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DIY Cave system rock wall

15K views 65 replies 33 participants last post by  Red Triangle 
#1 ·
Hello everyone. I have started my background for my aquarium finally. After seeing so many online, I have decided to have a go at it. Looking for any helpful hints to help keep this thing from popping out of the tank. I have carved all of it out of insulation board from lowes. Glued some of it together with silicone I and some with liquid nails power grab. Hoping it wont make a difference. I plan on coating it with plenty of drylok. Of course adding different cement colors to it. And on the last coat I want to add some sand to it here and there for some texture. I will be using silicone, lots and lots of silicone to attach it to the tank. I just hope none of the cave rocks come undone. Any help or ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading. BTW it is going in a 55 Gallon with angels, neons, a common pleco, albino longfin pleco, african butterflys, two corys, and a ghost knife. A lot of fish I know. I will be getting another tank soon so I can put some of these guys in when they get big.
 
#60 ·
Im in the market for another tank so i can get a different setup going. Maybe mbuna

TCP - I have had my pleco ( Mr T ) since he was only an inch long. I also have about six corys that work the sand and it stays suprisingly clean. I never vacuum and never do water changes. I have to replant everyday cause he is constantly knocking my plants around with his tail.
 
#61 ·
Nicely done - I have an large Hifin Pleco, Ollie, and I am always worried that he is going to knock over the rocks I have in my tank now... maybe doing a 3d background instead is the answer!
 
#62 ·
I must have missed the beginning of this or something...
Did you give instructions for HOW you built the background?
It looks like you used styrofoam insulation?? How did you cut the pieces (I mean how did you get the curved edges?)
I'm assuming you then siliconed all the small pieces together. And then you painted it with Drylok? Or was there anything else you did to it?

Sorry for all the questions. This looks like a cool idea, and looks like a much better way to build one than a lot of ideas I've seen.

Looks great, btw!!
 
#63 ·
chadott- I used the insulation foam board from lowes. Then i hacked away at it with a razor knife and burnt the edges with a lighter to smooth them out. Then silicone them together and drylok. It went quicker than i expected and it was definitely worth the time. Everyone loves the new look
 
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