Make your own background from styrofoam.

[Honda12]

Here is a cool article on how to make a background out of styrofoam. Only bad part is it take up room. It looks cool though.
http://www.thecichlidgallery.com/article_styrobackground.htm

[bgkingd340]

wonder what he usedd to carve or does it matter

[MrRngr94]

shouldn't matter.

Here's some more

http://cichlidforum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background.php
http://cichlidforum.com/articles/diy_background.php
http://cichlidforum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background2.php

And for the smaller tanks
http://cichlidforum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background3.php

[Tongue33]

wonder what he usedd to carve or does it matter

He used that Orange razor knife sitting on the styrofoam and then smoothed it out in the end with a hot air gun :)

[CHOMPERS]

wonder what he used to carve or does it matter

I think he kidnapped a red haired, freckled faced kid with buck teeth and god-awfull braces...ummm, anyone seen my little sister?

[arlo]

the finished tank looks SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i want to try to build a styrofoam background but isnt making the rocks look realistic very difficult? very very very cool

[trae]

What about crud getting caught behind that thing. It looks great... but also what is he using to weight that down... seems it would take a considerable amount of weight

[arlo]

yea i noe.... i think it would be cool to start out with but dam cleaning it would be a pain.. that and the fact that it takes up precious room is probably why alot of people don't go for it. it still looks amazng :clap

[soggysandwich]

thats pretty cool, maybe ill try something like that in my next tank