# My next DIY background



## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

So, amazingly I am making a new background for my 110 gallon...reason? I started liking the first one I made for the 110 gallon less and less every day! Started to look very unnatural. I think this one looks a lot better, natural wise.

Here are some pictures...

Left side








Middle








Right side









I decided to go with drylok for this background due to the extensive detail and I must say, drylok is extremely easy and preserves detail amazingly.

Here is the background with its first coat, charcoal black.


















Here are the tools used...









Let me know what you guys think!


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

Looks great.

What did you use to get the Drylok that color?


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Thank you!

I used cement pigment, Quickrete charcoal pigment.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

So, I played around with the texture and this is what I came up with this...

Full shot








Left side








Middle








Right side









Shot without flash


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## myfirstgixxer07 (Jun 4, 2009)




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## myfirstgixxer07 (Jun 4, 2009)

:drooling:


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

myfirstgixxer07 said:


>





myfirstgixxer07 said:


> :drooling:


LOL...thank you!


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

Sorry, have to ask again...
How'd you get that new color? Spray paint this time?

Looks fantastic after the added color.


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

Looks great. Can't wait to see it in the tank.


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## clgkag (Mar 22, 2008)

That looks as good or better than the $400 back to nature backgrounds. Outstanding job.


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## gnomemagi (Jun 13, 2009)

Best one I've seen IMO.

More detail on how you did the detail work?


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Wolffishin said:


> Sorry, have to ask again...
> How'd you get that new color? Spray paint this time?
> 
> Looks fantastic after the added color.


See, the first time I took bowl full of Drylok and added the black charcoal pigment straight to the white Drylock. I then put a semi second coat of almost the same color (charcoal). My third coat I mixed 1/4 of a small cup of white Drylok with Quickrete "Buff" pigment and a few drops of "charcoal" pigment. Note that the pigment intensely changes the color of the Drylok so you need to use extremely small amounts of pigment. The way I applied the third coat was...Dip the tips of the brush in the Drylok and then smear it on a piece of paper, towel, cardboard, etc... and the brush will seem dry, but its not. Then in fast long strokes brush it against the background, repeat until desired effect is achieved. I also used the plain white Drylok in some places as to give the background highlights and a more realistic look applying the same technique.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

trigger said:


> Looks great. Can't wait to see it in the tank.


 Thank you... I was going to do it this weekend but I will be gone on a family trip so I will do it next week or next weekend at the latest...hang in there! :thumb:


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

clgkag said:


> That looks as good or better than the $400 back to nature backgrounds. Outstanding job.


Thank you, I almost gave up on it for a minute when I added the Great Stuff to the background...you just can't mold it very well but those parts came out looking decent.



gnomemagi said:


> Best one I've seen IMO.
> 
> More detail on how you did the detail work?


Thank you!

I just posted the details for the Drylock technique above. The technique for carving the styrofoam is also easily achieved with the soldering iron, there is a picture in my first post if you are wondering what it looks like. Simply melt the styrofoam down with the soldering iron, when the styro melts it will create a rough texture all by itself which will play a critical role when applying the colored Drylok. This effect will not be easily achieved with concrete, but it can be done...just a heck of *a lot easier with Drylok,* believe me!!!


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

Thanks for the detailed explanation, that really helps me out.
...even though I don't think I'll be able to pull it off as nicely as you did.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Wolffishin said:


> Thanks for the detailed explanation, that really helps me out.
> ...even though I don't think I'll be able to pull it off as nicely as you did.


Honestly the hardest part is shaping the background, you need some imagination or a model to go off of and the rest is cake.


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## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

Very nice =D>

and very inspiring....


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

scrubjay said:


> Very nice =D>
> 
> and very inspiring....


Thank you!


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## cholile (Oct 28, 2007)

excellent. looking forward to seeing a pic of it in the tank.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

cholile said:


> excellent. looking forward to seeing a pic of it in the tank.


Thank you Cholile!

Here is an update...

I removed everything from the tank...all the fish went back to the 55 gallon.









I put the background in and I am waiting for the silicone to cure, the tank is acrylic so I used more silicone than usual so i will wait until Sunday or Monday to fill it (silicone was applied Thursday night).


















I also got some rocks from a lake where we took our trip and will go in with the background to make it look a Malawi as possible.

Edit** I lost another Perlmutt to a pump...will work on the overflow and sump mods to prevent that in the future...I was so friggin pist... why couldn't it be one of the cheaper fish or one of the potential hybrids. Oh well, it will not happen again.


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Love the BG! Looks great. Sorry about the perlmutt. Good luck!
:thumb:


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

R-DUB said:


> Love the BG! Looks great. Sorry about the perlmutt. Good luck!
> :thumb:


Thank you!

You were right...Drylok is the best thing around! Glad I tried it.


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

No doubt. The drylok makes crete obsolete imho. The crete isnt going to stop buoyancy issues anyway. You would need hundreds of pounds. This stuff is the only way to go imho. Good Luck!


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## cholile (Oct 28, 2007)

unbelievable. it really does look just as good as the ones that cost hundreds.


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## john73738 (Sep 22, 2009)

I agree, it looks great. I am starting a BG soon, (or my wife is she just doesn't know it yet) Going for the same look just I want to wrap it around the sides because I am enclosing the tank in the stand. Will make sense when I start enclosing pics on my thread. Fish will move to their temp house when we move and stay there until the project is complete.

Bear


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

R-DUB said:


> No doubt. The drylok makes crete obsolete imho. The crete isnt going to stop buoyancy issues anyway. You would need hundreds of pounds. This stuff is the only way to go imho. Good Luck!


Agreed! :thumb:



cholile said:


> unbelievable. it really does look just as good as the ones that cost hundreds.


Thanks! I am a little proud of it :lol:



john73738 said:


> I agree, it looks great. I am starting a BG soon, (or my wife is she just doesn't know it yet) Going for the same look just I want to wrap it around the sides because I am enclosing the tank in the stand. Will make sense when I start enclosing pics on my thread. Fish will move to their temp house when we move and stay there until the project is complete.
> 
> Bear


Makes sense already, if you pull it off it will be an incredible piece of furniture for years to come! Good luck, and if you need help you know where to find us


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Anybody know about "wild" rocks? I know that you test them with Muriatic Acid and if they fizz they are not safe. I got these from a lake and I have read that usually rocks found around lakes are safe for aquarium use with exceptions of coarse.

So, I rinsed the rocks with a bristle brush and hot water but I wasn't able to get the old algae that has been on the rock for probably years. There was also some dirt that I could not take off. Once they dried I poured some acid on the rock and they fizzed and bubbled plenty. I also noticed that the rock was amazingly clean after the acid was removed. Then I would pour some more acid where I poured the acid before and the fizz was not very apparent but there was some. I think that the rock is not very clean and that is why it fizzes but I am not sure. You guys have any input for me? Here are some pictures...

Here is the cleanest rock I could find...









Here is what happened to it...









Here is another rock, a more dirtier one...









Here is what happened to that one...









Here is a really dirty one fizzing...









Whats the verdict?


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

I think that your theory is flawed. If they fizz doesnt mean they are unsafe. It means they contain a high amount of alkaline. Like limestone. Texas Holey rock is limestone. Which I know is safe. It will have a tendency to make your water harder over time. But not unsafe for cichlids, maybe others. Most of what is fizzing is probably dirt and debris anyway. I would just stay away from rocks that appear to have metallic looking "flakes" in them. Or ones that have "rust" oozing or leaching out of them. The rest are more than likely safe if cleaned well. Good Luck!
:thumb:


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## Samson (Nov 22, 2009)

One of the nicest backgrounds i've seen here. Good work!


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

R-DUB said:


> I think that your theory is flawed. If they fizz doesnt mean they are unsafe. It means they contain a high amount of alkaline. Like limestone. Texas Holey rock is limestone. Which I know is safe. It will have a tendency to make your water harder over time. But not unsafe for cichlids, maybe others. Most of what is fizzing is probably dirt and debris anyway. I would just stay away from rocks that appear to have metallic looking "flakes" in them. Or ones that have "rust" oozing or leaching out of them. The rest are more than likely safe if cleaned well. Good Luck!
> :thumb:


The "acid test" is to intended to distinguish visually identical types of calcite and quartz apart in the field. It has nothing to do with "safe". It has nothing to do with anything other than answering the question, "Hmmm, is this crystal calcite or quartz?" You have to break the rocks to a fresh surface in order to do the test properly, and that seems to be left out of the steps you see aquarists using. Limestone and calcite are likely to fizz anyway, but the fizz will fizzle out if you keep doing it, or if the surface has time to weather and age. Some deadly rocks containing ores of copper and more toxic minerals won't fizz at all. Rocks that have metallic flakes in them might be dangerous, or they might be only iron pyrites and innocuous. Rocks with rust oozing out of them are very likely safe for your fish and a boon to some of your live plants, but they can leave stains on items in the aquarium and even on the glass itself so avoid them for maintenance reasons.

You are more likely to find harmful rocks in the mountains of the Western United States than in the East. The old cowboy rule of thumb was if you found water choked with slime and smelly, drink it. The crystal clear pool was the one not to drink from. Especially if you looked nearby and found the skeletons of lots of dead animals. Probably not much more help than the "acid test" but you get the idea I hope from that story that you need to find out what your rock really is, if you want to be safe. No quick and easy test, sorry.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

R-DUB said:


> I think that your theory is flawed. If they fizz doesnt mean they are unsafe. It means they contain a high amount of alkaline. Like limestone. Texas Holey rock is limestone. Which I know is safe. It will have a tendency to make your water harder over time. But not unsafe for cichlids, maybe others. Most of what is fizzing is probably dirt and debris anyway. I would just stay away from rocks that appear to have metallic looking "flakes" in them. Or ones that have "rust" oozing or leaching out of them. The rest are more than likely safe if cleaned well. Good Luck!
> :thumb:


I hope I am wrong, rather, I hope that what I read is wrong.



Samson said:


> One of the nicest backgrounds i've seen here. Good work!


Thank you! 



Mcdaphnia said:


> R-DUB said:
> 
> 
> > I think that your theory is flawed. If they fizz doesnt mean they are unsafe. It means they contain a high amount of alkaline. Like limestone. Texas Holey rock is limestone. Which I know is safe. It will have a tendency to make your water harder over time. But not unsafe for cichlids, maybe others. Most of what is fizzing is probably dirt and debris anyway. I would just stay away from rocks that appear to have metallic looking "flakes" in them. Or ones that have "rust" oozing or leaching out of them. The rest are more than likely safe if cleaned well. Good Luck!
> ...


I see, well I guess I will go with the cowboy theory...the rocks had algae and stuff on them so most likely are "friendly", otherwise I don't think the algae would have grown on them (obviously, I could be wrong).

Would it be safe to use the rocks that I poured Muriatic acid on? and should I boil the rocks in water before using them? my guess is I should but the wifey doesn't want my to use "HER" pots to do it so I would like to skip that if not truly necessary.


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## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

Those rocks look fine. Boiling them is sort of up to you. If they have no cracks or biological matter sticking to them, it's probably okay to just give them a good scrubbing. But if you are one of those "better safe than sorry" people, or the stream where you collected them might have any sort of pesticide or pollution, then you might want to be on the safe side.

It's sort of hard to tell from those pics, but they look an awful lot like river rocks I collected in northern California that I was going to use in my tanks.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/rock_metals.php


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## Malawi_Junkie (Nov 26, 2009)

That looks very good!!!!!! would like to see some pics under water. I just started mine for my 220 gal, hope it turns out as nice as yours. Thanks for showing us how you pulled it off. :thumb:  =D>  =D>  :thumb:


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

scrubjay said:


> Those rocks look fine. Boiling them is sort of up to you. If they have no cracks or biological matter sticking to them, it's probably okay to just give them a good scrubbing. But if you are one of those "better safe than sorry" people, or the stream where you collected them might have any sort of pesticide or pollution, then you might want to be on the safe side.
> 
> It's sort of hard to tell from those pics, but they look an awful lot like river rocks I collected in northern California that I was going to use in my tanks.
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/rock_metals.php


Yeah, I guess I will do it the safe way.



Malawi_Junkie said:


> That looks very good!!!!!! would like to see some pics under water. I just started mine for my 220 gal, hope it turns out as nice as yours. Thanks for showing us how you pulled it off. :thumb:  =D>  =D>  :thumb:


Thank you! Good luck with your build!

I know I said I would have the tank up and running by last Monday and it has been but it was too cloudy, I was not going to post the picture but I will do it anyway. I also had to leave the city on business during the week so I was not able to work on it but I will do some work on it today.


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## divet (Sep 21, 2009)

Another option you could consider for cleaning the rocks, although it may sound odd, is to run them through the dishwasher if you have one. I usually run it once without the rocks in it on rinse to make sure no detergents are in the system, and then place the rocks in and run it on hot rinse to clean them. Just an idea!

I also have to say, beautiful background!


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

If the rock is porous... air fills the pores...

Sometimes, depending ont he rock, when submerged, all the air doesn't come out...

When the air that is trapped in the rock heats up, it expands... which can break the rock, sometimes violently...

This same process is more likely to happen when we pull a rock out of a lake/river and toss it into a fire (funny joke that sometimes goes bad)... and is much less likely when biling a rock... but as it is possible it's worth mentioning...

I've washed aquarium stuff in teh dishwasher without soap... works great as long as your girl doesn't notice ;-)


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## Tinga (Nov 27, 2009)

What Drylok did you end up using, I see oil and latex. 









I assume you went with the latex? After doing some research, I definitely will be going with the Drylok.

How long after painting did you let it cure?
In water or open air?

I've done some artsy painting techniques, one we did for a speckled quartz was to water the paint down and put it in a spray bottle.

I've got to say though, your background looks great.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

divet said:


> Another option you could consider for cleaning the rocks, although it may sound odd, is to run them through the dishwasher if you have one. I usually run it once without the rocks in it on rinse to make sure no detergents are in the system, and then place the rocks in and run it on hot rinse to clean them. Just an idea!
> 
> I also have to say, beautiful background!


THANK YOU!

That is a very clever idea but I don't have a dishwasher, I just gave them another good scrub and put them in like that.



Toby_H said:


> If the rock is porous... air fills the pores...
> 
> Sometimes, depending ont he rock, when submerged, all the air doesn't come out...
> 
> ...


Wow! didn't know that about the potential explosions, good thing I did not boil them.



Tinga said:


> What Drylok did you end up using, I see oil and latex.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, I did use the latex based. I let it cure for about 2 weeks but only because I had to break down the tank where it was going. I think you only need to cure it for two days or so, can't remember. I too have an artistic background but to be honest the technique I used was one I had never used before, mainly because my canvas was 3 dimensional this time around  .


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Here is an update and how the tank will basically look...

















Left Side








Middle








Right side








Here is a picture with the first six inhabitants, will add the rest of the fish tomorrow and I will take a picture for you guys.








And lastly, a shot with the moolight


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## justinf67 (Jul 19, 2009)

love it man. you inspire me, but I will not even attempt this until I have a tank bigger than 55 gallons. I love all the details of this one. its your best to date!


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

justinf67 said:


> love it man. you inspire me, but I will not even attempt this until I have a tank bigger than 55 gallons. I love all the details of this one. its your best to date!


Thank you! I think it is my best too.

You should try it, it's really not that difficult.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Here is the picture with all the fish and I decided to put the driftwood in.

Bare with me as all the pictures I have taken on this thread are with my cell phone camera and they are not very clear...


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## iCichlid (Sep 21, 2009)

:drooling:

What do you charge


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

iCichlid said:


> :drooling:
> 
> What do you charge


 :lol: Supply me with six months of free styro and we will call it an even swap! :lol:

It is funny you should ask...there has been two people that have walked into my office to ask me where I got the background and when I tell them I made it, they ask how much I would charge them for one. I gave them my number but none called  . I would have enjoyed making some for some extra cash but oh well


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## iCichlid (Sep 21, 2009)

Is that a silver dollar in your tank?


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

iCichlid said:


> Is that a silver dollar in your tank?


When my dad bought them, they were labeled as Silver Dollars but they are either Red Hook Metynnis or Red Hook Myleus.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

mightyevil said:


> iCichlid said:
> 
> 
> > :drooling:
> ...





iCichlid said:


> :drooling:
> 
> What do you charge


Sorry, I mistook you for Malawi-Junkie for some reason, if you are serious PM me, I will give you a good price! :thumb:


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## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

Looks great! I bet if you advertised on the Trading Post here, you might get some orders!


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

scrubjay said:


> Looks great! I bet if you advertised on the Trading Post here, you might get some orders!


I may just try that after the holidays. :thumb:


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## Malawi_Junkie (Nov 26, 2009)

=D> Very well done! =D>

Very natural looking. Definetly one of the best DIY BG I have seen on this forum,give yourself a pat on the back you deserve it. :thumb:


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Malawi_Junkie said:


> =D> Very well done! =D>
> 
> Very natural looking. Definetly one of the best DIY BG I have seen on this forum,give yourself a pat on the back you deserve it. :thumb:


Thank you!

I have a leak in the overflow, I have had problems with the overflow before due to the previous owner making a huge hole on it. I fixed it before but had to remove the fix to install this new background. I have an idea on how to permanently fix it though...going to install an overflow box inside the overflow that is already in there. I hope the power doesn't fail by the time I do this since I don't have a ball valve on my drain pipe.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

I uploaded some videos on YouTube of the tank. It really catches the colors very well...

This video was taken with surrounding lights on...





This video was taken with surrounding lights off and during the video the tank light get turned off to show the moonlights...


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## Malawi_Junkie (Nov 26, 2009)

Videos are very cool. =D> 
Tank looks killer.
Couldn't see the moonlighting very well though, are you using LED or cold cathode,in video it appears to be LED. I use both but prefer CC even though it is alot brighter and less realistic, fish don't seem to mind.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Yeah, I used cathodes!

Have not tried LEDs but the cathodes have served me well!


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## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

Tank does look killer with that background!


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## fabfish (Dec 21, 2009)

im currently building a 180 glass tank background .... itll house 138 african cichlids ... ill post my build once im into it enough and download all the pics . it takes longer to post pics then build stuff in the tanks ... urs looked killer ...


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## Eclipse5161 (Feb 4, 2007)

i have a question about the white drylock. when it cures does it cure white? im curious as i had planned on doing one coat of drylock then use spray paint to get my color then put another coat of drylock to seal it all in. but if it drys white it that would make me change my plans lol


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## Malawi_Junkie (Nov 26, 2009)

Yes, it will dry white but you can add quikrete liquid concrete colors to it for coloring.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Eclipse5161 said:


> i have a question about the white drylock. when it cures does it cure white? im curious as i had planned on doing one coat of drylock then use spray paint to get my color then put another coat of drylock to seal it all in. but if it drys white it that would make me change my plans lol


Yes, like Malawi said, it does dry white. I used cement pigment to mix in to the Drylok to get different colors.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Getting out of the hobby for a while, I have seem to be neglecting my tanks lately due to work and other hobbies. PM me or email me at [email protected] for a price on this tank! Pick up only and cash only please. I will include all the hardware for the tank for one low price and fish also if wanted, contact me!

Located in Montebello California 90640 (this one is in my office)


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

STILL FOR SALE!!!


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## pfcbizz (Aug 30, 2011)

mightyevil said:


> So, I played around with the texture and this is what I came up with this...
> 
> Full shot
> 
> ...


This is Nice, Dang I wonder how you got those colors like that with the Highlights ?


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

pfcbizz said:


> This is Nice, Dang I wonder how you got those colors like that with the Highlights ?


Thank you! Here is an earlier post, this kid of gives you an idea on how to do it...



mightyevil said:


> Wolffishin said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry, have to ask again...
> ...


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

I really REALLY like this background. All are creative but this one speaks to me.

I get drybrushing, (my geeky OTHER hobby finally pays off) but how did you texture the surface, just random gouging and solder iron touches? Did you work from photos or actual rock? That seems very artistic. Truly random instead of intentional "random" details. Any hints? I am tempted to try to blow up your pictures and use them as a pattern.

About how thick is that at the thickest?

And am I correct that you purchased 2" thick foam sheets from a building supply, and, rather than coat them in concrete, you painted them with the drylock, meaning you did NOT use any form of cement?


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## pfcbizz (Aug 30, 2011)

mightyevil said:


> pfcbizz said:
> 
> 
> > This is Nice, Dang I wonder how you got those colors like that with the Highlights ?
> ...


Ok done one for mine and wish I could of thought of that myself maybe the next one I do


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

pfcbizz said:


> Ok done one for mine and wish I could of thought of that myself maybe the next one I do


Yes, there is always next time... It is easier than it seems too so don't be afraid to give it a try! :thumb:


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

I never did sell this tank, never really tried too hard to do so...

Here is an update...










1 Grahesky (Not sure if I spelled that right) died, combination of neglect and dominance by the other big Grahesky.
1 Red hook died, guessing it died because it was not able to compete for food, there was no sign of anything else.
1 Blue cobalt died from neglect and got a hole on the side of his belly, it seemed to recover but then a lump started growing in the same place and quickly died and stunk up the tank worse than I had ever smelled a dead fish before.

I will keep my lights off for a few days, hopefully that will get rid of some of the algae, my pleco does nothing when it comes to getting rid of algae (at least it doesn't seem like it).

If you are new to this thread, I know you are not supposed to keep this combination of fish together but they have been together for a while now (check out the beginning of the thread). And I really don't have anywhere else to put them so please don't try to educate...


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## mamospreng (Apr 26, 2011)

Did you ever build one for someone else for extra cash or did that fall through like selling this beautiful piece of art?


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

mamospreng said:


> Did you ever build one for someone else for extra cash or did that fall through like selling this beautiful piece of art?


No, never did for someone else, I never got the shipping prices. Funny you should ask because people always come into my office to look at the tank and ask about the background. After hearing my price most just do a 180 degree turn and walk out... if they only knew how much an actual manufacturer would charge... they would probably drop dead lol.


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