# Real rock background Idea, using egg crate



## Bearfan (Dec 17, 2007)

I haven't tried this yet, so tell me if you think this would work. Using real rock, flagstone type, for the background. No need to tear down the tank to do it, because you could fix the rock to a piece of eggcrate.

Here's the idea. Get a couple of pieces of egg crate, cut it into three pieces so all three would almost completely fit the back of your tank. (125) Buy a bunch of suction cups. Use aquarium safe silicone to put a bunch of suction cups on one side of the egg crate, the side to fix to the glass. On the other side of the egg crate you will be fixing the large flat stones. Carefully select your stones and lay them out on the egg crate the way you'd like to have them as the background. Then, flip each stone over and using sillicone, fix numerous plastic zip ties in various spots on the rock. Once it dries all the way, zip tie the rocks to the egg crate. Then place each finished piece into the tank, one at a time, and gently push the suction cups against the glass. I should add, cutt away anyextra egg crate showing towards the top where rock isn't covering so you don't see it. Use an all black background behind it, and presto, 3-d, real rock background, suction cupped to the glass, and you didn't even have to drain the tank.

No I haven't tried it yet myself. I went to the landscape supply place, and all the materials I wanted, rocks, are covered in snow still, so I have to wait. Do you think this will work? Will aquarium silicone fix a plastic zip ties to rock?? Chime in with thoughts, so maybe I can avoid a big mistake before I try this.


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

I think the first problem you'd have with that is actually keeping the suction cups attached to the egg crate using silicone. Other than that it sounds like it would work, I think...


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## Bearfan (Dec 17, 2007)

Most suction cups have that bulb like end on them. I was thinking putting that right into one of the squares and silconing the s*&^% out if it.


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

Another problem you may have with suction cups is that they often don't stick to the glass after being in the tank for a while. They tend to lose suction.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I think you'll have problems keeping the rock mounted to egg crate with zip ties and I agree about suction cups not sticking after awhile.

I used egg crate to make a background with rock by laying eggcrate on a trash bag on flat surface, applying coat of mortar mix and imbed my rocks into mortar. Once mortar cured, soaked it until pH dropped then installed in tank.

Of course I did this before adding water but you can always lower water level enough to silicone at the top of BG.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

I think you should just make a "mold" the size of the inside of the tank, a quarter inch less wide and only to the water surface rather than the bottom of the top frame. Cover it with plastic kitchen wrap. Set half of a glass cleaning magnet that has worn out its cleaning pad on the wrap, magnet side down, near what will become the top of the background. Spray waterfall foam into the mold. Set rocks into it, adding more foam and more rocks to create depth, ledges, even caves. Let it dry about twice as long as the can of foam says since you will likely have some thick spots. Trim off any excess plastic wrap but don't worry about peeling it off the foam. Rinse, and soak in a Rubbermaid until it sinks. If you used more rock than foam, it will sink immediately. Set the background in the tank and from the outside match up the other half of the cleaning magnet. No pH problems, and no suction cups.

If your tank has a center brace, do this in two steps, first do the left half of the background. Let dry. Then plastic wrap the right side and up over the right edge of the completed left background. Use rocks to make the "seam" inconspicuous. When you install it, you put the left side in first, then the right side. You will need two pairs of cleaning magnets, one pair for each half.


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## beaker99 (Apr 15, 2007)

*** done something similar. However, I used electrical ties and great stuff foam to fix my rocks to the egg crate.


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## lotec25 (Dec 12, 2007)

why not zip tie the suction cups to the eggcrate? that is what i did to keep my plants in place. got the suction cups at Walmart they had a piece of metal to hold them to what ever. remove the metal leaves a nice place to run a zip tie around.

I think the idea would work great. Keep us updated i want pics. trying to decide on what to do for a background myself.


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## beaker99 (Apr 15, 2007)

another idea would be to hot glue the suction cups to the egg crate.


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

As others have stated, suction cups lose suction after a while. I think you would be making a big mistake by using suction cups. All the ones I have ever used suck!


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## trippingpara (Apr 4, 2008)

You can use magnetic cups in lieu of the suction cups. I've never had any luck with regular suction cups. I started using the magnetic kind. They clip (or in your case silicone) to whatever you want. So far they have been clinging like glue. They will work even through a mylar background, a painted background or regular glass or acrylic up to 1/2" thick.


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## familyman03 (Jun 21, 2010)

just install wir hooks on the eggcrate and hang it on the tank back to prevent from falling forward


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

familyman03 said:


> just install wir hooks on the eggcrate and hang it on the tank back to prevent from falling forward


I would think that the weight of the rocks would keep it down. I've seen something, in the past, where someone used plastic Gutter holders, for your house, to hook to the back of a tank.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

748johnd said:


> As others have stated, suction cups lose suction after a while. I think you would be making a big mistake by using suction cups. All the ones I have ever used suck!


They suck at first, but not long enough!


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

*They suck at first, but not long enough!*

I think they always suck.


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## mok3t (Nov 28, 2008)

I've never had an issue with suction cups. Except for misplacing them during tank moves, thats irritating.


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