Foam Background?

[RayzrsEdge]

don't use that foam, go to a hardware store get 3 sheets of ploystyrene, aquarium silicone, and tile grout
1. cut the sheets to size (after cutting them to size, silicone 2 together)
2. use a marker to sketch some rock like shape on the single sheet and number them, on the 2 u siliconed mark for ur filter, and it out
3. cut ur "rocks" out
4. now make rough cuts in the rocks (don't worry about detail)
5. silicone them to the main sheet (thats where the numbering comes in)
6. take a blow dryer or a heat gun to the rock face (it gives a more natural look)
7. mix up a runny batch of tile grout (but no more than u can appliy in 5 mins.) and brush it on, repeat 2 more times, each batch of grout should be thicker than the last
8. let it cure for 2 days
9. silicone it to the back of ur tank
fill it with water, drain water out, do this roughly 10 times, (testing ur water each time) until ur water is normal, then ur good to go

 

[JK47]

check this out.......WAAAAAAAAAYY BETTER!!!!
but, you'll pay for it.
AquaTerra Naturalistic 3d Backgrounds, Gallery

I saw that, I want one too! That's what I wanted to replicate only with more benifits like benificial bacteria/less cost. Way expensive!

 

[JK47]

don't use that foam, go to a hardware store get 3 sheets of ploystyrene, aquarium silicone, and tile grout
1. cut the sheets to size (after cutting them to size, silicone 2 together)
2. use a marker to sketch some rock like shape on the single sheet and number them, on the 2 u siliconed mark for ur filter, and it out
3. cut ur "rocks" out
4. now make rough cuts in the rocks (don't worry about detail)
5. silicone them to the main sheet (thats where the numbering comes in)
6. take a blow dryer or a heat gun to the rock face (it gives a more natural look)
7. mix up a runny batch of tile grout (but no more than u can appliy in 5 mins.) and brush it on, repeat 2 more times, each batch of grout should be thicker than the last
8. let it cure for 2 days
9. silicone it to the back of ur tank
fill it with water, drain water out, do this roughly 10 times, (testing ur water each time) until ur water is normal, then ur good to go

Thanks for the play by play! I have been planning on something VERY close for a while. Why do you say not to use, dangerous? Honestly was hoping this could be an more useful route. Plus I want to use the foam (if it could work) as sponge filters around the tank that look like stones etc...

Great surface area and I am trying to build background, above water platforms for mudskippers to get on and archers to target practice.

 

[Dragonflyx2]

lots of great info here! thanks

 

[freshwaterz]

don't use that foam, go to a hardware store get 3 sheets of ploystyrene, aquarium silicone, and tile grout
1. cut the sheets to size (after cutting them to size, silicone 2 together)
2. use a marker to sketch some rock like shape on the single sheet and number them, on the 2 u siliconed mark for ur filter, and it out
3. cut ur "rocks" out
4. now make rough cuts in the rocks (don't worry about detail)
5. silicone them to the main sheet (thats where the numbering comes in)
6. take a blow dryer or a heat gun to the rock face (it gives a more natural look)
7. mix up a runny batch of tile grout (but no more than u can appliy in 5 mins.) and brush it on, repeat 2 more times, each batch of grout should be thicker than the last
8. let it cure for 2 days
9. silicone it to the back of ur tank
fill it with water, drain water out, do this roughly 10 times, (testing ur water each time) until ur water is normal, then ur good to go

that really sounds liek it would work....
if anyone decides to do this, be sure to take pics step-by-step so it can be made into a D.I.Y. STICKY!!

 

[tohey]

I've done a DIY background early this year on my old tank 3ft tank.

Did it Styrofoam or Polystyrene, whichever you may call it.

Here's what I did:

-Go to Clark Rubber and buy the Styrofoam sheets, amazingly Bunning's did not sell any! Or their staff didn't know where it is lol.

Anyways, you can buy some pretty thick ones from Clark Rubber, I think mine were about 2inches thick, if you want it thicker, just buy two and silicone them together, let it dry.

-Next I used a knife and just cut it to my liking, I made a couple holes/caves for my BN's to breed in, so that may be an idea.

-I used a butane lighter to heater the Styrofoam in order to harden the surface. no direct contact needed, just try to stay about 1cm from it.
By the way, you only need to do this to the front and the front-half of the edges around, leave the back raw and flat.

-After it is all looking nice and firm, I put on basic cement, you can find this in Bunning's for 5bucks or so. Just get the regular stuff. You don't need much so just get a small bag of it.
It is better to do thin coatings, but many of them.
So what you do is make your cement mixture as per the instructions on the package, get a paint brush, and kind of use a dabbing motion (so you get into all the holes!). Let this dry overnight or 2 nights in a cooler room.
Repeat the process, till you have about 5 coats, or until you think it's adequate =]

Here's a tip: It is better to let the cement cure in cool temperatures as it will be stronger, you can't just get a blow-dryer to speed up the process, the cement will crack.

-Okay, next step you must coat the cement! This is optional, some people just throw it in with the cement, and waste alot of water by doing water changes, especially in a large tank. They do this do get rid of the cement that lets itself off into the water, which raises pH.

This is what I did, I never got this off any DIY, just my own idea I'd like to share =]

Get Bondall Aquatite from Bunnings- It's a flexible waterproofing membrane, which is grey in colour and gave me that look you see in the pictures attached.

Just coat that on over the cement, have about 3 layers of the stuff allowing it to dry enough before each coat.

-If you don't like the grey look, you can keep the look of your cement colour by purchasing Epoxy Resin, I believe you can get this off Ebay aswell. What this does is coat it with a clear-hard layer much like glass/plastic, however, too thick a layer of this stuff may give you a shiny look, which I personally do not like.
I still think Bondall Aquatite is the best, if you like the colour (I do).

Anyways, thats about it, hope I've help you out.
I know it is not very detailed, but it should get you going along with some common sense which most fish-hobbyists should have =]
Such as, cutting the stryfoam to fit into your tank perfectly, before coating it with cement and stuff =]

Use aquarium safe-silicone, try to source a real glazing silicone, like Rhodorsil V12 - it is industrial strength and safe for aquariums. It's what the tank builders generally use.

Take care and be safe, be creative.
Goodluck.

 

[tohey]

Here are the photos, somehow they didn't attach!

Oh and one more thing, when cutting the stryofoam, it gets very messy, so do it somewhere that's easy to clean =]
You can see some of the styrofoam stuck on the brick wall even!
lol.

 

[andres]

I used styrofoam and quikcrete hydraulic cement.. Very easy to do

Then I painted it with krylon fusion spray paint