# DIY Lace Rock Background



## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

I have a 75 gallon pre-drilled tank, and have begun making my own lace rock background. I got the idea from this forum: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...7329-ambitious-2-tank-system-fish-bridge.html. I have completed the background, and have submerged them in a plastic container full of water. I will leave it there for a couple of weeks. I wanted everything to be leeched out before putting them in the tank.

Here are some pictures.










































Basically, I stacked the rocks on top of each other using egg crate (also known as ceiling tile) as a frame in the background. I went to Lowe's, and no one knew what egg crate was. I browsed the aisles myself, and came across it in the ceiling tile section.

I then used pond foam to fill in the gaps. Once the pond foam dried, the rocks were stuck together and were not going anywhere. I shaved off all of the excess foam and then painted epoxy over the foam using a brush. I then sprinkled cichlid sand (the same stuff I plan on using as my substrate) over the epoxy.


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Ok, I am not sure how to add images. I thought I could just paste the links?


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## Guams (Aug 21, 2009)

I've fixed the IMG links for you. In Photobucket, if you hover your mouse over the thumbnail of the picture you want to link to you will see 4 options, one of which is "IMG Code" Click on that and it will say "copied" then you paste that into your reply box.














































Is the PVC attached to those return nozzles that are very difficult to spot?


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Ok, thanks for that!


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## roke28 (Oct 26, 2008)

It's looking pretty good. How are you going to attach it to the back of the tank?


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

I wasn't planning to attach it to the back of the tank. I was just going to stand it upright, the way it is in the picture, and just push it to the back of the tank. I guess I could use some aquarium silicone on the back to adhere to the glass? What are your thoughts?

I was also planning to use some silk plants to fill in the void in between the two. Not quite sure yet...


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## roke28 (Oct 26, 2008)

Standing it up would be fine as long as it's very stable. Prop some lace rock against it to keep it from tipping. My only concern would be that it might take away alot of swim room for the fishies. What are the dimensions on the tank?


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

I think there is a lot of room for the fishies. Dimensions of the tank are: 48x18x20. The depth of the rocks are approximately 5 inches, about the same as the depth of the pre-drilled overflow. I also have an undergravel jet set up. Don't know if you noticed, but the PVC line is hidden behind the rocks. It will come directly from the sump and into the jets. I will post pictures once the rocks are in the tank...


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

I also have two nozzles connected to that PVC line for water flow. Don't know if you can make them out, as I glued sand over them to blend them in...


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## roke28 (Oct 26, 2008)

I think it looks really interesting. Can't wait to see it in the tank.


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Yes, I can't wait either! I will keep posting on this thread to keep you guys updated...


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## Norm66 (Mar 3, 2005)

I like it. I'll be interested to see how it looks in the tank w/ water. I bet it's great.


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## roke28 (Oct 26, 2008)

hey, Gungee hows the DIY lookin?


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## lucid_eye (Apr 12, 2009)

I was intrigued by your concept and am now considering doing a similar idea with tufa rock, has anyone seen or tried a back ground like this. I like the backgrounds made by gluing lava rocks to a background but a think tufa or lace would look more natural.


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Hey all, so I added the rocks to the tank and connected it to the undergravel jets. I thought that the weight of the rocks would keep them in place, but I was wrong.

The rocks on the left had no issues, since there is a PVC pipe behind the rocks. It connects the return line from the sump to the undergravel jets. The rocks on the right gave me some problems though. As I was filling the tank, the entire thing tipped forward and began to float, even though I had packed sand around it.

I used some aquarium silicone to stick the top part of the rocks to the glass. I then stuck a piece of PVC pipe between the rocks and the front glass to add pressure to it for the bond. I allowed the silicone to dry before filling up the tank. But I still left the PVC pipe there, just in case. I hope the silicone will work. You can't really see it in the picture.



















The egg crate warped after the foam dried. So when I placed it in the tank, it is not entirely flush against the back of the tank. I am rather disappointed with that, because the fish can wander back there now. Don't know what to about it now, as I have already begun cycling with Dr. Tim's. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I am thinking about getting some fake plants and placing them on top and on the sides of the rocks. I just bought the Marineland double bright LED lights, and the tank looks awesome. I will post some pictures with the lights soon.


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

Really nice looking setup.

:thumb:


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## rodriguez_4 (May 5, 2011)

How do you like that sump?


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

rodriguez_4 said:


> How do you like that sump?


Rodriguez, can't really say. First time using it, and it has only been two days. Initial thoughts: it is quiet. Lots of room. I was able to fit a large heater in it. Not very typical for the common wet drys. I used two small heaters in the past. I like the media drawers.

Wish it had a cover for the pump area. I guess I will have to make one myself from acrylic. I'll save that project for later.


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Here are some pictures with the LED lights on!



















Regarding the back of the tank, here are some pictures. Like I said earlier, the egg crate warped when the pond foam was drying in between the rocks. Either that, or the weight of the rocks twisted the egg crate. As a result, it is not flush up against the back of the tank.










I am so disappointed with that. Here is another shot of the back of the tank.










I am thinking about painting the back and sides of the tank to cover up that unsightlyness (just made that word up) . Still debating it. I have some artificial plants coming in, can't wait to start wrapping some of those around the rock.

Tank is cycling away (fishless of course)...


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Just added some artificial plants around the rocks and covered up some of that unsightlyness .


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## Agridion (Sep 8, 2010)

Gunjee. Your tank setup looks good. Sorry to hear about your undergravel jets not working very well. Throwing a Koralia Magnum in there would solve all of your debris settling on the sand in your tank.


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## dinuma (Jul 21, 2011)

The BG is amazing and very nice to look at. isn't it heavy though?


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

dinuma said:


> The BG is amazing and very nice to look at. isn't it heavy though?


I guess it is heavy, but the tank is still standing . There is roughly 60 to 70 pounds of rock in there. I guess this is typical. I don't really know what the general rule is for how much rock should go in a tank.

I've seen some posts on saltwater forums where people have used close to 100 pounds in live rock.


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

great job,as far as painting the side,you wouldnt have to paint the whole pane of glass,mine is painted just to hide the edge of the background,heres a picture for reference


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Nice paint job newforestrob! What kind of paint should I use? I have read some threads where people have said that it takes a lot of coats to cover up the glass. And can I use painter's tape, or do I have to use some sort of special tape?


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

use Behrs two in one latex(paint and primer),4 inch foam roller,multiple thin coats,let dry between coats(drys really quick)painters tape would be okay,make sure to press painted edge of tape firmly to get a nice straight line,I used this method on all my tanks
by the way you'll only need a small can of paint,it goes a long way


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## dinuma (Jul 21, 2011)

great job :thumb:


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## MPKS92 (Nov 5, 2010)

Looks really good. I like the plants you added gives it some real depth.
Where did you get the pond foam and is it under a diffrent name other then pond foam. Thanks Preston


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## Agridion (Sep 8, 2010)

What did you end up doing with your under gravel jets? Are you going to put a water mover in there instead?


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

MPKS92 said:


> Looks really good. I like the plants you added gives it some real depth.
> Where did you get the pond foam and is it under a diffrent name other then pond foam. Thanks Preston


I used this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Waterfa...ATQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311968041&sr=8-1. It is simply called Pond Foam. I would recommend that you buy a couple of cans. When you shake the can, it seems like a lot. But after you start using it, and air gets into the can, you run out pretty quickly.

I used approximately 6 cans for my setup. I also chose to use a lot to ensure that all of the gaps are filled. Hope this info helps.


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

Agridion said:


> What did you end up doing with your under gravel jets? Are you going to put a water mover in there instead?


Undergravel jets are decoration pieces now . I am rather disappointed, but such is life. I added a Hydor Koralia pump to circulate the water. It is towards the top of the tank and is not that visible, so I am happy with it.

Added fish on Wednesday, 7 trophs and 1 frontosa. They are getting along well and enjoy swimming past the Hydor Koralia pump!


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## Gunjee (Sep 2, 2008)

I used Dr. Tim's stuff to perform a fishless cycle on the tank, as well as ammonia. The tank did not respond the way his instructions suggested. I reached out to him on this forum, and after a while, he just stopped responding. It was a waste of $50 if you ask me.

Apparently, he blamed the substrate for the high levels of nitrite that I was getting. My ammonia was going away within 24 hours, but I had between 2ppm to 5ppm of nitrite, even after a couple of water changes.

My LFS told me that they stopped using Dr. Tim's a long time ago, because they experienced the same high levels of nitrite. They are in the business of setting up tanks for their customers, so I am sure they provided me with expert advice. They told me to do a 50% water change, and everything should be fine.

Sure enough, after the 50% water change, nitrite was at 0ppm.


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