Diy Fake Rock Background

[Sloory]

G'day
i thought i'd help out the DIY section of this new forum with an article i'd done last year on my fake rock background.
So here it is i hope this will help someone http://www.thefishtank.com.au/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif

First i glued 2 half inch thick peices of polystyrine together using
aquarium silicon as the glue. Then i cut it to the size of the back of my
tank. I then got scrap PS and built out areas and started to make the
rock take shape. I was going for an outback aussie kind of rock shape
and colour but anyone can do what ever they like.
once i had built out all i could then i hacked at it with a sharp blade
and made all the peices blend in togther a bit better. (Sorry i hadn&#39;t
thought to take pics till the next stage).
Once all the cutting and hacking was done i got a heat gun and used it
to melt and round up the face of the rock, now i finally started with the
pics.....

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4826/rockbackground17ja.th.jpg (http://img397.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rockbackground17ja.jpg)

The time came to get the texture and colour on it, so i went to the hardware store and got a bag of concrete, and some concrete colour.

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/950/thestuff4yn.th.jpg (http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thestuff4yn.jpg)

Before doing anything with that, i cut the background into 3 peices to make it easier to get into the tank later on. I made the cuts with a sharp knife and just followed a couple of the grooves so that it will just look like natural cracks once it gets put back together.
I sifted the big stones out of the concrete but left the smaller ones in it cause they&#39;re good for the texture.
I mixed some up with some of the colours making a dark brown for the base coat.
I then put gloves on and smeared it all over the rock and left it to dry for 2 days and trying to keep it moist at the same time so the concrete didn&#39;t crack.

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2500/rockbackground21ku.th.jpg (http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rockbackground21ku.jpg)

Once that was dried it was time for the second and final coat.
I mixed up a lighter brown and again smeared it on.
Then i got a 2 inch paint brush and started to dab all the colours on it, darker in the cracks and lighter on the top parts.
Then i stood it upright and squirted it with a squirty bottle (set to mist&#33;) and wathced the colours blend as the water flowed down the rock. It gave it a natural look.
I let it dry cure for 3 days also squirting it like before.
I was going for an aussie outback colour and here&#39;s how it turned out...

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/3110/rockbackground34db.th.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rockbackground34db.jpg)

I then put the background into the tank and filled it with luk warm water and a heap of salt. i read that this will help it cure.
I put the filter in it without its sponge just to circulate the water.
I left it for 2 days.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/2430/rbsaltsoak2jn.th.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rbsaltsoak2jn.jpg)

Once the salt had soaked for a coupe of days i drained it and filled it up with some clean (tap) water and let that soak for a few days.
I just use my garden hose to drain and fill the tank.

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/6734/salttofresh3fq.th.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/my.php?image=salttofresh3fq.jpg)

Then once the two days had passed, i totally emptied the water out again and took the background outside and hosed it down.
I also took the tank outside and cleaned all the salt out of it.
Once done it all got put back together.

I couldn&#39;t get any good substreight where i live so for now i&#39;ve gone with a brown normal aquarium gravel. (i&#39;ll change that in the future).
I washed it thoroughly and put it in the tank. ITS FINALLY HAPPENING&#33;&#33;

i filled it back up and left it for a couple more days to settle abit so i could do a water test.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/3382/setup19yt.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=setup19yt.jpg)

excuse the flash....
oh yeah and put some old drift wood in to, i plan to have a bit of that

also i sat back and was please with what i saw sofar....

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/3563/setup24ug.th.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/my.php?image=setup24ug.jpg)

The first water test has shown the ph at a whopping 8.4&#33;&#33;
I guess there must have been alot of salt left in the background eh&#33;&#33;

Anyways the time came to go to the petstore (its better than our local aquarium) and get some plant, and some ph down to start the cycle process.

i put the plants in then i put in some ph down.
I left it overnight and did another water test and the ph was back down to about 7. so i&#39;ve put in a little more Ph down and will test again tonight.
I also tested the hardness and its a good 80-90 without having to even treat it

anyways heres some pics of what it looks like at the moment while cycling...

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5072/plants11wh.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plants11wh.jpg)

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/3438/biglight2vq.th.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/my.php?image=biglight2vq.jpg)

Anyways this article is abit over a year old but it shows my first experience with making
these back grounds, i hope it can help or inspire someone http://www.thefishtank.com.au/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif .

[kme023]

Hey Darren, thats awesome.
Good to get the progress pics too.

As it was a year ago, i have some questions.....
Do you have any issues with the background now?
Has it lasted without discolouring ?
Any adverse water affects?

Thanks.
Mitch

[Sloory]

Hi mitch,

Actually i&#39;ve recently thrown it out because i&#39;m moving and i thought bah&#33; i&#39;ll make a new one.
i really regret throwing it now though :wacko: .

anyways to answer your questions, no it hadn&#39;t really discoloured and i&#39;d had no issues with the background.
Actually it was looking its best because small amounts of algea had grown on it and it looked even more the part&#33;&#33; :cool:
The fish were in no way affected by it either.

[Marc]

I&#39;m actually going to use this to have a go at one for a small tank I have next weekend I think :)

Thanks for contributing it Sloory :)

[joz]

Bah&#33; you guys have to much time on your hands :wink:

Good work.

[Sloory]

Hey good luck with the background marc&#33;&#33; i can&#39;t wait to see it&#33;

By the way, what look are you going to go for?

Ah joz&#33; never enough time mate&#33; never enough :p