the super 3D backgrounds would complicate things for you and your idea of using a slimline with modules would probably be the way to go. Either that or try and do it by just piecing together modules, but I hear that can be tricky to get just right and your window wouldn't make it any easier.

Anyway, good luck with that, looks like you've got a plan. I can't wait to see it take form. Feel free to post here as much as you want, this thread is about everyone's 3D backgrounds, not just mine, although a tank that unique _deserves_ its own thread. :thumb:


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## FLGirl1977

I actually like the way you did the sides... looks great! That's exactly what I was going to do, but never got around to it! Keep up the good work!


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Thank you Renee! It actually doesn't seem that bad to me now that I have the canopy on, with water and sand. Once I get fish in there I probably won't even notice it. And it does provide for much better viewing. opcorn:


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## Lindsey Dindsey

One more photo since the installation is complete. It's still a bit cloudy in there.


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## ridley25

It's looking really good, Lindsey. It's hard to tell from the picture, but do you think you have enough substrate? If you're going with Mbuna, they're gonna spit a lot of sand around!


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I am going to have an all male hap and peacock tank, plus some yellow labs. I agree that it could use some more sand. I am planning on mixing in some more once I move the fish I have in my 100 gallon over to this one. I have plenty of sand in that tank.


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## ridley25

...right. You had mentioned Haps & Peacocks earlier. I have such blinkers on visualizing my new set up that I imagine the whole world is only about Mbuna!


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## Lindsey Dindsey

ridley25 said:


> ...right. You had mentioned Haps & Peacocks earlier. I have such blinkers on visualizing my new set up that I imagine the whole world is only about Mbuna!


 :lol: No problem, though I still think my tank needs a little more sand. Haps and peacocks love it too.


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## ridley25

Hey Lindsey,

Any changes to the tank? Rocks? Substrate? Plants? I'm living vicariously through other's tanks while I plan my own...


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## Lindsey Dindsey

Nope no changes. Still cycling and I'm probably not going to do anything else to it until it cycles. I am probably not going to have more rocks and I have been debating about plants. I want a fairly dimly lit tank so I am not so sure what I could keep in there. I am not very knowledgeable about plants. I would put a fake one if I could find one realistic enough.


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## ridley25

> I want a fairly dimly lit tank so I am not so sure what I could keep in there. I am not very knowledgeable about plants.


As an experienced plant killer I can tell you that Anubias and Java Fern (not biotope appropriate) have flourished in my tanks. They can be grown by just about anyone in just about any light.


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## Lindsey Dindsey

ridley25 said:


> As an experienced plant killer I can tell you that Anubias and Java Fern (not biotope appropriate) have flourished in my tanks. They can be grown by just about anyone in just about any light.


  Thanks. I did have Java Fern briefly before. I don't concerned myself experienced with it though because I got it only a little bit before I took that tank down. I might try one of these if I can find a decent amount at a good price. I think it would look silly to stick a tiny little plant in this tank. Do either of these grow very fast?


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## Guest

fishnmaine said:


> Lindsey.....Have you seen this.......http://www.gillsnfins.ca/3d_install.php........... I think you have not sure but have you giving any thought to this instead of cutting your background in 4 sections.....Not sure if anybody has tried......I'm thinking of taking that top off so I don't have too cut the background......Maybe somebody out there has....give a little input on it if it was hard or not.


I just ordered a background for my 180 and it has 2 braces in it. I am debating the same idea of removing the top and putting it in as one piece. Has anyone ever removed the top of their tank and out it back on?


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## Kevin007

Lindsey, I was wondering how the color compares to limestone in person. I am debating on 3D backgrounds and yours seems to give the impression of large boulders which i like, but the rocks that I'll be using are limestone. Does it come in grey?

How do you think it'll look against the background?

nvm

http://www.aquaterra-intl.com/new.html they have a new grey version!


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## Lindsey Dindsey

I originally wanted the grey one too but the place I ordered from didn't have it in grey. I am very happy with the brown. BUT if you are going to have grey rocks I think the grey Malawi background will look awesome with them.


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## Kevin007

Haha yea I think so too.

Is the background worth the money? I am seriously considering it and it sure is pricey!


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## Lindsey Dindsey

If you are prepared for the space they take up in the tank and you can afford it it's definitely worth it. I really couldn't/can't afford it but I got it anyway and it was still worth it.  It really transforms the whole look of the tank.


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## Kevin007

Is your tank set up yet? I'm really excited to see the results! I'm hoping I can get a 180G like you.

I can picture how awesome the tank will look with those huge boulders in there. My only concern is that I will be putting in alot of rocks, covering alot of the background, possibly wasting it.


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## mrfish30

[/img]










the tank is finally in the wall filled up and 2 fish are currently in give me your opinions!!


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## mrfish30




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## I3lazd

Just a little curious as to why you wouldn't build this yourself especially at those prices. I will be building my own for my 650 gallon. If all goes well and you like what I do I'm sure I could beat the prices they are offering. personally I think this is way overpriced for what it is, but thats just me.


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## mrfish30

i3lazd which user where you responding to?


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## ridley25

I3lazd said:


> Just a little curious as to why you wouldn't build this yourself especially at those prices. I will be building my own for my 650 gallon. If all goes well and you like what I do I'm sure I could beat the prices they are offering. personally I think this is way overpriced for what it is, but thats just me.


You could ask the same thing of anyone who spends more than $15,000 on a car or $30 on dinner; personal tastes.

You feel it's overpriced (and most likely have the skills and tools to make your own) while the OP probably feels the price is within reason, and likes knowing beforehand what the finished product will look like.

Good luck with your 650 - post a journal in the DIY section - maybe you can generate some sales!

kevin


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## I3lazd

ya for sure I already have a thread going listed as 600 gallon monster in DIY.


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## cholile

fantastic job lindsey. since you're now an expert  i have a few questions maybe you can answer?

1. It seems most people want to avoid fish hiding behind the background, but I think I would like to have that space available for my fish to hide. Since the fish will be larger I'm not too worried about catching them when they're behind there. Do you know if this can be done? Is the back side the same as the front in material so that the fish cannot eat it? Is there anything else I'm missing? I would have an opening on one side (one side not siliconed to the side wall) and would obscure that gap from the front via a module or two.

2. I think you said your tank was taller than 24". What did you do? My tank will probably be 27" tall and I'm not sure what to do to make it look normal (of course if I allow fish to go behind the tank then the concern of fish jumping over the top to the back side is not an issue, but the aesthetics are still a concern)

3. Does the module match the color of the brown malawi background?

4. If the background could be placed into the tank without cutting it and without removing the safety bar in the middle, am I missing something or should it be no problem to then stick the entire piece in the tank and silicone it. In other words, the only reason to cut it is because with most tanks the dimensions of the tank and the background make it impossible to stick the background physically into the tank without either cutting it or removing the bar in the middle?


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## ridley25

I can answer a few of those:

1. The 'back' of the background is simply unpainted and unsculpted. You can see from some of the 'behind the tank' pictures that it's just foam colour. There's nothing the fish would do to the back that they couldn't do to the front.

4. I'm using Canyon Rock in a 15 gallon shellie tank, so no brace and no need to cut the background. I just had to trim the sides a little for a good fit and I was good to go. If you're in the same boat, lucky you!

Just be mindful that a BG siliconed on the bottom and both sides will withstand more pressure than one only siliconed on two sides. So if you're leaning a lot of rockwork or wood against it, you may want to silicone a brace or two back there...

kevin


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## cholile

thanks ridley.

1. Helpful. I couldn't tell from the pictures if it was identical and that there's no problem with fish behind there. That makes sense, but I wonder if there are other issues I just don't realize with having fish go behind the background. Curious if anyone knows anything?

4. I wondered if the brace itself, even if you can fit the background in the tank physically, creates some type of problem I don't realize when trying to silicone the entire thing down, but I imagine that's not the case. I don't plan on leaning any rocks against it that will support their weight via the background, so it would just be an issue of when I do any maintenance and anything a large fish (e.g. 16" +) could do to move it.

your comment on 4. raises a 5th question I forgot to ask:

5. Is there a way to keep the background in place in the tank without siliconing it to the tank? If the background is heavy enough that it does not float then bunching up some rocks on both the back and front of the tank should keep it in place right?


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## ridley25

That baby's gonna float.


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## cholile

well that answers that  you're saying that because it is buoyant or because there's no way to lodge it in place with heavy rocks pressed against it on the back and front on both the right and left?

guess that just leaves questions 2 and 3 from above and whether anyone has a reason why I shouldn't set it up so I can specifically have fish hide behind the background.


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## mrfish30

cholie this in regards to your question about the fish goinf behind the background, i have a 90 gallon tall with 30 hap peacocks and they do have some space to go behind the background and do at times the funny thing is they much rather come to the front of the tank they love the attention it seems like!! there are pictures up of my tank with love all feedback


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## cholile

mrfish30: I would love to see pictures of your tank. I don't see an icon for your tank. also i'd like to hear more about your setup.

how long have you had the background in the tank? 
is it the aquaterra malawi 3D?
what size is your tank?
can i see pictures of the setup, including from behind the tank to see what it looks like when fish are able to get behind the background?
have you had any problems in allowing the fish to go behind the background? perhaps there are other possible issues i have not thought about but fish dying or being sick and on the backside would present problems if they were difficult to get out. that is what others have said, but i don't see why it should be that difficult.


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## mrfish30

[/img]


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## mrfish30

the tank is a 90 gallon tall with 30 hap peacocks and one rose line shark,pangea iv background the picture should show up.


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## cholile

beautiful. in fact, while i like the background, i think the in-wall and the frame + the color choice of the wall is even better. basically, outstanding!

if you're able to take pics from the back and sides to give me a sense of how it looks from behind and where fish are able to get to the back that'd be excellent.

regardless, any tips on an inwall tank? i have heard people say that they regret not having access from the front. have you found that at all inconvenient? any other tips for setting up an in-wall tank?


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## non_compliance

that looks like a real picture.. hahhaa.. awesome!


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## mrfish30

thanks i will try and take you some pictures i put alot of thought into this tank. and i enjoy it very much I dont have any problems changing it so far the back of the tank leads to the garage i use a step ladder to service it not to hard I enjoy it!!!


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## harveyb27

aaaaah lol read the whole thread and got to a dead end! Why are there no final pictures of the tank?


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## Scorpio

mrfish30 said:


> [/img]


nice


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## kevivoe

Lindsey Dindsey said:


> One more photo since the installation is complete. It's still a bit cloudy in there.


Well done.

How much water volume is wasted behind the wall? Looks like quite a bit IMHO.


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## knotty dreadlocks

mrfish30 said:


>


i really like how this one looks.


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## gliebig

I'm thinking about getting the Malawi background for my tank. My tank is 36" deep and I'm having second thoughts about taking up that much space in my tank. What do you guys think?


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## DJRansome

I have four tanks now with in-tank backgrounds and would not have a show tank without one. It just adds so much to the tank!


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## Andras

DJRansome said:


> I have four tanks now with in-tank backgrounds and would not have a show tank without one. It just adds so much to the tank!


Absolutely! I finished my first background 3 weeks ago and will not do another tank without one :thumb:


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