Removing A 3D Background?

[Cooper2085]

Basically I bought a new 6ft aquarium from AC aquatics and a purchased the rock and root 3D background.

I've tried to work with it for since setting up the tank but after losing a lot of fish recently (as in missing) I decided to try and find out if they had escaped behind the background.

Low and behold I found 2 guppys, 1 harlequin, 3 mosquito rasboras, 6 cherry shrimp and something else that I couldn't make out.

These fish will have been living on scraps for weeks and weeks, it is tight and cramped back there and the background is about 1" below where the waterline should be. I put less water in the tank to stop fish getting over but there are either holes they get through or they jumped over.

Either way I'm now left with the task of removing the background. I want to do it neatly and I know there will be silicone left on the glass but for now il deal with that.

Any advice on how do it quick and effectively?

 

[Juggler75]

New razor blade at 45° angle slid slowly.down the silicon should do the trick I would think.

 

[tribalbrit]

If there is a gap behind it must only be siliconed to the sides and bottom of the tank. Run a craft knife down the two sides till it bends forward slightly and then try and cut through the bottom silicone.Or why not cap off the background at the top to prevent fish jumping over?

 

[Cooper2085]

It's only siliconed at points along the back of the tank and at the sides I think. I can't just cap it off as there are fish living behind it now that I can't get at.

I can't reach the bottom of the tank either, or get my hands behind the background to the silicone because there isn't enough room. The tank is 30" deep on a 3ft ish stand and the gap is about 5" at the biggest point down to 1" at the smallest.

If I just pull it off then cut off the remaining bits that are left on would that work?

 

[Aqua Tom]

A Glass Scraper is a cheap & very effective method of removing silicone & much safer than anything else I have tried.

 

[Cooper2085]

Cheers for the help, i basically ripped the thing out The silicone is still on the tank but that can easily be sorted another day ^^