# DIY 3D background



## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

Hey everyone. I'm going to be starting my 3D background for my 29g tank in a few minutes. I thought I'd keep record of it on here. So enjoy, and I welcome any suggestions and tips.

First photo is the tank, I am trimming some of the stand, so I can get my door open. (only opens half way)
Second photo is the Black diamond sand from Tractor Supply store. I think it's used for sand blasting.
Third is the foam and concrete paint. It's a brown/red color. So it should look good against the black sand. And for 25 bucks a gallon it better look great! Lowe's here don't carry pints or 1/2 gallons.
Fourth is my tools. The level I using for a ruler, couldn't find one to make straight lines. (just in case if someone was wondering about that)


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

(note to self and anyone else; to make one of these, use the knife, scissors really don't work.)


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

OK so hard at work... I cut through one package of foam.. Don't know if I'll need to cut the other just yet.

1st photo -- my little helper.
2nd photo -- working with 6in and 4in pieces.
3rd photo -- the first foam to be cut
4th photo -- first pack cut.
5th photo -- thinking of make one or two caves, that'll be flush with the back of the tank.

Now I need to clean up the kitchen floor. Before my son tries to eat the pieces of foam..


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Wow, it'll be fun to follow your progress. Looks good so far!

(BTW... from here the stand looks like it might be a bit wobbly when the weight's on it. Is it ok?)


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## Z400 (Mar 24, 2010)

Stand looks VERY Sketchy. 
I would reinforce it big time or replace it. 

Could reinforce it easily by covering the entire back side with a piece of 3/4" plywood. 
That will stop any side to side movement. 
Could also put a few 1x1" boards from the corners of the top and bottom, stain them to match.


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## spypet (Jul 27, 2007)

you should taper some of the edges
just like natural slate would be if it
were flint knapped off. if you leave
it so level way, it will look unnatural.


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

The stand is pretty solid, used it once before, but I do plan to brace it up with plywood on the back, just like z4oo suggested.


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

Finally almost done. I ran out of sillicon to do my last 4 pieces, they are attach to each other just not to the main piece. I am either going to have to trim or cut the piece to get into the tank. I'll decide that later.

1st photo -- just two pieces together with rock on top for some weight
2nd photo -- I used my finger to smooth the silicon into all cracks
3rd photo -- some more pieces together
4th photo -- The main piece, just 4 more to add (will be 16in high)
5th photo -- here is what the complete product will look like when I get more silicon, hopefully I get can some today


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## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Looking quite nice. Thanks for documenting and sharing. I look forward to seeing the finished product.


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

Ok, got more silicon and finished piecing them together.

1st photo -- the main piece
2nd photo -- a possible pot like thing, don't know if I'll use it
3rd photo -- another of the pot thing (I think I'll toss it and make a different one)
4th photo -- this is on the main piece, I'm hoping it'll hold some of the sand so I can place a carpet like plant in it. It's near the top, prob. about 6in to 4in from the light.


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

ok, more photos

1st photo -- first layer of paint on tank
2nd photo -- a new edging for a possible pot, I like it better and will toss the other out
3rd photo -- another pic of the edging
4th photo -- possible area to place the pot, it'll sit above the sand, and then be filled up with the sand
5th photo -- another edging up higher on the main piece (not silicon in just thinking how it may look) could place it on the sand too and make a smaller pot, or I can combine the two and make one pot.

what to do...

As soon as the paint dries on the tank, I'll going to start marking out the area I'll need to cut for the filter and heater. And silicon up the cracks. I'll also prob. go ahead and cut the piece though the middle, or trim it so I can get it in the tank.


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## jasonak (Oct 26, 2010)

I made a back for my tank using the spray foam and real rock it turned out pretty good. It did want to float though which was kind of a pain.


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

I'm going to silicon this to the tank so it shouldn't float.

Went back to Lowe's and got mortar and cement liquid color, took back the gallon of concrete paint.

Also trim some of the back and work on the area where the filter/heater/pump will be at. Hoping to do the first layer of paint today.


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## jasonak (Oct 26, 2010)

Yeah you are doing it way smarter,I just built mine on egg crate and stuck it in.Glueing it to the back glass is the way to go for sure.


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

got the first layer on and just done the details. 

I know it looks bright in the photos, but it isn't as bright as that. It'll look good I think with the black sand, and green plants. The layer of colors are on thin but I used a thick mix of the stuff so that the charcoal color will show though some.

I'm hoping that it'll be dried by tonight so I can place it in the tank to see how it's going to look. I'll have to rub off any rough edges, but that isn't a problem. I'll check it out with the light (just picked up a new bulb for it, full spectrum) too, and maybe if all looks good, I'll silicon it in tonight before bed..
But will see how it looks under the light of the tank, I may have to add some more black in it.


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

personally i like the first picture by itself with only black... like a stone wall


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

forgot to get the sealer will get that today hopefully.


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

sealer had been days add, it was silicon into the tank a few days ago, and currently has water in. Everything looks to be holding up. Washing sand.


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## jerrybforl (Jul 22, 2008)

looks great! like something I may do in the future....;-)


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

so the foam piece came apart on me and I redone the whole thing.

I have forgot to post the new process but here is the run done of it. Instead of mortar, I went with cement. Held better, made it smaller too, so it fit in one piece. Just add the plants in this pass Sat. tank had been sitting w/water for 5 days before I moved the sand/plants over. PH is stable background is holding good..


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## jerrybforl (Jul 22, 2008)

I love this project. I got a few questions. What did you do to seal it? Ive seen these before and others used salt water to cure the cement and it took several days. Is this necessary? I want to do something like this for my 90gallon wave front that will have Malawi cichlids in it. I was planning on glueing in slate tiles that I got from leftovers at my job but I feel will be too heavy with the weight of the tiles and the tank its self!


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## jerrybforl (Jul 22, 2008)

forgot to ask. do you need a lot of space to do this project as I live in a one bedroom apt?


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## shewolfgeo (Mar 31, 2010)

jerry -- as far as space I was working mainly in a bedroom, using the floor, with cupboard over the carpet to protect it from the paint/cement. I think the work space was a 6 by 4 area for me.

The sealer was one for sealing mortar, and cement, and the stuff they use between tiles in the kitchen. You just want to check the chemicals in it. I got is in a spray bottle. I let the first coat sit for about 30 minutes to an hour and spray the second coat, and same time length before the other coatings.

I don't know about the salt curing you mentioned. 

But is a sealer necessary..? I'm not 100% sure if it is. But I do think it helps, esp with using color. Cement can make ph raise some, so keep that in mind. You'll have to do some water changed every day until ph is stable again. It took about 5 days before ph was stable for me. 

look at youtube. There is a nice video up, from a guy that uses mortar on he's, I got most of my ideas from him. Just used the cement instead. After my first try, cement holds better than mortar. Anyways he has different videos up of the steps he took, it shows the sealer he used too.

One thing I done with mine is after I silicone it into the tank, let it cure for 2 days, and then I went around the edges of the background with cement, I really want to get all the cracks filled in. I think this helps hold it to the tank as well. I used my fingers to do this, and used a wet paper towel to clean up the glass, and make everything smooth. You can see the cement edging in the last photo, to the left side, the grayish color is the cement edging I added around the background.


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## jerrybforl (Jul 22, 2008)

ok thanks. I will check out youtube. i really might do this.


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## Akulakat (Jul 16, 2011)

How has this held up over time? I'm thinking about doing something similar in my son's tank.


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## SlyDer (Jul 11, 2007)

I like how the details with the pigment came out. I really want to do this for my 125 but I need to find a way to install it without taking the tank down for very long since the tank is pre existing.


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