# My first 3D background



## Dno

Hi everyone i am about to start my first DIY 3D background. I am gonna do a full walk through with it as i go along n keep u all updated on its progress. i hope to get it all right the first time. i live in Brisbane Australia so the products and brand names you guys use in the US don't exist over here but I'll still use he same basic formula for the back ground. I am gonna try n make it like a lagoon cove or some thing like that with a small beach/island area for my turtle to bask on at each end or maybe one end i am not sure yet I'll see how creative i get with it. there will be plenty of caves n hiding spots. will have a full UGJ system with the inlets in the middle half way up the background.

it will be removable because iam planing on upgrading the tank further down the track to a slightly bigger tank 6 x 2 x 2 for a 6x 1.5 x 1.5 so i will be making an extension part for the base of the background so when it comes time to transfer it over it wont be short.

other than that heres some pics of it before n the fist drawing on the foam of it.

















Any help would be great from anyone especially if your in Australia and have done a background b4.

Cheers Dno.


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## aussieafricans

im from aus but i've never done a 3D background.
i'm tossed up about which concrete to use.  dont know which are save im so glad u posted it i was just about to find all the aussies on the forum as possible to see if they've done one, and therefore get advice.

sorry i cant be of any help. best of luck :thumb:

BEN


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## Dno

Ok only spent less than an hour on it this arvo and iam starting to like wat i see. Iam not sticking to the drawing with shapes n lines, but i am already getting the hang of building the depth n how to make some caves. All i think about at work is how to do some of it, ideas for attaching to the tank, colours textures etc... well any way heres some pics so far any comments or tips would be great.


















Cheers Dno.


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## jimmymac

I'll be watching(from U.S.A.), as Im intersted in doing one myself.
Only advise, keep it as simple as possible.
Thanks for starting this thread. Good luck!


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## damo83

Hey mate I'm in Brisbane too and have contemplated making a 3d background many times but due to not knowing what products would be safe and not being able to keep any new tank empty long enough to make it  i've never got round to it.

Looking good so far and i'll definitely be watching this thread!!


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## Dno

thanks for the support, i am gonna try n work on it everyday but i need some funds to build up again b4 i can go full ball at this so hopefully next week or two. Iam planing to keep it fairly simple with 2 inlets mid tank in the middle facing either end, n a simple UGJ system. Planing on going with a dark grey to black n browninsh colour rocks to bring out the colour of the fish. a few short n long grasses planted here n there. n white play sand i cant wait to get this done. anyway i'll keep u all posted.

Cheers Dno.


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## mikesl

Looks like you are off to a good start.

For me, the biggest issue is making the rock arrangement look believeable and natural.

Try to avoid building a masonry stone wall.

One way to do that is to make individual stones larger, and add a lot of depth and fake depth with color later on. Also remember you don;t have to have a rock end at the top of the glas.. you can just show the bottom half of a rock and leave the rest of the rock to our imagination (above the waterline) which is what you would see in an underwater view.


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## Dno

Ok i got a fair bit done 2day considering i have no silicon to join them so everything is sticky taped. i divided it up in to 5 modules so i can get it in the tank. n i deepened n refined the center module n started on the big rock n the rocks around that, i am really getting the hang of it n just going with the flow n what looks good. the more large rocks i put in place of smaller rocks the bigger the background looks. there is going to be plenty of hiding spots in this background in fact the big rock on the left is hollow so i am gonna make a cave entrance to it down a crack or gap down the side of it.

Apart from that i ve found the 3 fresh water muscles i put in the tank the other day fun to watch n find out where they have moved during the nite.

Oh n theres some progress pics


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## aussieafricans

i found this a while ago only just found the link again tonght it doesnt involve cement but still looks good and its from AUS :thumb:

good luck


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## Dno

thanks aussieafricans. it has got cement as of yet iam still in mock up stages n still haveent bought any silicon to glue it all down. iam just about done with it just need to save a bit so i can buy a bunch of silicon n cement and i'll be on my way.

Heres a few progress pics i got a fair bit done yesterday after work. theres gonna be alot of caves n hiding spots on this. oh n dont worry about the thickness of the back wall iam gonna add about 1 1/2" to 2" on the back.


























Cheers Dno.


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## aussieafricans

what cement are you using? turns out i forgot to paste the link Soz 

here it is http://www.sydneycichlid.com/fishtank-background.htm
:thumb:


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## Dno

Update time ok heres wat *** done since my last post scraped the island/ramp for my turtle hes gonna get his own tank once this one is done. *** now siliconed all the parts together but still need to buy some more foam to thicken it up at the back to about 1" to 2". i made my UGJ system as you can see in the pics. i tested it in the bath seemed to work fine. i also bought some Render cement and i'll test it on some small fake rocks i have planned. and i also got some Hydrocrete cement fortifier and waterproofing additive.

Oh and my blue LED moon light arrived today i'll take some pics of it 2nite n post it 2morrow.

Anyway heres the pics.









the small section in the middle is my intake.









the big sloping rock in the corner is my fav it has a huge cave behind it.









this far end still needs a bit of work on it.

Cheers Dno.


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## iceblue

I've noticed a trend lately where more and more of these backgrounds are pushing the envelope away from the back wall and more into the tank. I really like the direction your going with this. Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to seeing this one being completed.


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## Dno

*** put my DIY background on hold for the mean time while i wait for my tax return to come back n when it does, a nice brand new 96" x 24" x 24" tank n stand, lights n hood will be on there way. so now when i get that i'll stain the stand n hood fabricate anything i need done on the stand n build my DIY background in the tank then when its ready do a swap ova. i cant wait.

heres a pic of the tank with the moon light on i love it, although the camera never really brings out the true colour n detail.










Cheers Dno.


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## aussieafricans

sounds good how i envy you :drooling: 
if only i could get a tank like that well i only need to add another 2 foot to my 6x2x2.

good luck with the newb :thumb:

BEN


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## Dno

Ok so heres the latest news. The other weekend Me n the misses went n put a deposit on a 
8' x 2' x 2' tank with a colonial stand with turned corners, n colonial hood to match. so this now means the 3D DIY backround iam making will be 2 feet short n 1/2 foot lower. so now i have to make more on it, iam planing on taking the last foot up with a mangrove root system coming in throught the top corner (see pic). i am planing on flame srinking the roots then fibreglassing the whole lot so they will be strong, because i want this end of the tank to be a refuge for the bigger fish of the tank to hide n rest from my turtle fred. Now i also have to redo my UGJ system. i have another canister filter on its way now. but other than that nothing else to report.










OH except my male krib died sometime last nite cause this morning fred was having a good old feed on his body. and my female rusty is holding n almost ready to release the fry.


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## R-DUB

The mangrove idea looks awesome. Great idea! I dont know if they have it in Australia but I found that Gorilla Glue bonds styro together real well. It just takes a few minutes to set up.(thats my only helpful idea) The DIY BG looks fantastic also. Sorry about your krib and congratulations on the new babies. Good Luck!


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## Dno

Well i woke up this morning to find my biggest electric yellow female to be holding. so my plan is now with this tank is to keep it n divide it into 3 2 foot tanks as a grow out tanks n to keep my convicts so they can breed n i can get some live babies for food.

Cheers Dno.


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## FLGirl1977

Looks great! I took the easy way out and got the Pangea Rocky IV for my tank, but this looks awesome and I'm sure costs much less $$$! 8) Here's a link to backgrounds and maybe some inspiration? Good luck and I can't wait to see once it's finished!

http://www.aquarium-background.com/catalogue.asp


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## Dno

OK *** finished the roots, tomorrow i'll start fibreglassing them.

















I got a call 2day aswell from the guys who are building my tank, stand n hood, n they told me the tank is done the stand will take another week which i dont care really how long it take *** still gotta pick a stain iam gonna go with. and i still have to cement the background etc... the list doesnt end.

a Quick Question about fibre glassing n any one who has to their backgrounds is there anything i should becareful with. now iam not a novice when it comes to fibreglassing *** done alot of it on cars and car/interiors but nothing where it will be submerged n with live fish etc.. but *** seen a few who have fibreglassed their background n dont seem to have any probs with them it seems to be pretty safe.

anyway Cheers Dno.


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## Evo

just with all fibreglassing take it slow and make sure you use a nice resin.. I do surfboards all the time and im from Aus. When i was doing some small spots i made sure to use small amounts on things that are delicate like the roots in your system.


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## Dno

Fiberglass plus styro equals dissolved stryo thats wat i found out about 10 min ago, lucky for me it was on a test piece so not to worry. but i did mix up a small amount of render cement, 3 TBSP of render mix 1 1/2 TBSP of water n a bit of bonding agent hydro crete. now waiting to see wat happens with that now.

Does any one now wat i can use besides fibreglass or cement for the roots.?


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## trigger

Dno said:


> Does any one now wat i can use besides fibreglass or cement for the roots.?


I allways used two component epoxy resin on all my styrofoam backgrounds, without any melting. Here's one of them: Corner tank 425 - 3D background. I "paint" the resin on to the styrofoam and then rubb dry concrete powder in the still wet resin. You could rub pigment in it to get the desired colors for the roots.


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## R-DUB

My BG is coated in DryLok latex waterprofer. I dont know if you have it in Aus. It is a latex based "paint" used to seal out water in basement walls, birdbaths and fish ponds. You can see my BG on another thread.( My way to hide overflow towers) in the DIY section. I am kinda the guniea pig on this one because I have not heard of many others using it. My test pieces worked just fine though. Even after months submerged in the water. Good Luck


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## Dno

Thanks for the replies peoples. *** let the first coat of render i did on the test pieces dry n it seems to be working so iam gonna do a few more coats n see how it feels n looks.

Oh n now my Kingsizei blue female is now holding aswell so now thats her my rusty and electric yellow all holding now. i wish they waited till i had the new tank all done so i can turn this tank into a breeder/grow out tank.

Bloody fish always so impatient.

Cheers Dno.


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## Dno

Ok so the test pieces are now the real thing, i ve been buliding up layer after layer now on a main rock n part of the background, and so far it looks bloody awesome. and have begun the long task of the mangrove roots, i have a few ideas how to do them.

1. get the foam roots as thin as possible and build up thin layer upon thin layer till there the right thickness n strength.

2. cover half of the root with 2 layers, turn over n remove the foam n wire n fill in with concrete n a length of stainless wire.

3.Now this idea just came to me this arvo, get some of those novelty balloons that they make balloon animals out of n fill with concrete n a piece of stainless wire to the curve n shape i want. then wait till it drys, remove balloon n add more layers to the required thickness.

tell us what u think might work, or any other ideas would be great.

Heres some progress pics of the rocks.









This is how they will be placed in the tank. witha UGJ between the flowing onto the big sloping rock.


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## Cliff.Claven

Hey guys.

First off this is turning out very nicely. It is an inspiration for myself. I've been playing around with the styrofoam/cement combo and should have some nice results pretty soon, so this is exciting to watch unfold.

I just want to add something about using fiberglass and resins. "Fiberglass" as it's being used so frequently, is what people are considering to be a resin. Fiberglass is just glass fibers that are made into some sort of fabric. That fabric and be woven or not woven. The fibers are dry and require resin to harden. What you get at Home Depot labeled "Fiberglass Resin" is Polyester Resin. Fiberglass is required to give the resin its strength.

Here's a tip about Polyester Resin. It has a solvent in it which is evaporated. The evaporation is done using a chemical reaction with a catalyst called MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide). MEKP is not the same thing as MEK which is a nasty solvent. All this (MEKP) does is cause the solvent which is Styrene (one of the ingredients in StyroFoam, which is Polystyrene with air puffed into it) to evaporate faster than it would if left alone. Styrene will dissolve Polystyrene.

So maybe you're wondering where you can go safely? It's called Epoxy. Epoxy is a two part resin sold has resin and hardener. It also goes through a chemical reaction but this is called cross linking. It is not part of a catalytic reaction. Basically the two parts of mixture combine and harden and are both part of the final product. MEKP used to kick off Polyester resin is not in the final product.

Epoxy takes a lot less time to gas off, has less shrinkage than polyester and is not a hazardous material at any stage of it's like. Polyester is hazardous until it is fully cured.

I hope that this helps anyone out as far as resins go. I do this kind of chemical stuff for fun, but also as a profession. I went to school for years to learn what I know about plastics. If anyone has any questions I'm always willing to help you chose a material that is safe for your fish and will work for your application.

Keep up the good work on that project. :thumb:


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## Zack2112

im loving your build so far, i like that you built all the rocks seperate and siliconed them on instead of carving one peice, it seems easier to me and i think it also looks more natural. Oh and i love sloping rock in the corner. even tho im very happy with the tank i just set up, im very tempted to pull it all out and do a background lol. This is definatley a thread i will be watching. great work! :thumb:


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## balachel

this looks like it will be really cool when its done i cant wait to see it


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## Dno

ok so iam happy with my first test rock n have begun the rest of the background. even with all that concrete on this rock it still floats, so i poured a bit of acetone in it, which *** been using to clean up the piles of foam i have everywhere. now i have a perfect shell of the rock. so now iam gonna buy some quick set concrete n fill it up.

With my background being very deep(3D) to ensure it doesn't float up when its finished n filled with water, iam am making the lower more protruding rock ticker n heaver than the top of the background to help it stay down even with heaps of silicon.

Heres some pics of my rock shell.


















Cheers Dno.


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## Dno

ok so iam happy with my first test rock n have begun the rest of the background. even with all that concrete on this rock it still floats, so i poured a bit of acetone in it, which *** been using to clean up the piles of foam i have everywhere. now i have a perfect shell of the rock. so now iam gonna buy some quick set concrete n fill it up.

With my background being very deep(3D) to ensure it doesn't float up when its finished n filled with water, iam am making the lower more protruding rock ticker n heaver than the top of the background to help it stay down even with heaps of silicon.

Heres some pics of my rock shell.


















Cheers Dno.


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## SLIGHTLY STOOPID

Excellent!

Only fill it if you think you need to. When it's hollow it makes a nice built in cave.


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## Dno

Ok on Sunday i took delivery of my brand new 8'x 2' x 2' with stand n hood included. and i couldn't be happier. heres some pics of the tank and stand.

Oh and i couldnt resist putting the Background in hehe.


























Cheers Dno.


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## SLIGHTLY STOOPID

It will look really good with all the styro. coated and that mangrove root looks great. :thumb:


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## Dno

Ok quick update.

*** done alot of work and trying to do a section of the background a day, so far its looking good. i bought some colours aswell n have tryed it out on some bits, looks good.









This piece is almost complete, needs work on top and some more colour etc..









None of these rocks are glued down yet i still have to make up a Inlet cover for filter 2 to suck from.









same with these rocks arent glued down and need a few more coats n some colour.









*** done a fair bit on the mangrove roots, wat iam doing with them now is i make a really runny mix n only cover half of the root let it dry n, then carefully with little drops of acetone dissolve the foam away n remove the fencing wire n lay in some stainless n fill back up with concrete.









this is just a side shot of the sloping rock and one of its caves.

and thats about it so far.

Cheers Dno.


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## balachel

wow looks really good can't wait to see it done with fish and water


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## Dno

Ok the cabinet is now stained in Australian Jarah and looks awesome. *** added some soft close pins for the hood lid n some locking latches on the doors.

Done a bit more on the background but not too much been pretty busy, i am gonna scrap the mangrove idea n use some african drift wood insted in that corner but the stuff that looks all wild and like roots.

Oh i got a new fish this weekend my first Cyphotilapia Frontosa, and i love it gonna get another one this friday, and fingers crossed some of that drift wood iam after.

Oh yer here some pics of the tank n my front.

































Cheers Dno.


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## aussieafricans

hows it goin Dno it was looking like it was going well is it completed :thumb: 
can t wait to see how it turns out
BEN


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## Dno

Hey Ben.

not much more has changed *** been really busy at work and around home to work on it, and at the momment our turtle fred is sick so were tring to do every thing to make him better. ok lets see wat *** done from the last post. *** got my UGJ all done and have done a bit more concreting n done the top half of the right side. iam in no rush to finish this because i cant move it into the house untill we get floor boards layed and we are currently saving to get a few other more important things done b4 the floor boards.

heres some pics


























these are some of the tree branches iam putting in at the left end of the tank besides doing the mangrove root system.

Cheers Dno.


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## aussieafricans

kewl :thumb: what kind of branches are those i would love to put some in my tank, the project is going well, i understand with all the house stuff, we're in the middle of packing atm because we are moving to tasmania in november :wink:

BEN


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## Dno

the branches are from dead gum trees. i soak them in the bath for about 2 to 3 weeks with water changes every few days. i leave them in till the bark becomes really soft n can be peeled off. you have to make sure u peel every last bit off because its the bark that changes the water colour. then when thats done i soak them for a week then into the tank.


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## Dno

Ok been a while since *** updated.
*** been busy with work my car the house etc... but now i just want to finish it. i made a really long rock that is to go in the top left corner its looking good at the moment still have a few finishing touches to go on it. as for the tree branches i now have them all apart from one that wont fit in the 6 footer so they stay waterlogged n hopefully grow some algae. 
I need to save up some cash so i can go buy some more render n hydrocrete n silicon. Oh and i canned my UGJ system because its was getting really annoying to install them behind the background n it meant i had to bring the background forward another 2 1/2", and using the inlets n spray bars from the canisters means i can clean them when ever i want to n not have to remove the background.

Oh and now some sad news your turtle Fred died mid last month from a severe bacterial infection in his lungs. so now this 8 footer will be housing 2 baby eastern snake necks when they hatch in feb.
And still with bad news n some good news. my Electric Yellow male that *** had since i started the 6' tank died from something iam not sure, he stopped eating n hid alot then we found him dead under a pot and it looked like he had exploded or something burst out of his stomach.

How ever(this is good news) his girlfriend was in a separate tank because she was holding n after 30 days out came 12 fry. which are now living in a floating nursery in the main tank, and i now have a rusty holding in the fry tank shes about half way now.

But heres some more bad news my male Kingsizei blue is starting to show the same symptoms as the electric yellow male. he hides when i feed them and seems slow. anyone know wat this is.

Ok heres soem update pics of the tank n 3D background.


















This is the big rock i made. Iam proberly gonna make a few more large rocks to finish the background off because its so much easier to do then all the smaller ones.



















Anyway better get back to it.

Cheers Dno.


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## D-007

Sorry to hear about Fred and the Yellow Lab. Do you think the Lab (and consequently the Kingsizei blue) may have had Bloat?


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## joker4466

are you gonna hide the green tube for the filter?


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## Dno

All the work with foam is finished all thats left to do is clean up all the foam in the garage n concrete wat i have left to do then colour.



joker4466 said:


> are you gonna hide the green tube for the filter?


Yep they will disguised into the rock work with silicon n sand, and bark to look like branches.

Cheers Dno.


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## loogielv

so i see that you've gone through many changes and been forced to change your designs a few times. I know it's not finished, but what do wish you would've done differently? What are your recommendations for someone about to tackle something like this?

if you dont mind me asking that is.


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## TrashmanNYC

Dno said:


> Ok quick update.
> 
> I've done alot of work and trying to do a section of the background a day, so far its looking good. i bought some colours aswell n have tryed it out on some bits, looks good.
> 
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> This piece is almost complete, needs work on top and some more colour etc..
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> None of these rocks are glued down yet i still have to make up a Inlet cover for filter 2 to suck from.
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> same with these rocks arent glued down and need a few more coats n some colour.
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> 
> I've done a fair bit on the mangrove roots, wat iam doing with them now is i make a really runny mix n only cover half of the root let it dry n, then carefully with little drops of acetone dissolve the foam away n remove the fencing wire n lay in some stainless n fill back up with concrete.
> 
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> this is just a side shot of the sloping rock and one of its caves.
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> and thats about it so far.
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> Cheers Dno.


what are you using for the color?

Robb


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## Ichigo

Im amazed with your project and looking forward making one. But im really curious because that light you used is so beeeeeeeeeeeeeeAutiful!!!!! :thumb:  :drooling: What king of light did you used??? Is that light similar to a Ultraviolet light???? what will i say to the pet shop owner if i want to buy that kind of light that will make them easily recognize what kind of light im talking about? THANKS!!!!

By the way, That light is sooooooooooooooooooooo beautiful really! nice job excellent!  :drooling: :thumb:


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## Dno

Dno said:


> heres a pic of the tank with the moon light on i love it, although the camera never really brings out the true colour n detail.
> 
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> Cheers Dno.


Is this the light your talking about? its just a 138cm Blue LED moon light, that i got off ebay for 50 bucks. i look it the camera doesnt bring out all the detail you can see in person when its on but my fish love it.
Heres some pics of the light. i also have a few pics with it on.

































Oh and as for the background all the foam work is done, i bought some more render and silicon, and all thats left to do is finish cementing the background.

Cheers Dno.


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## Dno

TrashmanNYC said:


> what are you using for the color?
> 
> Robb


Just some powdered oxide for colouring concrete, i have dark brown, light brown and sandstone, thats all i'll need because i can mix them up to make different variations, if i want it darker i just add a little bit more.

Cheers Dno.


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## TrashmanNYC

would they have that at Home Depot or something?^^^


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## Dno

i am pretty sure they would.


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## Dno

Ok people update time, i am really getting sick n tired of walking inot the grage n looking at this unfinished background n tank, and tired of being asked at work n from friends hows the tank coming along. so i got stuck into it this weekend and have now reached 90% done all parts are now concreted n a few need a bit more, then all will get colour n seal. i have done my first coat of clear gloss over the stand n hood. i need to order another canister fillter so i have the filtration all done. buy the lights n moon light.

I really really hope i can get it finished by next weekend. No pics in this update insted video. enjoy.
http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... =3D067.flv

Cheer Dno.


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## iceblue

Good things are worth waiting for. Glad to see your back in it. :thumb:


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## Dno

thanks just been really busy with alot of stuff at work, home n working on my car, i really hope to finish it by this weekend, not working on it 2day too tired from mowing the lawns this arvo and new Top Gear on 2nite aswell but 2morrow after work iam gonna finish staining the inside of the stand n hood, do a second coat of gloss on the front. and work on some more pieces for as long as i can. i really hope to have all the modules done by friday nite so all thats left to do is colour them, and be done with it, finally clean up the garage for the last time n get some room back in there.

As for my fish selection for this tank it will be housing a Baby Eastern Snake neck Turtle, but b4 that i'll prob put about 50 or so neon tetras in the tank on the second week of cycling and my front n Venustus will remain in the 6 footer till the turtle is big enough to not be food or harassed by them. and i'll prob put fry in the tank as they grow out of the grow out tank. I really would love some blue coloured fish but not electric blues. any ideas? around the 4"-5" mark at full size.

Cheers Dno.


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## Dno

Ok heres an update, i have the whole background in the tank but not siliconed into place because the tank isnt in the house yet. but the stand n hood are now all stained in Australian jarah and 4 coats of clear gloss. my second canister filter arrived so now i have 3000L/hr.
heres the pics i just hate how the flash of the camera ruins the colour of the wood n makes it look orange when it not.
Enjoy



























































































Cheers Dno.


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## D-007

O wow!! Looking good .... scratch that ...... looking *REAL *good :drooling:


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## phill

Looks good, video with the pan of the background shows your hard work paid off. Nice colour on the rocks.

Now finish the sucker and get some water in her


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## Dno

D-007 said:


> O wow!! Looking good .... scratch that ...... looking *REAL *good :drooling:


Thanks just finished another coat on the inside of the hood to really water proof it n so u can see ur face in it when u open it lol. also got all my filter work done. on the right side i have a spray bar high up in the corner spraying down the length of the tank. and on the left i have i have the same but also have the spray bar running vertical down the front corner spraying across the front of the tank.



phill said:


> Now finish the sucker and get some water in her


Unfortunately phill that wont be for a few months or untill we get the placed tiled other wise it will sit in the garage untill then. i really want to get it tiled ASAP but need to save up a bit for that.

Cheers Dno.


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## JBGC

Great tank mate, awesome stuff. Where abouts in OZ or who did you buy the tank / stand from?


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## Dno

JBGC said:


> Great tank mate, awesome stuff. Where abouts in OZ or who did you buy the tank / stand from?


Thanks JBGC, iam in Redbank Plains in QLD near Ipswich. I got my tank n stand from Aquariums R us their a birsbane based aquarium place, they make the tanks n stands to order. Mine was a custom job 8' x 2' x 2' @ 10mm thick with a colonial stand with turned corners. all up for the stand, hood, tank n styro for under the tank $1684 plus delivery. heres their website http://www.aquariumsrus.com.au.

anyway better go mow the lawns b4 we get another storm this arvo.

Cheers Dno.


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## Coln

Excellent background man, just found your posts so many gems hiding in this 
forum well done :thumb: hope you get the floor tiled and get tank in soon


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## scottiefish

Tank setup is looking suuuuuuper! Cant wait for more.


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## Dno

scottiefish said:


> Tank setup is looking suuuuuuper! Cant wait for more.


Thanks i cant wait for more either, just got my first Gold head comp for that tank, cant wait to get it finished n move some fish in.


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## willy11

hey mate very nice background, hows the tank coming along? i wanted to ask you some questions about aquariums are us.. 
iv been looking at there range on the net and they are HEAPS cheaper then any place up here where im from, and was wondering how they ,made it so cheap? anyway i was wondering how you found them to deal with and what standard of workmanship there tanks, stands and hoods were.. 
also what quality the glass was, if it was nice and clear?
:-? any way i think thas all i wanted to know?
cheers willy :thumb:


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## Dno

I found them very easy to work with, the stands n hoods are of good quality very strong n sturdy. the glass is 12mm thick n gets a bit dirty from when they make them but cleans up really clear. there are a few small edge chips but i suppose u get that with 12mm glass when cutting it. other than that u can get them to stain n gloss for u. oh n i added some door latches to keep the doors shut n a folding hutch hinge in the the lid so it wont fall shut. other than that cant complain at all. I think they can make it so cheap is cause they sell direct to the public n not through pet/aquarium shops.

Cheers Dno.


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## willy11

that is good to hear, you have a point there, im not too worried about the stain of the timber though more of structual quality, as im a carpenter i knmow how strong a stand needs to be for 700kg+ of tank, water, ect.. anyway thanks for the help i will have to look at getting a tank from them.. how much cheaper would a 6x2x2 be then your 8?
cheers willy :thumb:


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## Dno

alot cheaper but it all depends on wat u want stand n hood wise i went all out n got the colonial hood n stand with turned corners. i did get any lights of filters just the stand, tank n hood for $1600 delivered, took them around 4 1/2 weeks to make it all.


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## willy11

i hope so, im not going to lash out too much on it.. i do like the colonial stand and hood though, i could probalby do up the solid pine one my self?
thanks for the help :thumb:


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## gimmick_art

Which products did you use? I also live in Australia (cairns) and being new to DIY have no idea what to do :-? I really like how your 'stones' ended up looking, and was wondering if you knew the brands that you bought...?
Pwrease? :lol:


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## Dno

Ok people the day has come n the tank is in the house, the background is siliconed into place n coloured. well i'll let the pics speak for them selfs.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... D085-1.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... D089-1.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... D090-1.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... D091-1.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... D093-1.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... D094-1.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... /3D099.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... /3D100.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn30 ... /3D104.jpg

Cheers Dno.


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## willy11

excelent job, if only i had the time and money and space for a tank of this size.. :thumb:


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## Mr Rift

Outstanding Job you've done there, certainly one of the best looking diy backgrounds i have come across :thumb: 
Any recent photos with the fish in?


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## Sapper

Wow Mate! The work you put into this tank is truely amazing! Looks awesome. :thumb:


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## josht

It looks amazing! Could you post a top-down pic of the back of the tank? I'm curious how the filter intake and output lines are going to be placed and where you will put the heater. Thanks for sharing.


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## Dno

Ok heres the most recent pic. all plants n fish are in n living happily. as for the filter n heater placement i circled n labled them on the pic below but i dont think its clear enough.

Equipment:
2 x 1500Ltr/hr canisters
1 x 300watt heater
1 x small power head

on the left side of the tank in the top corner i have my heater, small power head n inlet to one of my canisters.

in the middle of the tank on the center top brace i have the return from the first canister.

3/4 to to the right of the tank i have a inlet from my second canister n at the very end on the top lip i have the return from the second canister.

i have my water level right to the top aswell

I have them exposed like this cause it makes making the back ground to complicated working in ways to hide n cover the heaters n canisters. it also makes it easy to remove for when i need to move the tank.










Any questions or surgestions are always welcome.

Cheers Dno.


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## ArcticCatRider

Dude, very good job! :thumb:

It's absolutely beautiful!


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## jimmymac

Very well done! Have you thought about layng the heater down so its less visible?
You could set it up on a couple rocks to get it off the substrate and hide it with another 
rock or a plant. Looks awesome!


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