DIY - How to make Custom 3D Aquarium Background for under 20$ | CHEAP and EASY!! (Step by Step)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Step by Step video on how to DIY custom 3d aquarium background for under 20 Dollars!! This project is super easy to do and worth the REWARD! If you guys enjoy this video please consider subscribing to the channel!
Materials can all be purchased at home depot or any local hardware store. Materials include:
* sheet foam ($8)
* silicone ($4)
* concrete mix ($7)
* Cheap ($1) paint brush
![How To Make A Custom Background For Your Reptile Enclosure [For Under $50]](/img/n.gif)
I made my background following your video, and it turned out really well! Thank you!
Glad to hear it worked out for you! Mines been up and running since I published this video and still working great!
You prolly dont give a shit but if you're stoned like me during the covid times then you can watch pretty much all of the new series on instaflixxer. I've been streaming with my gf these days =)
@Nikolai Ridge Yup, I've been watching on InstaFlixxer for months myself =)
0:50 also.. you gona need a grinder, a ligher, some paper and a bag of tegrityweed Man
I love this! Where did you buy the styrofoam? You said you did spent under $20 for the whole project. I can't find styrofoam for under $20 ?
These look amazing does anyone know how long they last? I can imagine the concrete chipping off or does it soak into the styrofoam and bond well?
For anyone making this.... please please please make sure your background doesn’t float. I coated mine in the cement and simply place it in my aquarium and scaped it for hours getting everything just right. Then I filled it with water and within an hour it suddenly rose and ruined all my hard work and positive mindset....
3D background turned out AMAZING! Pablo the Fahaka loves his new setup!
if you didnt GLUE IT to the back of the tank with silicone.. would it stay in place under water ?..
Love how this turned out! Did it affect ammonia/nitrate/nitrate levels at all? Thinking about doing this with axolotls. Anything you would've done differently? Thanks!
This is frickin' AWESOME!! I was just looking on how to do a simple dark background, but this is a winner hands down. Loved this idea!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Background turned out great and still holding up well
DOPEEEEE... That's what I like right to the point
Are you kidding me bro???… omg 😱 totally awesome, racking my mind on how to do this, n Boom ..you knocked it out of the ball park.. Thankyou so much ❤..
I been looking for the Styrofoam sheets at Home Depot online but can’t find the kind that you use
Bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's sick!!!!!!!!! Great job!!
Looks fantastic!!!! Great job and thank you!
He said "when you doo-doo this" 💩 1:09 🤣🤣🤣
Looks awesome. Where do you buy Styrofoam?
Wish you could make another video for carving tips
Is Styrofoam aquarium safe?
I heard the leeching process for using concrete can take months. like some people say they still have off the charts ph for 6 months when doing a 100 percent water change every week. what was your experience? Look great by the way.
This was my first concrete one. I have others but those are just painted. I had to watch my PH over a couple weeks with more then normal water changes but all levels are good now and well worth the 20 bucks!
@@KeepinitReel616 Would you thnik live it on the rain and hose it for a week or more going to solve the problem, nice video, thanks
do you do them as a job i need mines done hit me up
If I'm not mistaken, the concrete will raise the hardness and possibly the pH. Doesn't it have to soak for a while to help alleviate that?
he litterally said it
I've seen a lot of videos where they'd use eproxy polythene coating paint etc etc that I'm not familiar about. but your video is simple and looking so beautiful. I'd definitely try this
Which silicone did you use for this project? Great job. Thx Mike
I used GE 100% silicone. Picked it up at my local Home Depot
dont u have to use some kind of sealer on it i thought the cemnt would kill the fish
No. But what you do have to do is do a couple massive size water changes before you add your fish. Your pH levels are going to skyrocket. After I did 2 100% water changes I added my puffer back to the tank. Every two days after that I did a 25% water change for a week. Now we are back on regular two week water changes and the puffer is happy and healthy.
What type of fish is that ?
Cheap and effective! Great job on this one. Does the type of styrofoam matter? How do I know it’s safe for aquariums?
Just make sure it's fully cured and it should be safe. But like he said, do a few full water changes before adding fish back in and watch your ph levels for a couple of weeks afterward
That was fucking awesome thanks for the vid can't wait to make one
Does this work well I wanna do it but I’m afraid for the ph raise I’m gonna do it for fahaka puffer tho😎
If you watch the whole video that’s what I put in my tank as well but it last great! I have had no issues after the more then normal water changes for the first couple weeks. PH does raise and has to be watched but I added my fish 2 days later after 2 100% water changes
Keepin it Reel ok so you don’t use RODI water ? Because I’m on verge of using tap or RODI and I know tap is probably the better option I’ve just seen people say this stuff has taken them months to cure the water but I live in az where the two water is trash so I’ll just use the stuff you did and let you know how it goes !
I have seen some YT with people saying that backgrounds can cause big trouble cause of the debris build up between the glass and background etc causing toxic effects. Has anyone had these issues?
Mines been going since I’ve made this video. Never had any issues with it. I did silicone it in place tho. Also curious on other peoples experiences.
Ok I’m on my way to Home Depot. Literally. Gonna see if i can find these things. Thank u!
Excellent!
Reeeeal nice I must say 🔥 how big is your tank ? And how old about is the puffer ?
THIS IS CHICAGO thanks! This was for my 40 gallon breeder. Puffer is roughly a year old
Everything turned out amazing and your puffer is looking spectacular 💪🏼
What cement best
How do you mix the mud so fluid/ "paint-consistentency" and not have the mud flake/crack? Is it recommended to soak finished background before adding to the tank?
I tried mixing mine thine enough to pour/paint with & it's cracked up 3 times >_
You need to leave the mud thick. Mix with the amount of water container says to use. Should be a thick paste. I didn’t have any cracks and still don’t a year later.
Looks good!
Great video man thanks!
Awesome video which defenitely will help to build the background for my new Asia-Tank. Greetings from Italy.
Glad it could help!
One of the best backgrounds I’ve seen so far. Good job!
Can I paint it
Nice finish. Tank looks great. Love that puffer.
Im going to wire a hollow log into the foam , cool idea huh?.
I think that would look pretty cool!
Thanks
Yessssssssss
I will definitely try this. Thank you.
Can I clarify? What concrete mix are you using?
Does concrete mix stay on white sheets?
Yes it sticks on the styrofoam perfectly. I do not know the concrete brand off the top of my head but if you watch the video I do post a picture of it. Hope this helps
Great video. Didn't realize it was that easy. Just subbed you. Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦
Awesome content brother- Much appreciated and crunching out a 125 gallon right now. I was having an aquarium mental block until I saw your video! Keep your awesome ideas rolling and I’m recommending your channel across all of my platforms as well!
~ Matt “The Pet Guardian”
Can you paint it like add various shading colors to it and if so what kind of paint?
I didn’t get that detailed with mine so I’m not sure on the paint. Sorry
You’re using the Quikcrete Waterstop cement right??
Correct
@@KeepinitReel616 so, you use water stop, paint the hell out of some foam, and it’s good to go? I’m probably gonna leave my rock backing in my kiddie pool for a month or so since it’s winter and he’s not using it. Thoughts? Do you think longer? What kind of stuff should I add to the mix, cus I’m thinking of just using straight cement. It’s for a 55 gallon tank of 2 comet goldfish. Only gonna make a inch-or-so backing. Basically a sheet, reinforced by sculptors mesh.
Sorry if I’m asking too many questions, I’ve been googling this issue since this morning any everything I’ve found has been contradictory to other people’s suggestions. It’s annoying, and you’re the first person I’ve seen actually do it
Super helpful. Thanks!
I might just do this project by hand. If you do it on a CNC machine, its more accurate than the best sculpture to ever live as the fault tolerance is below what the human eye can even see. The issue is getting a real scientific scan in CAD, translating it for the CNC machine, getting the right foam that doesnt cost an extreme fortune and then researching the best concrete mix to use. Or.. or.. I can just do it by hand and call it a day xD
I think having a wall in an aquarium with a 99% accuracy of the real thing would be very unique and cool, especially if painted well but at the same time this is sooo much easier. Anyways, nice job!
Looks great
What type of cerment to use?
Iv just started my first background. But of braces in tank iv got do it in two half. Would like to make sand waterfall with in background
Can i use other types of glue?
As far as glueing the styrofoam in the background to the tank yes you could use different just make sure it’s silicone
How or where did you put your heater? Can it go behind this background?
I didn’t hear you say what type of glue you used to put it together. Also what type of paint?
Sick!
SS Reactions thanks!
I start making mine but few things bothering my head don’t we need to seal it? Plus how long we have to leave it to dry before we put in the tank?
No sealer and I let mine dry for 24 hrs. Silicone it to the back of my tank let dry for another 24 hr. Filled the tank let it run for a couple days then 100% water change. Then added my fish. No issues for over a year for me
@@KeepinitReel616 thanks mate my tank is already running so gonna soak it in the bath tab for couple of days hopefully it works. 😃👍🏽
A few questions...
Does the styrofoam grow mold or decompose in the water over time? Or should the back and sides get covered with cement as well?
Also, if I ever wanted to remove the background, is that doable or would I need to buy a new tank?
I’ve had mine going since I made the video with no issues at all. You can remove it if you like then after it’s out scrap the silicone off with a razor blade.
@@KeepinitReel616 9 months later, still all good?
@@mikek2111987 still holding up just fine for me!
Did you coat the back of the foam?
Yeah did you coat the back of the foam when i made mine i had to cover all with cement because i didn't know the cement alone was ok to use in fishtank so i used clear plastidip but it must be on the cement if not it will melt the foam
Does type of styrofoam matter much?
Nope!
What silicone glue are you using?
Not sure on brand but was a 100% silicone. Make sure you don’t buy the silicone with mold resistant in it. Other then that don’t matter
That’s awesome bro. Im gonna make one for my 85g haps and peas following your video. Questions here, did you paint it? What kind of paint I can use on the background that is safe for my fish? Thanks in advanced!
how many layers of quickrete did you use and did you need t use quickrete acrylic fortifier?
Thanks for the video, what silicone do you use, is it specific for fish?
doesn't this concrete mix leech into the water over time even when cured properly?
So I have been following your steps. My concrete has dried, but it is cracking.. did I not use enough concrete?
I’ve had no issues but I had it like a inch thick after my last coat
I'm currently making this type of background and concerned about cracking. How thick does the mortar/cement need to be?
How long did you let the cement cure before putting it in the water?
What cement should be used to be safe for fish?
Can I use this for my baby turtle tank??
Do you need to silicone it into the tank or will clips/weights work
Dillon Lackus I did silicone it into place.
Can you use the blue styrofoam insulation sheets i can not find this white stuff in sheets big enough
Wow, absolute quality, thankyou!
Is there not anything in the concrete mix that's toxic to the fish ?
Nice just add dryloc to seal the concrete and you'll get no ph spike. About how heavy would you say the concrete made it
What is the name is concrete mix that you use
This is great! Thank you for showing us!!!
Why do you use the hydraulic cement instead of regular mortar? Just because of the fast cure time? I'm thinking about doing this, but I'd like a lighter color. Great video.
💪🏽💪🏽 definitely doing this to my 55 . Looks great
nyceon7 I’ve had it in my tank since I uploaded this video and it’s hold up great. Just make sure you have a thick couple coats of cement
Where did you get the styrofoam?
genial gracias por la informacion y el video ...un abrazo enorme
Dope bro gonna try these
How do i make aquarium safe
Quick question that I hope you can answer. I just did a 3D background myself and I used hydraulic cement let it cure for 24 hrs and siliconed it in and I have done 100% water changes the past 3 days in my 55 g tank and the ph is still extremely high. Is there any suggestions on how to speed this up or how long did it take for your water to straighten up? Thank any advice will be helpful
There is a cement especially made for reef aquariums where they cement rocks to create arches and so,, Maybe you should try that. Your ph will be ok from the start
Just found your video and had a question.
With a tank that has a lot of supports around the top, would you recommend sectioning out the background into vertical, or horizontal sections?
This was amazing! thank you so much
Very nice. Subscribing
Awesome man thank you so much
The closer I look at the background the better I realise it is. It literally looks like a cliff side or simply a rock surface,I’m impressed. The light does wonders on it
Kris O'Neill thank you! Turned out great and holding up good
Keepin it Reel yeah the lights made it look like you put real rocks in it. Great job
interesting and thank you well done.
I made it by thermacol or cent but it floating in tank what can I do
You have to silicone it to the glass
great video! saved me over $300
How to wash
Sandesh Dhanwade I wash it with a over sized tooth brush lol
Sandesh Dhanwade but doesn’t get that dirty unless you have you light on for 12+ hrs
Thanks. Great job
I’m sure this question is up here somewhere but, will it float or move around if no siliconed to the tank?
Yes it will float
Does the background have to be siliconed so water can’t get behind it? Or just to hold it in place
Just to hold in place but you could do both if you prefer.
This video is better than others videos I mean that background 😂
I think instead of cement I will use rubberized paint or latext paint. You have a great idea in how to make it using styrofoam as base,
bro! thanks!
Keren bro.. Bikin yang lain lah..
Dope skills my dude
Looks great! I have a large custom 5x3x3 foot tank, I'm going to try do a DIY background. Can't wait.
Thank bro
Hi, What is the light you are using??