DIY 3D Background - 20G
- Thread starter andres
- Start date
look great man, i am thinking about doing somthin simular in my 33gal, not sure tho. i understand using the cement an all but is there a way of changing the colour lik some barked bits to add to the look, maybe even add some black sand to the cement mix for different colour and also add a nice texture. does this have to be siliconed to the back wall of the tank, seems lik a very perminant fixture then.lol. can u bulid extra bit to make little caves and overhang??? use silicone to stick them in place???
supertank
supertank
Thanks!supertank;2343299; said:
You can color the cement with grout, sand, or cement coloring. Grout or sand will technically make the cement weaker, but you are not using it for anything structural so it should be fine.
It does not have to be siliconed, mine sat pretty nice, but I dont want it to ever shift or fall. Some of the back layers of cement are fairly thin and I do not want it to float. (So its glued down)
You can sculpt whatever your mind can imagine. I didn't want too many caves because if i have a pair of convicts in here I would never see them. There is an endless possibility for caves and such. The small overhang I have over my filter intake has other pieces of Styrofoam siliconed to it. It works great. This was mainly a test run before I do it on my 75G. On the 75 I think I am going to experiment more with caves, color, and shapes.
awsome man, thanks for the advice. im new to the hobby. i have a 33g community but wud lik a bigger tanks and have some chiclids in there so this kinda structure wud be great cos i cud make lots of hiding places and caves etc. and nice an cheap and add to the pride of the tank when you no u made it not jus bought it.ha thanks
supertank;2343331; said:
Yeah no problem. Its VERY easy to make caves, just takes a little practice. I'd love to do this on all my tanks, its just time consuming. It is VERY cheap, maybe under $30 for everything. 3D backgrounds premade run $200ish. Building it yourself adds 100% satisfaction.
That looks awesome. With that sweet rock background, I'd do a rift lake tank. Go with your pool filter sand, then add a ton of shells to the bottom and get a shellie colony going in there. That would be an awesome biotope tank.
Also, I think the idea of throwing an air stone back there in the heater compartment should help keep water moving around the heater and help to avoid hot spots.
Also, I think the idea of throwing an air stone back there in the heater compartment should help keep water moving around the heater and help to avoid hot spots.
andyjs;2345062; said:
Thanks. I LOVE sand and put white pool filter sand in there and I am pleased. Have not thought about the shells, very good possibility. I put 2 airstones behind it where the heater is and on the side, and it seems to be enough to distribute the heat in the tank. It doesn't feel any hotter in the heater pocket than the rest of the tank.
Will update when plants (hornwort sp?), rocks, fish, ect are all in. Filter was running on an established tank while I did this, hopefully no BB died.
