Making Diy Styrofoam Background (update-more Pictures)

[Scott MacAdam]

Well i've decided i'm tired of looking at one of my tanks and seing all the wireing and filter and such do i'm making a Stryofoam background (complete with caves!!!) hahaha!

ok as for the questions.... after i seal it with cement/sand mix, is it good to go or still toxic and needs to be sealed again?

and next...... how long and what prepatory steps are needed to inrtoduce it to my tank??

Also if there are any products need could you please be specific. i already have the basics that i could thing of.....aquarium safe silicone, cement, styrofoam

Thanks Alot Guys!!! i'll be sure to add pictures when it's done!

 

[Scott MacAdam]

well in reading others posts i stumbled upon this..... (this from another person making one as well laying out steps for others) Does salt accually do this?? if so, how convient for the fish.. this could be a 2-3 week project instead of my sumer project.


(question)
Wait a sec here, you're using regular concrete? Great idea . One thing you have to watch for though is that those backgrounds will need to "cure" in water for at least a month before any fish are added to the tank. Fresh cement leeches LOTS of basic compounds into water and will raise your pH drastically (up around 10 or 11 pH). So you need to soak them in water for a long time until they stop leaching and raising the pH.


(reply from person making)
Yea i read loads of things about making backgrounds so i decided to go for the cement version as after a year it builds up some good bio bacteria and algae. What i am trying to do is make a almost self sufficient tank as possible.
(more)
I realized the chemicals and ph problems but I read somewhere if you fill the tank with a heave concentrate of salt water then leave it in for around three days then swap out 50% of the water then do this again in another three days then replace the water after another three days then cycle the water out for the next week then it pulls all the crap out of the cement.
(more)
As I have also purchased a Reverse Osmoses system that will pump out 60 ltr per day I will keep this running 24/7 for two weeks. by the end of a month it should all be good to put my plants in .. I will also have my water testing computer and co2 system installed by then.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

Well here it is with the first layer of cement on. this is to seal in the stryofoam, the next will be thicher and then i will work more on detail and also throw on some sand as the cement is drying to give it a "real"

All the caves are connected in the back and will be open tank space.... no tubes in this one

texture and look.... any ideas or coments??


horribly done plans in birds eye view made in pant!! WOOT!
The brown represents the background, the blue lines represent the access for the fish, the black box its the tank!

SO FAR.........

 

[Scott MacAdam]

ok after letting the first layer set, and then touching up..... the second layer is on

on the second layer was a light layer that was used to attach the sand, it worked pretty well here is a picture

 

[Neal]

Looks cool, can't wait to see it when it's all done!

Neal

 

[BWBettas]

Looks good! cant wait to see it finished!

Bret

 

[Scott MacAdam]

it's just about done now (drying on my step) but it will take a week or 2 to cure so i can throw it in the tank it's self because the tank in question already has fish in there...... but i'll keep up to date!!!

 

[Scott MacAdam]

IN the High concentrated salt now......... although i believe i may run into a boyency problem down the road...... notice the rocks holding it down.....

Any ideas??

 

[Scott MacAdam]

Here it is done an in-tank, although i'm still waiting for the cement to cure before I add any plants or fish, this will take a week or 2 but it will be worth it!! Tell me what you think!!!

here you are (i will be adding more lighting, i'm only running one bulb in the picture)
I think i'll add some plants within the next week and try to attach them to the surface of the caves to make a plant like entrance, and also create some neat lighting effects using shadows of the plants.

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks awesome. Almoast freaky

 

[Scott MacAdam]

yeah i know, it looks kinda crazy, especally in that light. and although i DIDN'T tyr to make it look like a face in the middle section.... i still can't get past holoween jack-o-lanterns with that snarling looking face in the center! hahaha! o well i'm sure the fish will like it none the less....

 

[Neal]

How much did it cost to make and how hard is it? If you could write a guide on it, it may be a project for me when I have some time.

Neal

 

[Fatty]

How much did it cost to make and how hard is it? If you could write a guide on it, it may be a project for me when I have some time.

Neal

Looks great, and to think they sell them for £100's

A step by step guide would be great.

I would suggest at the end setting it upright in a coulbe of gobs of sand and cement, or a line to weigh the bottom down, Altho I guess you got round the buoyancy problem!

 

[Scott MacAdam]

yes i thought the boyancy would be a problem, but apparently it all came together quite nicely.

as for total cost, it came to about $15 canadian for all the supplies I used, which is pretty good because I think those other "stick-on-back-of-tank 2D" ones are close to that in walmart. this was REALLY FUN to build, i've spent all of my free time for like a day stratagizeing on how to do this and making it happen, the only thing is it takes tiem because you have to let each layer of silicone or cement dry before putting on any more, I really enjoyed making this because you can be really creative in making it and placing caves/depth and carving out rock detail and putting in more rock-like styro foam on the front. i have change my lighting around since then and i think it looks much nicer. i'll post a new pic in one min!

also i don't have any pictures of the early stages but i'll make some up in paint or something, it's really easy!

ok here it is in better lighting, some of the detail is now more noticeable, i really like how the sand in both the substrate and the caves are the smae grain type and color, i think it blends nicely

when i'm done wwith the salt cureing stage i'll add lots of plants to the surface of the caves and hopefully it will come out pretty nice, it just looks kinda bare with only sand......

 

[Scott MacAdam]

ok so we start with the styro foam, you'll have to chop it and cut it to fit your tank. there could be nothing worse then putting alot of work into it and it not fitting......

ok so i used 1/2inch, i suggest something a little bit thickeralthough it did work fine,
the 1/2inch, one sheet 2ft / 8ft cost me $2.20 canadain
layer this up to your likeing, I think I used 4 layers so i would have some control over depth later.

ALL STYROFOAM LAYERING WAS DONE WITH 100% silicone (100% meaning no additiaves in the silicone to prevent mold like most have)
GE makes a good version of this for windows and doors