3D background .... my first attempt

[Tiwaz]

I am totally new to the cichlid thing but when I saw these backgrounds being done here I had to try.
rough pattern

cut and laid out on backerboard

after rough shaping

final shaping

First coat of drylok

After second coat stood up and I turned the flash off so that the shadows could show.

I still have to colour it , but its a start.

 

[strokinbyeu]

its looking good! great start

 

[Homer8]

you are awesome. my first attempt probably wouldnt have made it to the tank. what kind of paint did you use? how did you carve it?

 

[Tiwaz]

Thanks, I carved it with the knife in the one pic above and a razor blade. Then quite by acident I discovered that the black spray paint ate into the foam. Then I thought instead of drylok or concrete I would cover ot with Fiberglass resin. However I mixed it a tad hot and it ate the foam some more. But that left it with what I think is a really cool texture. Then I used the drylok afterall. Then just random spray colours 8 in all.

Painted.

 

[andresdeo]

Thanks, I carved it with the knife in the one pic above and a razor blade. Then quite by acident I discovered that the black spray paint ate into the foam. Then I thought instead of drylok or concrete I would cover ot with Fiberglass resin. However I mixed it a tad hot and it ate the foam some more. But that left it with what I think is a really cool texture. Then I used the drylok afterall. Then just random spray colours 8 in all.

Painted.

Not familiar with drylok, what kind of product is it? It seals in all the chemical uses that might go in the tank? Im asking because this looks great would love to do something like that.

 

[Homer8]

drylok is used on like basement walls to keep out moisture. comes in a paint can.

 

[Viper]

If drylok is indeed used on basement walls to keep out moisture, I would be weary about it and make sure that it doesn't contain any mildew or mold inhibitors in it. In a fish tank they could be very bad.

Also, to create a rounded rock look (not sure if your intention was to keep the rocks looking jagged or not), you can use a heat gun to "melt" the edges of the styrofoam rocks. Take a look at my signature as to what I mean as I create a background as well.

P.S., I would also be VERY weary about any paint products being placed into the tank. I saw that you used spray paint and it dissolved the styrofoam. If it is that caustic with the styrofoam, I can only imagine what it could do to a fish's skin or gills.

Since you have already used it, I would look into using an epoxy or resin to "seal" the foam. Basically, this will create a water-proof barrier between the foam/paint/drylock and the water column in the tank.

If you do use an epoxy/resin, you will have to look to see if it is able to be used with any chemicals, substances that you used to coat your foam.

 

[andresdeo]

What product do you use to coat the foam and paint when you are done?

 

[Viper]

What product do you use to coat the foam and paint when you are done?

I actually didn't use anything to coat or paint the foam when done, which is why some of my cement is wearing off in some spots.

All I used was Concrete Resurfacer that I bought from Home Depot. I then bought a concrete coloring liquid from home depot as well. It is added when the cement is being mixed and basically just colors the cement.

I was going to use an epoxy to seal it but the cement that I decided to use had a chemical in it that wasn't compatible with most of the epoxies that I found.

 

[Tiwaz]

There are a lot of people using drylok (it seems) as an alternative to concrete mixes because it does't leech anything into the water.

(not sure about the rules...directing to another forum so I won't do that)

Drylok is latex based and is tintable with concrete dyes. I would have gone this route but I couldn't find the dyes locally.
For that matter the drylock was extremly hard to find.

 

[Homer8]

you can get drylok at any home depot

 

[Tiwaz]

you can get drylok at any home depot

Not in Canada

 

[Tiwaz]

The plan was to have caves behind th eopenings on the right and mesh over the ones on the left.
Here are the "caves" with a coat of drylok

Siliconed in place , I forgot to take a picture but the inside of the cave is painted to match the front of the background.Here you can alos see the fittings for the outflows. Water will flow from the caves into the tank and return to the pump via the openings covered in mesh.

Mesh over the openings

I'll get some pics from the front once this has all cured.

 

[Tiwaz]

test fit into the tank

the filter setup (crappy cell phone pic)

Tank up and running

In the last shot the tank has had water in it for 5 days. I have been using 'Cycle' to help it along before adding fish.
I have to read up on this fishless cycling thing.

 

[huma-huma]

Just tossing ideas around in my head, but if someone went about this method of a dig 3d background, wouldn't it be possible to mix a few different colors of cement in order to make different colored rocks??

 

[Tiwaz]

Using cement is one of the ways to do it, howevevr it will leech out chemicals and mess with your water's ph for a while.

Drylok the coating I used can be tinted with the quickcrete dyes I just couldn't find them locally when I was doing mine.

 

[carey]

The background looks AMAZING! Great job. You made it look easy LOL

 

[Tiwaz]

The background looks AMAZING! Great job. You made it look easy LOL

Thanks, but truth be told it was easy. I find its the same as most DIY you just need the courage to fail. I had a harder time trying to draw out rocks that didn't look like a garden wall than anything else.

I think the worst part of this was that you find different ways of doing things afterward. Which either means ripping this one apart or ...........now where am I going to put that new tank.

 

[carey]

Maybe I can get inspired enough to give it a try. lol I have a 6 foot tank though so It'd be alot of work I bet.

Great thread though, I may refer back...

 

[Mogurako]

Maybe I can get inspired enough to give it a try. lol I have a 6 foot tank though so It'd be alot of work I bet.

Great thread though, I may refer back...

Carey I am going to start my background soon too. I got inspired after reading this thread, I'll be posting my progress and findings as well.