# DIY Cave system rock wall



## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Hello everyone. I have started my background for my aquarium finally. After seeing so many online, I have decided to have a go at it. Looking for any helpful hints to help keep this thing from popping out of the tank. I have carved all of it out of insulation board from lowes. Glued some of it together with silicone I and some with liquid nails power grab. Hoping it wont make a difference. I plan on coating it with plenty of drylok. Of course adding different cement colors to it. And on the last coat I want to add some sand to it here and there for some texture. I will be using silicone, lots and lots of silicone to attach it to the tank. I just hope none of the cave rocks come undone. Any help or ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading. BTW it is going in a 55 Gallon with angels, neons, a common pleco, albino longfin pleco, african butterflys, two corys, and a ghost knife. A lot of fish I know. I will be getting another tank soon so I can put some of these guys in when they get big.


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Here is a pic of what i got so far.


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## quentin8 (Sep 30, 2011)

link doent work.


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)




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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Sorry about the first link not working. Im taking pics with my phone. Just had to figure out how to post them on here.


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

I had to make it in different pieces so it would fit in the tank










I am now working on a third section


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## Timcyn7 (Jan 18, 2012)

Thats great!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Looks very nice!


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

I like it! Good job.


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## Mr.Dempsey (Jan 4, 2012)

thats awesome, has a very natural look


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Thank you! My only fear is that after i have it in the tank and fill it with water, it will come apart.


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

chadleegaston said:


> Thank you! My only fear is that after i have it in the tank and fill it with water, it will come apart.


Only one way to know...

Looks good so far!


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Looking good so far :thumb:

Is it designed to go all the way to the top of the tank? if it is then that should help to keep it all sandwiched together where you shouldn't have to worry much about it. Only section which may be a little concern would be the arch on the far left maybe. Are you planning on siliconing the foot of the arch to the bottom of the tank, or what's the plans for holding that down?


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

I'm liking the look :thumb: Keep it up opcorn:


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

I am goind to silicone it wherever it touches the tank.


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

My only advice would be don't glue the sand onto it. Thats how sand paper is made, if you get an itchy fish you could end up with a scales removed.


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## littleolme (Nov 1, 2011)

Maybe silicone the bottom to slabs of slate as a base to weigh down each section if you have the height room left?


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## Coln (Dec 17, 2007)

Looks amazing, a lot of planning went into this and it has payed off :thumb:


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## Cblanche01 (Jan 18, 2012)

Awesome!


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## dsouthworth (Sep 7, 2011)

So did you make this my tons of individual sheets, or was it just a large piece of foam, that you just cut to look like a pile of rocks?


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## dsouthworth (Sep 7, 2011)

One more thing, Remember that algae will grow on it (duh), and getting algae off the sand will be painful. Maybe impossible. 
Take sand paper to it and rough it up that way.


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

It is made by cutting individual pieces then stacking and siliconing them together. 
Im not going to go for sand. The drylok actually has a good texture to it.
I have two layers of drylok on now. I will put up pictures in morning(later today).
Thanks for all the advice.


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## Dart032 (Dec 9, 2011)

Object a suggestion. I'm at about the same stage as you on my background and I have 6 prices myself. Have you considered attaching it to a styrofoam base then glueing it to the bottom then the substrate would also weigh it down


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

So I am now doing some shading to make it look more like rock. I have three thick layers of drylok on the whole thing. What do you guys think.


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

As for the algae growing on it, I think it will make it look even more realistic and my pleco prob wont let it get out of control ;P


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

You did an awesome job on the paint/shading....Excellent work! that's gonna look great in a tank 8)


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Okay....I finally got all the fish, sand and water out of tank. I now have it siliconed in. I am now working on the very top piece so it will go all the way to the top. Hopefully that will keep it from wanting to pop out. That is if the two tubes of silicone for some reason decide not to hold it. I completely covered the backs where it touches the glass and even siliconed some of the bigger gaps and edges. Now to wait a day or two and see if this puppy will stay in the water.


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Also on a side note......I will be painting the back and some of the sides of the tank with black spray paint tomorrow


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Looks awesome. What substrate are you going with?


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

White sand of course.


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## dr2391 (Feb 11, 2009)

i wouldn't paint the back. the silicone bond is stronger between just styrofoam and glass than it is between styrofoam, paint, and glass. i would paint the back of the tank black instead


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## juststayinthecave (Dec 23, 2010)

Awesome job. :thumb: Get a little algae on that and it'll look even better.


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## Jmanolinsky (Jun 4, 2010)

Oh man, I think black sand would look great with that awesome background of yours. Just sayin!!!

Either way, you did a great job. I can't wait to see it with fish in it!

Jman :thumb:


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## Coln (Dec 17, 2007)

That is looking better with every photo, looking forward to finished tank :thumb:


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

I am as excited as you guys are to see this with fish in it. My fish will definitely be happy to be back in the tank. Im putting the final touches on the upper piece now and will be siliconing it in when i wake up. So I will hopefully be ready for a water test on Sunday.  As far as the painting of the back of the tank, I think I will just tape some black paper on it since I dont feel like carrying the tank outside to spray it.


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## UpToTheGills (Jan 29, 2012)

Very nice. Amazing job on the shading. I've got to practice to get up to your level!


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

So here is where i am at. Saturday morning/afternoon, I filled the tank and added the sand. I came home from work and the water was milky white. Today I drained it and filled again. Water is fairly clear now. Hopefully it was cause i didnt rinse anything before putting it in the tank. If water stays clear I should be adding some fish tomorrow.


















I even put a couple plants in there to see what it looks like


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Very nice I like it a lot. I think the white sand looks good with it as well :thumb:

You may have already said but not sure without going back and looking....what are your plans to stock it with?


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

I am putting all my original fish in it. So that means 5 angels, 6 neon tetras, 2 african butterflys, 2 albino corys, a common highfin pleco, an albino longfin pleco, a golden wonder killifish, and a black ghost knife. Also i guess a snail decided to hop tanks on the plants ( i found one today ). I also buy ghost shrimp every now and then for the fish to eat. The neons are also for the live food.

Should I be worried about the slight cloudiness of the tank? I mean the snail doesnt seem to be bothered, so could I out my fish in now and let the filter get the cloudiness out eventually?


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

So I just finished another water change. Hopefully that solves the cloudy water problem. I also put some of my plants from the other tank in it. Let me know what you guys think. These are phone pics so sorry for the quality.


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## Steveboos (Dec 23, 2011)

Looks good, i take it your just moving all the filters and everything at the same time as the fish instead of cycling the new tank?


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Its not really new. I just had to drain it to put the background in. So everything should already be good to go. Nothing dried out since it only took me four or five days to completely install it. I added my neons today to see if they do fine with alittle cloudy water. If they are good by morning I will be adding my other guys.


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## Secretninja (Dec 25, 2011)

Wow, looks great. Usually I don't like the stacked rock look but you really pulled it off.


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Im planning on buying some more tanks and making backgrounds for them. Then I will try to see them. Nothing this big of course. Maybe some 20s and 30s. I am going to start on a poison dart frog enclosure soon. I will start a new post on that when im ready. Thanks to everyone for the help and comments.


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## undertow (Sep 4, 2007)

you could probably use a very small gauge piece of dowel as suport going veritical threw some of your sections. i'v never tried my own background though, so its just a thought.


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## angelover98 (Mar 3, 2004)

Fantastic job! Can't wait to see the fish make it a home!


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

My fish really love the tank. My angels and ghost knife love swimming throw all the caves. The cloudiness has completely disappeared. I will post some pics in the morning of the fishes. Looking back this wasnt at all as hard as i thought it was going to be. Next time I will build the background before i stock the tank,


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## y2alizad (Feb 4, 2012)

Wow, it looks amazing. You did a great job. After seeing how yours turned out I am going to try ti give it a shot. I have looked at purchasing it from online sites but it is way to pricy. I am not sure if you were able to put it in your tank yet? If you have can you give an update as to how it is coming along.

Great job. 
Y2alizadB


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

y2alizad - Yes its in the tank. The whole thing took about two weeks to complete. Thats working on it every night when i got off work. The waiting to dry is what took most of my time. So far the tank is doing great. Nothing is coming apart and no fish are dead. Well except some neons and ghost shrimp but they are food. Good luck with your build.


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## y2alizad (Feb 4, 2012)

I have a 46in bow front. Would you all record me putting the 3d in that tank or wait to put it in a 72 bow front. Not sure if the first tank would be to small.


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## lelandgray (Jan 19, 2011)

Looks good! very similar to mine.

I ended up taking mine out because my Pleco starting eating off the layers of concrete.. that, and I just got tired of it..


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

I dont even want to think of the work involved in getting my background out of the tank. One day im sure i will get bored of it though.


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## y2alizad (Feb 4, 2012)

Wow, I am sorry to hear that you had to throw it away. All that hard work. Was it the material that was the problem that you used? Or is this an issue that normally occurs? I want to avoid this happening to my tank when I attempt to build my wall.

Tx


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## Smileyjoe (Dec 16, 2011)

Looks awesome!!!! You give some good ideas for when I do mine


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Figured I would post some pics of the tank. I completely got rid of the cloudiness in the water. I added a second hob filter. Its hard to get a good pic of my angels.


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## theboothsociety (Jan 3, 2012)

Your pics are gone. What are you using to host them?


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## TCP (Jan 16, 2012)

nice! good Job :thumb:

PS - that is a huge pleco, since you have white sand, his waste is gonna show :wink:


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

That looks very sweet! Are you gonna keep angels in there or add some mbuna african cichlids? They would LOVE that!


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## pikayooperdave (Jul 10, 2009)

Very nice background. It NEEDS mbuna!


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

Im in the market for another tank so i can get a different setup going. Maybe mbuna

TCP - I have had my pleco ( Mr T ) since he was only an inch long. I also have about six corys that work the sand and it stays suprisingly clean. I never vacuum and never do water changes. I have to replant everyday cause he is constantly knocking my plants around with his tail.


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## JMUFTW (Aug 26, 2011)

Nicely done - I have an large Hifin Pleco, Ollie, and I am always worried that he is going to knock over the rocks I have in my tank now... maybe doing a 3d background instead is the answer!


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## chadott (Mar 4, 2012)

I must have missed the beginning of this or something...
Did you give instructions for HOW you built the background?
It looks like you used styrofoam insulation?? How did you cut the pieces (I mean how did you get the curved edges?)
I'm assuming you then siliconed all the small pieces together. And then you painted it with Drylok? Or was there anything else you did to it?

Sorry for all the questions. This looks like a cool idea, and looks like a much better way to build one than a lot of ideas I've seen.

Looks great, btw!!


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## chadleegaston (Jan 18, 2012)

chadott- I used the insulation foam board from lowes. Then i hacked away at it with a razor knife and burnt the edges with a lighter to smooth them out. Then silicone them together and drylok. It went quicker than i expected and it was definitely worth the time. Everyone loves the new look


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## chadott (Mar 4, 2012)

I wondered if you heated the edges to get that smooth rock look! 
I agree, it does look pretty cool! I'll definitely add it to my "need to try" list! (which keeps getting longer and longer!!)


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## deaver (Apr 23, 2011)

Great job, thanks for taking the time to share/


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## Red Triangle (Mar 1, 2012)

That's an awesome set up! Great work!

Another 3D background idea I can across was pretty cool, and the easiest I've seen. It was a lava rock back ground, with the pieces just individually silicone on.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=4676[/img]


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