# 1.5g Betta 3d background build....:)



## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Hey guys whats up?

I bought my 7 week old daughter her "First Fish" today. It is a veiltail betta and hes a pretty killer lookin little guy. Ill post pics shortly....

Well i had one before that died and he is what got me into cichlids so i thought i would get another and do him up right. So im building a 3d background for his tank. (Hey if im going to keep a betta better make it worth it right LOL)

So anyways I just got the first coat of drylok on it already. Took me 2 hours to actually build and carve it out and get it painted. Im going with shades of grey for it. My fish is a pinkish red with purple highlights. Wife liked him which is why we got it in the first place lol. So anyways once i get back in the house from out here in the garage I'll post some pictures so ya'll can see how its going. I made a little center section that will have a fake plant in it for the betta's cover. I would do a real one but i cant get the hang of plants...lol SO off i go for now to finish up then ill be back to post ya some pics! cus we all know we want to see them!! lol


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Here come the pictures!!! There's a lot of them so beware lol! I got the first coat on and i used PFS to give it some texture before i go in and highlight it. Should look pretty good when its done as it looks pretty good now lol. Enjoy!

The tank



The start of carving..















First coat of drylok with PFS added to it for texture















The mock up Standing it up together for a look see....



Now for the fishy!! The wife named him panther for pink panther....go figure lol







The fish is in a vase right now so that why it looks kinda funny sorry....


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Btw to get to the point im at right now it only took me 3 hours


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

Very nice! Pink Panther should like it!


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

He betta like it!!! HAHA get it? betta? rofl.....Anyways tonight ill be adding another coat of drylok and it might be the highlights i donno ill have to see how this coat set up. I layered it on pretty think and its not that think of styro either. Maybe 1/4" thick. I tell ya for being this small the detail work was rough but fun. Solid 2 hours carving 1 hour dryloking so far. Ill update again once i get the next coat on tonight.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Ok back to it tonight. I got the final coats of drylok on the background and its looking pretty sharp. Also i'm torn about lighting. It has a led light on it and it comes with blue red and plain white. My fish is redish purple so i dont want it to bland out or anything. Think i might just go white not sure....Lemme know what ya think....So heres some pictures of it going along and test fitting and with the lights....


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Finished it and now has the fish in it. I need to work on the lighting but that will be a later date.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Missed this somehow when you posted it so just now seeing it. Looks really good, it's funny that once you get the 3D background bug you find yourself 3D'BG'ing anything that doesn't move lol


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

ratbones86 said:


> *He betta like it!!! HAHA get it? betta? rofl*.....Anyways tonight ill be adding another coat of drylok and it might be the highlights i donno ill have to see how this coat set up. I layered it on pretty think and its not that think of styro either. Maybe 1/4" thick. I tell ya for being this small the detail work was rough but fun. Solid 2 hours carving 1 hour dryloking so far. Ill update again once i get the next coat on tonight.


Keep your day job! 

Finished product looks great! Nice work!


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Thanks for the complements guys! Steve, I seen your doing a whole wall!! Looks good. And i know your right about the 3ding everything lol. When i can afford to get my fish room going in the garage, Im going to 3d a whole corner and build a 500g tank out of cinder blocks with 2 glass windows and make it look like the top of the bank in malawi or tanganyika. Also build the bottom half like the under part of the lake and continue the background into the tank so it looks seemless from outside of it to the inside of it. I've thought this out pretty well and im itching to do it just gotta get the cash lol.


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## ShckTrprTk (Jul 15, 2013)

haha this is absoultley the most awsome betta tank iv seen! good job!

im fairly sure ill be posting my own one this size soon lol much better scale to practice than jumping in on the big tanks


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## daninflorida (Sep 7, 2010)

do you have a small filter and heater in that tank? if not, the betta wont last for very long


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