I want to try to make a background from styrofoam and cement. Do I have to place the cement all around the styrofoam (backside also)? How to I secure it to the back of the tank? Silicone or will the weight of the cement hold it?
DIY backgrounds
- Thread starter merky161
- Start date
use sillicone on the edgeds and corners ot the background to keep water from going back there and building up some nasty stuff, and you only put cement on the front.
Just in case you didnt already know this, you need to start with an empty dry tank to do what you are talking about. I imagine it would be **** near impossible to try that with water/gravel in the tank already. Also, I would think it would be best to buy a single large piece of styrofoam and "carve" the rockface into it, then apply your cement mixture. Also, a good idea would be to allow this cement to cure on wax paper, to prevent it from cementing to the floor. Just some ideas, and I hope your background turns out great.
Oh, one more thing, you can mix sand with your concrete to give the "rock" extra texture.
Oh, one more thing, you can mix sand with your concrete to give the "rock" extra texture.
yeah it is impossable to do this in a filled aquarium... thats why i cant do anything to my 30 =[
OK, I am going to try to build a background. I was at Home Depot and saw the following. I know I need concrete, but what does the ackylic fortifier do?. Also, I saw something called Concrete bondo. The label says it is for applying concrete over top of concrete for a better bond. If I am putting layers over the styrofoam would this be needed for a better bond? This contents of this bottle is white and it actually smell like Elmers Glue!
hey check out this link i think you could with some work put it in an established tank http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiygrotto/bndiygrotto.htm
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just use the stuff that was stated to use in this DIY.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background3.php
Thats the one im doing, and you can find everything all in once place.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background3.php
Thats the one im doing, and you can find everything all in once place.
I'm getting ready to do this very same thing. It's going to be a planted tank and I'd like to accomplish a few different objectives:
A) add a cool rock face background instead of seeing the wall
B) integrate caves with multiple entrances into the wall
C) integrate cliffs which will hold small amounts of eco-complete for growing plants in
D) hide equipment
I was thinking of starting with a styrafoam sheet, carving, and cementing over it. I'm curious though, since styrafoam burns off relatively easy, would it be possible to then burn off the styrafoam from the back (ie. with a blow torch) and be left with a concrete shell. Then there wouldn't be an issue with bouyancy and I'd have plenty of room in back for my filter/heater/CO2 diffuser.
I am planning on having some strategically placed caves which go through to the back and allow for circulation around the heater and filter intake.
Thoughts?
A) add a cool rock face background instead of seeing the wall
B) integrate caves with multiple entrances into the wall
C) integrate cliffs which will hold small amounts of eco-complete for growing plants in
D) hide equipment
I was thinking of starting with a styrafoam sheet, carving, and cementing over it. I'm curious though, since styrafoam burns off relatively easy, would it be possible to then burn off the styrafoam from the back (ie. with a blow torch) and be left with a concrete shell. Then there wouldn't be an issue with bouyancy and I'd have plenty of room in back for my filter/heater/CO2 diffuser.
I am planning on having some strategically placed caves which go through to the back and allow for circulation around the heater and filter intake.
Thoughts?
Here's what I have so far. I'm going to let the foam harden then apply the patching cement.
In case it doesn't show up well in the pic, there are several ledges and caves.
In case it doesn't show up well in the pic, there are several ledges and caves.
Here's a pic with the first layer of cement.
I used "Pre-Mixed Concrete Patch" with charcoal "Quikrete Liquid Cement Color".
I've probably used about half of the concrete and plan on applying another coat.
Is there any reason to coat the concrete with polyester resin? It seems that it would add a lot of durability to the ledges and such and also keep plants from growing into it, but I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea.
I was thinking that, if I did add a layer or two of polyester resin to the front of it, then I could probably get away with carving out some of the styrofoam from the back and still keep enough structure.
I used "Pre-Mixed Concrete Patch" with charcoal "Quikrete Liquid Cement Color".
I've probably used about half of the concrete and plan on applying another coat.
Is there any reason to coat the concrete with polyester resin? It seems that it would add a lot of durability to the ledges and such and also keep plants from growing into it, but I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea.
I was thinking that, if I did add a layer or two of polyester resin to the front of it, then I could probably get away with carving out some of the styrofoam from the back and still keep enough structure.