# My 30g 3d BG Tang. Build



## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Hello,

Here i will keep track of my build process on my 30g Tang tank that will house. paracrys and sumbu dwarfs. Here are some pictures of my progress so far on the background. None of this is drylok'd yet and i will start on that Later tonight when i get off work. I left a space along the right side so i can run my intake for my canister filter down that side. The bottom of it will be hidden behind one of the legs. The sides, bottom and back of tank will be painted black. Ill run my spray bar across the top of the tank so my current goes down to my intake.

Top piece of background


Left leg


Center leg


Right leg


Rock caves i made not sure if will sink or not.


Glueing the legs to the ledge


What it looks like out of tank


Test fit in tank


Test fit again


Let me know what ya'll think so far. More to come.....


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Wow lol guess it sucks. Reckon i wont post the rest of the build on here then. Thanks for that.


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## Koteckn (May 16, 2012)

You posted this say 6-7 hours ago... give it time and keep updating and people surely will chime in with pro's and con's dealing with your project.

Personally, I'm not a fan of building ledges and the such as you have. Also, this will start to look much better once you start to paint it. It's hard to distinguish what it will look like at this point. As long as you like it, that's all that matters. I think it'll turn out even better than you are thinking. Just keep up the good work and keep the project moving along.

I look forward to updates.

- H


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

im doing the ledge because im doing paracrypachromis and sumbu dwarfs in the tank and want to give each of them places to have their own territories at. Also because this will make the tank look bigger than it really is, deeper and taller. shooting for this tank to look like it has alot of demension to it


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Looks like a good start. Were you able to find the proper Drylok for it yet?


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Yep got the first coat of white on it last night doing the grey coat tonight and the buff coat as well then I'll go in and highlight it and paint on algae. It's looking pretty good. I was going to hide the intake but I didn't have think enough styrofoam so I did it a little different. I made my bg small enough to slide my intake along the side and the left piller will hide the bottom of the intake so it isn't noticeable. I'll post more pictures as I go tonight. I'm hoping I'll have this done tomorrow and the tank set up Tuesday. after I install it in the tank i'm going to full it for a day to make sure it's cured enough. Might even wait an extra day to put it in the tank to make sure it's cured enough... Thoughts?


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Yeah wait a good 3 days after it is done to let it off gas for 72 hrs. After that just fill it and drain it once or twice just to be on the safe side. then your good to go and start cycling it after that.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

im using a canister off an old tank that is on my mbuna tank right now staying seeded, that way i dont have to wait for the cycle. ill stick the canister on there 1 day before adding the fish. Im getting the fish on tuesday bu ill put them into an empty 20g tank to hold them untill this tank gets done. There will only be shells and rocks in the 20g tank with a sponge filter from another tank.

Heres a picture after getting the charcoal color on the background. Now its time for the buff color then highlights and then my fake algae lol.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

for some reason photobucket is making all the pictures smaller now so you cant really see the detail that well but it gives you an idea lol.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Yeah photobucket went to heck awhile back. I switched from them to Imageshack last year, try them it's easy to get full size pics there.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Well i got the background painted up just how i want it and i think it looks pretty good for my first go lol. Here is a picture of how it will be set up in the tank. The back of the tank and sides will be painted black ad i will be using black sand as well. Hope you like!

Excuse the mess of the cardboard. just go done and had to snap a shot of it.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

I think that came out extremely nice, especially for the very first time trying it. Nicely done :thumb:

If you have some white I would suggest drybrushing some of the "high points" on it to give it a bit of a natural worn look as well. Not a lot of white, just a little drybrushing. Looks good the way it is but I think adding a bit of white to the high edges will make it pop even more.

What color sand are you going with?


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Ok I'll give the white a try. I'm going with black sand and I'm painting the sides and back black as well


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## theboothsociety (Jan 3, 2012)

looks good. what did you use to achieve the green algae color?

i agree with some white highlights.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

> I'm going with black sand and I'm painting the sides and back black as well


Nice, that will really be a nice contrast to the shells and fish. Should make them really pop.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Yeah i did what you said with the white Steve and i like it looks pretty good. I'll take some more pictures of it once the white dries so you can see it with it on it. Thanks for that suggestion i appreciate it. Only thing i have wrong with this build was i could not figure out how to hide my heater. HAHA So I'll end up putting it along the side of the tank Or where ever i can tuck it in at and still works well and don't look so bad. But ill get to that when i get there lol. I plan on another week to week and a half before i have this set up and running with my fish in it. That's curing time and sillicone drying time and curing and filling tank and soaking the background a few times for 2 days. then ill run my canister filter on it for a day before i add fish so it cycles the tank. I'm getting my fish today im getting sumbu dwarf (maybe they a little small so might not ill see lol) and also some paracrys niginnirs or however u spell it lol. Actually going to get fish here in about 10 minutes lol. Ill post pics once i get them home and in their quatintine tank.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Yep you have to pretty much make room for heaters and intakes ahead of time with the 3D BG's, but you could still t disguise if you want. Just build a small "rock formation" out of styrofaom that you can silicone to the side of the tank that sticks out a couple inches, make a hole in the rock formation top all the way through bottom so it has water flow so the heat will circulate, then put the heater through it. drylok & paint it to match the BG and it'll hide the heater as well as add some depth/dimensional look to the tank.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Well with the ledge I built I don't really want anything else up on the side of the tank. Good suggestion though. I might try an hid it under the ledge and see if I can make it fit if not then I'll have a heater showing but it's not that big of a deal


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Well i got my fish in the qurentiene tank untill i can get this tank set up and going. Here are some pictures of the fish i got. I want to thank Qaddiction for the beautiful Paracrys and white calvus that i bought from him.. NOW ON TO THE GOODS!!!

*sorry for **** pictures was taken with my phone...Im no expert in the photo department like some of you are lol.*



















I have 6 White Calvus and 5 Paracrys. Going to be a good looking tank if i do say so myself.....and i do! lol


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Nice looking fish, the little ones are so cute


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

yeah the Paracyps are f1's and the Calvus arn't but they are still a good strain. The parents were gorgeous! I was going for Sumbu dwarfs but came out with these and couldn't be happier.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

I've been having to fight the urge myself to set up a Calvus tank. They are a very cool looking fish.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Well here's an update:

I got the background siliconed into the tank. Now its just time to wait for it to set and cure. I'll leave set for 2 days before i add water to make sure everything is good. then ill let that sit for a day then empty and do again for another day. Then ill bring in house and set up and let my canister filter run for a full day before i add fish. so about another week and the tank should be good to go. Ill post some pictures once the background sets.


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## Koteckn (May 16, 2012)

Keep it up.

The Paracyps do look great. I have one now in my 33L with the intention of getting 2 more when I find them or my friend places his calvus order.

The silicon should set in 24 hours but waiting 48 hrs is a great precautionary step to your build. I look forward to seeing updated pictures.

- H


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Here are some pictures of the background siliconed into the tank. Hope you like! Not im just waiting for the silicone to set and cure then ill be filling and draining for 2 days before i add filter and fish...
Also im wanting to get some oppions on this. Im wanting to take some fake plants and Silicone them in between the top part and the ledge of the background to make it look like they are growing out of the background. Any thoughts on this? i would like to use live plants but *** never had luck with them.













Im also going to go with Pool Filter Sand as my substrate. so it will be a dull white sand with this.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Just a quick little update. I got my plants added into the background. I didn't know how it was going to turn out with them being fake but looks pretty darn sweet. I put one right infront of where the intake pipe will be so it masks it being there. One is hung from the top over on the right side of tank. Hoping that when spray bar hits the branches it moves across the top of the water and makes for a good effect. Another is tucked between the top and bottom bg pieces. I'll post pictures tonight before i Fill tank up with first day of water.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Looks good, the white helped a lot :thumb:

Pick up some Java Fern if you want live plants. I bought some of it off Aquabid about 6 weeks ago and the fish don;t seem to bother it plus it is doing very well just with normal dual t5 bulbs. Seems very easy to keep alive so far.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

im using a led fixture i got from the ACA last year. Its like 18" long has white and blue led's. Eventually ill end up building a hood for this tank and doing a led set up with an rbg controller.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

OK HERE IT IS!!! The finished tank. Let me know what you think!!!


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Looks good I like it :thumb: :thumb:

Changed your mind on the black sand I see.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Yeah wanted it to look more realalistic looking tank. As well as I didn't want it to be to dark.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

My 29 gallon tang tank with 6 juvie white calvus and 5 paracyps Finally finished i think. I think i got it how i want it.


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## Nate821 (May 26, 2013)

I think it looks great what did you use to make it?


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