• We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

HELP! DIY Background Problem

I have made 3 of these backgrounds and on the 1st one I used sprayable foam and found it to be a nightmare until I sanded it down and then the quickset stuck just fine I would just make sure that there is no way that water can settle behind the background kinda bad with no water movement all in all yours looks great post some pics with fish and what do you plane on putting in the tank
 
Ok, it took alot more coats than I thought to get 100% coverage. There were so many nooks and crannies it was ridiculous. Here are the shots with some guppies and a gourami.

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Something I didn't realize was the concrete pigment would be much lighter once it dried. not exactly the color I intended but I'm satisfied. There's java moss on the wood and in various crevices on the background so in a few months it'll have a different look. Overall I'm very pleased with the outcome. The only concern is I'm noticing quite a few cracks since filling with water.

The tank is for my alligator snapping turtle.
 
Looks great! Thanks for the update. Did you add a pigment to the concrete or are you refering to its natural pigment? If you added, what did you use?
 
Keep us updated on the cracks? Are they getting larger? do you plan on draining the tank and repairing/recoating those areas? Do you think the cracks are do to the buoyancy of the foam vs. the cement wanting to sink causing the foam to rip/crack? I was concerned about the strength of the foam, I've seen most of these types of backgrounds done with Styrofoam sheets and small areas were built up with the foam you used. I never though about just making the whole background in foam? Maybe it's just not durable enough to be the sole foundation for the cement???
 
Egon;3244353; said:
Keep us updated on the cracks? Are they getting larger? do you plan on draining the tank and repairing/recoating those areas? Do you think the cracks are do to the buoyancy of the foam vs. the cement wanting to sink causing the foam to rip/crack? I was concerned about the strength of the foam, I've seen most of these types of backgrounds done with Styrofoam sheets and small areas were built up with the foam you used. I never though about just making the whole background in foam? Maybe it's just not durable enough to be the sole foundation for the cement???
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Interesting idea. I was wondering if the expanding foam itself was the culprit? I wonder if it should be allowed to cure longer before coating with concrete? Or maybe sealed with some epoxy prior?
 
dleomd;3245087; said:
Interesting idea. I was wondering if the expanding foam itself was the culprit? I wonder if it should be allowed to cure longer before coating with concrete? Or maybe sealed with some epoxy prior?
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Yeah, I bet if you seal it with epoxy it would be fine but that defeats the point of how simple this is. Spray on some foam, cover it with cement and let dry. I hate working with epoxy!

Did you end up filling in the cracks with another coat of cement? Is that holding? Maybe the cement coat just wasn't thick enough?
 
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