# First 3D Background..... for a 6ft....



## Lewis5066 (Apr 29, 2012)

*Materials*
Clear Silicone,
2" insulating foam,
Concrete,
Concrete colouring, black, 
Clear pond sealer

*Tools*
Knives,
Saw,
Chisels, 
Tape measure,
Mastic gun,
Paint brushes,
Spray bottles,
Small Trowel,
Bucket,
Set square, 
sand paper, 
Marker pen.

Just got a new 72" x 30" x 24" fish tank from ND Aquatics ltd 

















After looking online for some 3d backgrounds and discovering the price of them, i decided to have a go at making my own, I knew it was going to be a challenge because I'm not artistic in the slightest but i am a bit of a perfectionist, And i was hoping that bit of extra effort I'd have to put in would pay off. So off to the shops i went and got the materials i thought I'd need, after looking around i couldn't find that pink styrofoam stuff that I've seen in so many threads, i decided to get an 84 x 48 x 2 sheet of standard insulating foam. The next step was to take off all foil that had been glued on, after a lot of time (about 8 hours!) and patience i finally managed to get it all off.










Next i measured up the inside of the tank and cut the foam to fit, also i marked out where the intakes for my filters were going to go and cut it into sections so i could fit it in the tank. Then i started carving out rock shapes, sanding the pieces down and adding extra details with a 1/4" chisel. Also i cut into the foam to give it a bit more depth.








Just starting..








First piece complete!









All pieces complete!

After waiting 2 days for the silicone to dry, I made a very watery cement mix and applied with a spray bottle.










24 hours later i gave it a second coat, a bit thicker.










Next day another coat and filled in the gaps where the pieces had been stuck together, and i left it next to a heater to get a few cracks in, once i got the effect i was after i took it away from the heat and spray some water on it to prevent any further cracking.










A couple days later i made up another cement mix and added a lot of black colouring and gave it another coat. (for some reason looks brown in this photo but it was jet black as you can see in the bucket :s )










couple more days later i gave it 1 last coat, a dark grey colour and waited for it to dry.

Next I got a bit of sand paper and started sanding away bits so the other colours would start coming though and when i was happy with it i gave it a coat of pond sealant, only because i have a water meter and it would of been Too expensive to keep flushing it though.










3 days later it got fitted into the tank and left for another 3 for the sealant and silicone to fully cure.










Finally i added my air stones, heaters, filters and water. After having it all running for a day i tested the water with a couple different test kits, found all to be good so i added all the decorations and although the water was cloudy i had to add the fish (mainly because my wife was getting a bit inpatient...) After a few days the water cleared and i got some lights fitted, All that's left to do now is add a bit more rock and it's finished.



















*Tank setup*
Fluval fx5,
All ponds solutions 2000EF+,
Jaeger 300w heater x2,
Air pumps
60" white T8 58w,
60" Blue T8 58w,
24" White and blue led strip light.

Now the water has cleared up a lot more i'll add some more pictures when i can. Thanks for looking! anything you want to know just ask


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

Looks good! I'd add a few vertical plants to really make it pop. Nice baby toys by the way.


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## Doyoulikefishsticks (Jan 10, 2013)

Really great job on the background! I think it was a fine first attempt and makes the tank look so great. I'd love to do one of those myself and really do my aquascaping well.

I know nothing about these 3D setups. My question for all of you who do this type of setup with the 3D background, are you hiding things like powerheads? Where does your water movement come from? Is there any water current going? I ask because I see nothing in the tank but a heater! So, great job hiding stuff if you did.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Very nice job on your first DIY background!! It came out really well, I especially like the darker color.

It takes a fair amount of planning when you DIY a background. You need to decide whether the background will be attached directly to the rear tank wall or if you plan on leaving a gap to hide filter intakes, heaters or powerheads. Appropriate cut outs may need to be made for any equipment hidden behind or embedded in the background. You also need to take into consideration the need to remove any equipment from behind or in the background, especially if you change models/brands of equipment because they may no longer fit as well as the original equipment did.

Lots of planning is the key to a successful project!


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Great background, especially for 1st! My only critique is that I feel like the tank is more cohesive if the rocks look like the background. The white rocks detract, IMO.


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## badspellar (Oct 14, 2009)

Great job. I enjoyed the step by step details too.


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

Nice job, thanks for sharing!


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## FanOfSkynyrd (Nov 25, 2012)

Doyoulikefishsticks said:


> Really great job on the background! I think it was a fine first attempt and makes the tank look so great. I'd love to do one of those myself and really do my aquascaping well.
> 
> I know nothing about these 3D setups. My question for all of you who do this type of setup with the 3D background, are you hiding things like powerheads? Where does your water movement come from? Is there any water current going? I ask because I see nothing in the tank but a heater! So, great job hiding stuff if you did.


I hid all my equipment behind mine, just leave about a 2" gap between background and back wall of tank. You need to drill some holes in background so water can get back there.

Great job on ur tank OP!


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