Epic Overhaul/Builds: 3D Backgrounds 300g-125g-120g

My wife wanted to put our new tank in our bedroom so I wanted to make it look next level and I've always wanted a 3D background. So I bought three for my largest tanks. Hope she doesn't notice lol.. Another member suggested these guys and I'm stoked I looked them up. I ordered my 3D backgrounds from a company called "Designs By Nature". I wish I would have found them sooner TBH because I almost paid allot of $$$ for aquaterra BG's I would have regret. Designs by nature has more designs, come in large sizes, cheaper prices, inexpensive flat BG's that connect to make them longer, driftwood that doesn't stain water etc...

Check for yourself >> http://www.designsbynature.net/

If all goes well I'll do a whittled down "how to" with pics thread on just installing the backgrounds in a few weeks. This thread will cover with pics the build of my 300g, goodbye to my 220g, the overhaul of my 125g and my 120g build from scratch, but most importantly the the upgrading to 3D backgrounds for all three tanks. Pics in a sec..

I'm going to start with the 300g build. I sold my 220g (behind the stand in the pics) so my 300g has to be running by tomorrow night. Some pics of the stand as it was being built.. Way overbuilt with 2"x6" frame I know but they were free from my work so meh, why not use em... I was going to put in some pretty heavy rocks so it will just spread the weight around a little is all.. I plan to skin it with 1/4" birch later and stain it but I need it running now.

This is the tank the day I brought it home. Yellow level is 24"











I cut a few slices of the 2"x6" to use as shims later on (tomorrow) and ended up taping two of them together to use as a template to mark out the cuts the plywood needed to fit around the legs of the stand. Ghetto I know but I am not a wood worker lol...

A few of these pics were from my 300g thread but since I'm doing multiple tanks/backgrounds and have made progress on this tank I'm putting all of the pics in here. Holes in the back are two 1.5" external durso overflows and two 3/4" loc-line returns (split four ways) from the sump. The four holes in the top are 1 1/4 for the two FX5's for mech/UV.











Your truely behind the tank lol..

Sump overflows and returns. The locline is expensive.. the flow will point down from the sump hopfully keeping particles suspended in the water column and up 30" to the overflows. I will be glueing the external durso pipes tomorrow morning.



The tank is on it's face in order to paint the back black.

Last test fit and chance to make any changes before everything gets glued in place tomorrow.









My friend Jeff (aclockworkorange here on MFK ) helping me paint all of the PVC fittings so it's cleen behind the tank. Cool dude and a major help since I have been battling some health issues and can't do some things just yet.. I couldn't have got this far without you bro





The tanks all taped off for paint coming up.

I had 1 gallon of this black acrylic based paint mixed up at home depot.



My 220g on the right in the pic below. The new 300g is going to the left.



I used a roller to apply the paint since I didn't want to rattlecan inside my garage with another tank a few feet away. Yes my garage is a mess... Yes I am comfortable with that... It keeps everyone out of the garage lol


Apparently someone thinks I look good in my painting clothes!





Tapes off, the finish came out awesome IMO! I will never spay a background again. We had to lay the tank face down though so I was a little worried about scratching. I had just buffed the tank last week. We put a strip of carpet down and the tank on it resting on it's face so I was a little worried but we didn't scratch it at all.







I bought another FX5 from a friend (MFK member Trent). Great seller and a really nice guy BTW. Thanks again bro you saved my butt.



This is how the tank sits right now in my garage. I will have to finish the plumbing tomorrow that I won't be able to reach once the tank is against the wall and test for leaks. There was a couple of thin spots I had to touch up but overall I think it looks like the best paint job on a background I have done yet.



I will be moving my 40watt UV from my 125g to the FX5 on the right of the 300g. Once I move the second FX5 from the 220g to the 300g I will move the sump from the 220g to my 125g and be moving the FX5 on my 125g to my 120g in my bedroom. Good lord that is getting complicated...!! I will add more pics and progress tomorrow. The above is where I am at to date. I will not have the sump finished for another two weeks on this tank. Need to get started on the backgrounds before I do.