hi guys im in the early stages of a new 180ukgal display tank for my livingroom and im toying with the idea of fitting it with a 3D background,i am making it myself as i have made 7 in the past but never had one in any of my own tanks,im not blowing my own trumpet but they are better than most you can buy (except for one company) and when i have the top strap off my new tank to fit my new "FILTER WALL" it will be an ideal oportunity to do it... if i am going to???
i would appreciate some feedback as it will be very dificult to remove once fitted and as i said i have never had one????????????????thanks to all

ive alway been interested in the 3-d backgrounds. ive seen some designs that are great and would look good in anyones tank. the only reason i have yet to get one is simply because of the space it takes in the tank. i got large volume tank to house large fish and i cant see losing out on 2-3 inches off the width of my tank simply for a background. however when i build a new tank i will definetly take the space needed for a 3-d background into consideration and build accordingly

There are some absolutely stunning 3-D backgrounds that you can buy commercially. However, they do cost a lot of money if you have a big tank. Obviously if you make your own and you can save your money. I don't think it's an overnight job making a stunning background, if you want rock for instance, I think you do you need to be a little artistic to get the look you want, these websites make it look really easy. However, there is a drawback as has already been said. Putting in a proper 3-D background that looks good will reduce the amount of water your tank holds considerably. But like necro has said, if you build a tank to accommodate it, you can include the extra space needed.

I have seen some that do look fantastic but the down side is cost for one. they are not cheap by any means. Also I wounder how durable they are. I have fake plants that do need to be replaced after a few yrs. would the background last longer?? I have not seen one that would fit my size tank but now you have got me interested so I will look about. If anyone has sites to look it could save me time.))))

back to nature are the top of the line ...but there are lots of others that are not so good,these are realy the only ones that are worth looking at

i have started work on my 3D BACKGROUND i am going for sheet rock (like a quarry stone) i am quite far along with it just waiting for my aquarium silicone to arive to stick it all together,and my tin of fillafoam (expanding foam in a aerosol can)to use for mangrove roots over the rock backing!!!!!!! if anyone is interested i will post pics of construction through the different stages,

yeah me. £500 quid to buy 1 to fit my tank from back to nature. thats a lot of beer ))))

when i used to work in a hotel, i had assisted our
interior decorator in putting background in the live
fish aquarium. what he did in the 3D background materials,
he created a box to house the poster, placed it at the back
of the aquarium approximately 2 inches away from glasswall(back),
the finish product looks like a very wide aquarium although the
actual depth is 36 inches only. (120' x 36" x 36" tank). fish were
being sold alive then cooked for the client who bought them.

i will post the first four stages by friday as i want to get the parts stuck together and the big full size sheet cut into 4 smaler sections so i dont have to remove the top strap from the tank (as ND AQUATICS have started work on my tank as i couldnt get anywhare near the price they can do it for) , before i post them as i can go from the start up to the final stages....marcus what size is your tank????? i am making a 60x30 this time and total cost to complete is about £52 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i will be amazed how easy it is and how good the result is !!!!!!!! wont keep you waiting too long;)

waiting for the details and pics.

Dear BigGameHunter,

That would be gr8 isf you could post some piccies and how you put it together as you go. Thanks in advance.

Regards,

DadMac

hi guys i decided to put the verry early stages on now and i will update it daily as i go...................
first start with your overall size of the back of your tank minus an inch off the length and height...then cut out multiple layers of polystyrene in rock shapes and overlay them onto your base board,(pic 1)
then mark lines in the baseboard using the point of a knife,about 20mm deep in the outline of rocks ,this bit is entirely up to you how you want the lines to look ,markig them out with a marker pen first is a good idea( pic 2)
then once all the pieces are cut and layered on the baseboard and the rock lines are marked on your baseboard ,
get a small burner torch and run it over all the pieces you have cut ,around the edges and allong the lines in your base board,(pics 4/5)
then cut the base board into sections that will fit into your tank but cut along the lines you marked not to see the joints (pic6)
the mark on the baseboard an number all the positions of the layer rocks so you know what goes whare and stick in place with aquarium sealant(pic7)....to be continued