3D background help....

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ExoticEctotherms

ExoticEctotherms

Candiru
MFK Member
Nov 23, 2007
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South Jersey
Just got a brand new 180 gallon and 3D background from Designs by Nature. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out the best way to get the background into the tank without cutting it into a bunch of pieces since the tank has the double brace. My question is....can I remove the top plastic rim/braces and just slide the background in or would it be easier to cut the background into pieces? How hard is it to remove the rim....just take a razor knife to it and it will come off???

And before anyone gets scared, I do plan on siliconing the rim/braces back in place before filling it with water if I go that route.

Thanks guys!!!!
 
I ordered my first DBN panels for 180 acrylic, with barely 23" top access openings. Matt cuts them in lengths to fit through there. then I'll just piece them together inside. that's how I was told it's done with acrylic tanks. their openings are a PITA.
supposedly, the BGs end up looking fine.
I'm still waiting for mine to arrive.
 
lmartelli77 said:
Just got a brand new 180 gallon and 3D background from Designs by Nature. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out the best way to get the background into the tank without cutting it into a bunch of pieces since the tank has the double brace. My question is....can I remove the top plastic rim/braces and just slide the background in or would it be easier to cut the background into pieces? How hard is it to remove the rim....just take a razor knife to it and it will come off???

And before anyone gets scared, I do plan on siliconing the rim/braces back in place before filling it with water if I go that route.

Thanks guys!!!!
Click to expand...

I was going to get a 3D background for my 125g. I scrapped the whole idea as soon as I found out that its pretty much impossible to remove the top brace. They're siliconed on from the top, so there's no way to get in there to cut it. I heard that fish stores can order you new braces for reasonable prices, but I haven't looked into this yet. If this is true you could probably just cut the brace apart in sections with a hack saw or something? Then again, it would be all to easy to damage the glass. Your best bet would be to cut the background into sections imo.

Best of Luck. Keep us updated.
 
What is the best way to cut it? It is between 3"-4" thick and I don't think it would be too easy to do with a razor knife. I was thinking about using a table saw that way I get nice straight lines. Has anyone ever done it that way?
 
Ok, that background is going to be easy enough to install. Easiest way... First, you're going to want a hand saw that's flat all the way through like this:
17-206_4.jpg


Cut it from the back (black part) 80% of the way through to the front of the background (brown part). Once you get there, you're going to snap it off with pressure by hand.
If you cut it 100% with the saw, you'll cut off a small portion of the front of the background and it won't line up as well as it could once you put it in the tank.
Let me see if I can dig up a link going in to more detail.


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aclockworkorange said:
Here it is:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...Installing-3D-Backgrounds-Tips-amp-Techniques


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Click to expand...

Thank you SO much! I had another thought and wantd to run it by you guys to see if I am crazy. Since the tank has 2 braces if I was to make vertical cuts in the background I am pretty sure I would need to cut it into 3 pieces to get it into the tank. HOWEVER, I was thinking that it would be possible to make 1 horizontal cut....giving me 2 halves that are each only 12" Tall x 72" Wide. Then, when reassembling them in the tank I would have gravity assisting me in keeping the two halves together until the silicone sets. Plus, that particular background has a more horizontal pattern than vertical so I think the cut will blend in better. What do you all think?
 
That depends on how good you are with your hands. Short cuts are easier to line up than one long one...it is also easier to hide vertical lines than one long horizontal line.

Easier to glue down as well, remember the whole thing floats, and if you cut horizontally, it is much harder to glue them together in a way that the top portion will stay put...


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