# questions comments help appreciated



## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

heres some pics so we can have a before / after and some pics to kinda show you our process, questions/ comments appreciated









before









in red is raised,, what is in black will be recessed for depth










and here we start building to sculpt




























heres a question??? is any, and what type of spraypaint going to be safe with the use of quickrete


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## Rockydog (Oct 21, 2007)

You don't want to use spray paint to color the concrete. What you do want is concrete dyes or pigments. You only want to color the very last coat concrete. So when you get to this point mix up small amounts of concrete in different containers and dye these with the different colors you want and apply with a paint brush. You can get some dyes where you buy your concrete or you can get a great selection of pigments from http://www.earthpigments.com/. These are especially good because they are non toxic.


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## mikesl (Nov 12, 2003)

One suggestion I would make to anyone doing a 3d background... think"how did this rock get here, and is this something that would happen in nature?"
it's all too easy to end up creating something that looks like a stone wall made by a person.

One way to avoid this is by making very large rocks, and even letting the full chape of the rock extend beyond the tank...just show a segment of it.

Another thing I found, is that if you sprinkle your finished wet concrete with a heavy coat of dry sand, you can use that to help smooth out the texture and make it look more realistic. you can rub it in dry and use the dryness to help smooth it out (prevents sticking of the concrete to your hand or glove) and after 24 hours curing, you can rub off the sand, and even take some excess foam and rub the surface to remove any excess sand that you don't want to have stuck on your background.

Also, using draker paint to create the illusion of depth around edges and in gaps between rocks is pretty efective.


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

thanks.. yea this is just the beginning.. i am having a local artist/friend help me. hes gotta lotta awesome ideas , even including a cave inside the rock with a type of skylight cut out.. ill keep adding to show the progress... yea the rock wall is what i am planning on staying away from :thumb:


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## rchickering (Jun 10, 2008)

Looks good so far! Is the top of your tank open or is there a brace? Can't quite tell what dimensions your background has but looks pretty big. Am sure you already have taken this into consideration!

As an alternative to concrete you could try Sikatop 107. Easier to apply and doesn't require the curing that concrete does. It also allows you to retain a lot more of the detail on the background.

Not sure if you've looked at the different background posts, but here is mine using sikatop:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... c&&start=0

Here is a link to see if Sikatop is sold by anyone near you:

http://www.sikaconstruction.com/con/con-dis.htm

Good luck and keep posting some pics!


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

wow thanks rchickering.. yea i got a brace, i believe im going to put it in 3 pieces.. thanks for the links .. that is why i love this forum.. always some great people with great information now i am leaning away from quikrete


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

heres some more photo updates.. we are now quickreting










here is my cave / skylight




























and filter intakes


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

you can use krylon fusion paint if you want to paint it it looks really cool when you start mixing the browns and blacks together with a hint of red :thumb:


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

sup I3lazd.. yea im actually on my reds right now (pygment for sakrete) i am using base sakrete color with buff (red) and charcoal (my darks) ill upload more pics soon ... actually looking like rocks and turning out nicely


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## padlock 08 (Jul 31, 2008)

update?? opcorn: :fish:


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Looks like a great start. Are you going to carve away more styro? Seems like you are losing alot of tank space. :thumb:


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

padlock 08 said:


> update?? opcorn: :fish:


+1
Well???
Hows it going???


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

i have now layered some quikrete plain, and quikrete with buff coloring.. i decided i need more stones, so i am carving more loose rocks and shaving away more of the stones.. i am losing alot of tank space with this one, so it will probably be plants and sand only aside from the background, btw I got a 150 tall this weekend.!!!!! only 150 bucks!!!!!!!!! love you craigslist.. i will update pics by this weekend. recently purchased an insurance agency and i am wrapped up in it. new pics probably wednesday :thumb:


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## rchickering (Jun 10, 2008)

Update???!


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

wow sorry for the lack of updates i have finished all my work and have them on the digicam.. its just been raining here for days.. resealed a 55 im putting it into.. as soon as the rain stops here ill get some more pics and post them.. thanks for staying on my heels.. i appreciate the motivation


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