I don't think so, most BG foams are too dense for any plants to take root and continue to get nutrients. I'm not plant guy though so maybe someone else will have a better idea.
HOW TO: Installing 3D Backgrounds / Tips & Techniques
- Thread starter JK47
- Start date
These backgrounds are very nice. Checked the website but fell of my chair from the price. Almost as much for a 36x78" bacjground as that I would pay for a 100 gallon tank with stand and filter.
I fully understand that not all people are DIY minded or have the skills, but with styrofoam, concrete and epoxy you do the same for a quarter of the cost. Again, they are beautiful and I can understand the price in terms of making molds and producing them, but goodness, that is a lot of money.
I fully understand that not all people are DIY minded or have the skills, but with styrofoam, concrete and epoxy you do the same for a quarter of the cost. Again, they are beautiful and I can understand the price in terms of making molds and producing them, but goodness, that is a lot of money.
Hello Folks,
I am in the process of starting a new build. I just got my 125 gallon and the background yesterday. I am using the Universal Rock Olgas background.
Question - do you need to add a small power head behind the bg to keep the water flowing? I can UR and they recommended not siliconing the the sides and back - they recommended only adding a few quarter size dabs the back where it touches the glass. He said I should perform a major tank cleaning once a year and pull the bg forward to clean behind it to remove the dirt and crap that may build up behind there.
I was thinking of getting 3 mini mag glass cleaners and siliconing them to the top of the BG and holding it place with the magenet - that way is super easy to pull forward for maintenance.
Your thoughts.....
Steve
I am in the process of starting a new build. I just got my 125 gallon and the background yesterday. I am using the Universal Rock Olgas background.
Question - do you need to add a small power head behind the bg to keep the water flowing? I can UR and they recommended not siliconing the the sides and back - they recommended only adding a few quarter size dabs the back where it touches the glass. He said I should perform a major tank cleaning once a year and pull the bg forward to clean behind it to remove the dirt and crap that may build up behind there.
I was thinking of getting 3 mini mag glass cleaners and siliconing them to the top of the BG and holding it place with the magenet - that way is super easy to pull forward for maintenance.
Your thoughts.....
Steve
Check on AquariaCentral, search for 99 Gallon + Luc.
My tank with step by step concrete, styrofoam & epoxy background.
Can recommend it. Takes time but very satisfying.
Cheers,
Luc
My tank with step by step concrete, styrofoam & epoxy background.
Can recommend it. Takes time but very satisfying.
Cheers,
Luc
Tyeler, hello...
Technically, sure it's possible.
But you'd really want to consider building it on an empty tank if you want to go full 3D including overflows and the sides of the tank.
You could make segments, attach them to bottom plates to hold them down (assuming you'll use styrofoam/concrete/epoxy), then empty out the gravel, put in all the segments of the background, put the gravel in again (on top of the bottom-plates) and you're done.
Once more, it totally depends on how the background will have to look to make you happy with it. Mine is permanently fixed inside the tank, which I think is the best way to have a complete and most realistic look. No gaps, seams and other details that look bad.
Initially, it looks quite fake, but over time, your background will get covered with algea and other things.
Here's a picture of the background I made, this is 3 years now I think without any problems....the straight horizontal line, green below and brownish above is because I lowered the water-level for some time as I make changes to sump. within a couple of days it grows and colors back again...
the tank is 150cm long, 50cm high, 50cm deep. Only 5 cm max lost in certain places to the background. mostly it's 2-3cm
I fully agree that the ready made backgrounds look nice, but for me there's nothing that beats doing it yourself and you'll be much happier with it.
Technically, sure it's possible.
But you'd really want to consider building it on an empty tank if you want to go full 3D including overflows and the sides of the tank.
You could make segments, attach them to bottom plates to hold them down (assuming you'll use styrofoam/concrete/epoxy), then empty out the gravel, put in all the segments of the background, put the gravel in again (on top of the bottom-plates) and you're done.
Once more, it totally depends on how the background will have to look to make you happy with it. Mine is permanently fixed inside the tank, which I think is the best way to have a complete and most realistic look. No gaps, seams and other details that look bad.
Initially, it looks quite fake, but over time, your background will get covered with algea and other things.
Here's a picture of the background I made, this is 3 years now I think without any problems....the straight horizontal line, green below and brownish above is because I lowered the water-level for some time as I make changes to sump. within a couple of days it grows and colors back again...
the tank is 150cm long, 50cm high, 50cm deep. Only 5 cm max lost in certain places to the background. mostly it's 2-3cm
I fully agree that the ready made backgrounds look nice, but for me there's nothing that beats doing it yourself and you'll be much happier with it.
Excluding the spraybar on the left, there's 3 water-returns build into the background, each return with 2 openings into the tank...That's the nice part of building it in permanently and having a sump. You can hide everything, including the water-returns from your sump.
There's also a large overflow in this background...lol. Just to keep you searching.
There's also a large overflow in this background...lol. Just to keep you searching.
