[Aalelan]

OK I dreamed this up after a few beers the other night and I want to see what you guys think about it.. Also looking for input from people that have done the DIY backgrounds out of concrete.

This would be for the 1100G that is in the building process.. Take small rebar or some other stiff metal that will hold shape and is somewhat bendable.. Weld together a skeleton for how you want the wood to look. Then get that Pink foam panel insulation and cut strips out of it and laminate together around the skeleton. Use a hot wire cutter or nice sharp knife to shape it all cool looking..

Now the part I'm worried about... Getting some of the fiber reinforced Quikrete, mix it thick, and use it like clay to coat all the foam.. Using it to create bumps or knotholes and texture.. then it could be painted and sealed somehow so that it looked like wood.

Good, Bad, Cool or Stupid.. Looking for feedback and if anyone could give me info on the Quikrete sticking well enough for it to set that would be great..

Thanks!
--AA

 

[TheeMon]

i dunno if plaster is "fish safe" but if it is use that... my buddy makes fake trees out of pipe cleaners and plaster(miniture, for a miniture game) and they look omg good

 

[mithesaint]

Sounds feasible, but you may have issues getting the quikrete to stick to the foam in any areas where gravity is not your friend. It would probably work best if you did multiple layers, and made the first layer pretty thin so you wouldn't have to fight the weight.

Texture might be off a little, I used the sand and topping mix, and the background was still pretty rough to the touch. To me, driftwood is pretty smooth and soft to the touch. I wouldn't want my fish swimming among fake driftwood that's rough. If you can get it smooth...sounds like an excellent idea. Try a scale model first........at least then if it doesn't work, you're not out a lot of $$. Good luck.

 

[chefkeith]

I done this without knowing what I was doing.
It probably wouldn't be hard to build something nicer if you have a plan.

I took pic's of the whole build here-
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... &&start=75

 

[Aalelan]

That is totally cool Chefkeith!!! I will have to try my idea once I get the tank done.. I like how your mix worked out, I think it would serve my purposes quite well.. Thanks for sharing..

I'm on page 18 of your thread so far and its amazing how it transformed into the final product.. Do the fish use the caves much?

--AA

 

[chefkeith]

They are in the caves more than they are out of the caves, but since the main cave is so huge I see them alot.