Now, the other feature is my fake rock wall. It covers about half the back of the tank. Actually it goes the entire width - but is from top to bottom on the middle to left side - and ranges from 4" to 10" high on the right side:





Its harder to see the detail on the right side because of some plants and petrified wood I have in the tank - but that should give you an overview of it. If you look close, you will see one cave on the right side - and a cut out area so my rock wall hides a bubble wand. this has a very nice effect as the bubbles appear from behind the rock - with no sign of tubing, bubble wand, etc visible.

Now, for some details - you can see from these closeups, I included some caves and tunnels that my fish should love to explore:





I also attached some plants on the wall with black plastic tubelike connectors. It worked great with roots from a Java fern and Bolbitis fern:



I was inspired on this project by the backgrounds some folks built for their cichlod tanks (I found some examples at various cichlid message boards). And I guess the ultimate inspiration was the Back To Nature backgrounds that you can pay $300 and up for here : back To Nature Backgrounds

Now, unlike these folks - who covered their whole back wall with fake rock, and some who created varying rock depth from 2" to 8" - I wanted to create more of an underwater cave effect - so I chose to cover only part of the wall. Plus, I wanted to keep it to 2" or less (I do want room for fish - LOL) - so my depth is not as great as theirs. However, I love how it turned out. I had company over Christmas - and everyne was wondering how I got my rocks stacked like that. they were shocked to find out it was styrofoam.

Now, I know some of you are asking is this safe for the fish (YES if you use the right material), how much it cost (about $40) and can you make one (YES, definitely). While I did not take pics of the entire process (you can find some other how-to's by searching the net), I can provide the basic overview.

First, start with styrofoam (or if you can, extruded polystyrene) like this:



You can use regular white styrofoam if you desire - but the extruded polystyrene cuts much nicer, is easier to work with, and creates less mess (which your spouse will appreciate). You can find this at your local Home Depot (or similiar shop) for about $10 for a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet. Note, this is a big sheet - so unless you have a truck, have them cut it in half in the store for you (know what measurment will work for you - split lengthwise - you get two 2' x8' pieces.) if the store droans don't have a knife, bring your own - a simple razor blade utility knife (about $4) is all you need.

Next, sketch out a rough design and draw it on the foam with pencil. Then simply cut the outline out with a simple kitchen knife or razor blade utility knife.

Note that you can get this board in varying thickness. Depending on how thick you want your walls, you can double or triple them uo on top of one another - simple glue them with aquarium safe silicone sealant. My board was 1" think - so I simply glued two pieces together to make a 2" thick wall.

Note - if you are putting in caves or tunnels, plan them out and cut them before gluing the boards together. this way, you can cut out a section on the front board for a cave - and leave the back board untouched for the back wall of that cave. For tunnels, I cut out a section from the back board and left the front board untouched to cover it except at the openings of each tunnel.

Don't be afraid to be creative - rocks are irregular in nature - cut and shape them as you feel. Also, don't focus on small details (most will dissappear) - focus on bigger details. You can cut and shape your rocks simply with a sharp kitchen knife, and a file and awl if you desire. Its really easy. look at some real rocks as guides if you desire.

Now, that you have doen that, the rest of your materials are:



Some Rit Dye (you can find this at your supermarket in the laundry soap aisle for about $2. I actually used black and dark brown. I used this to give some initial color that I wanted to the foam. i used this instead of paint simply because the epoxy I used said don't apply it over paint.

Next, I started applying the 2 part epoxy coating (This is what you need to make it waterproof and fish safe). You can see, I used epoxy from West Systems. This will be the most expensive part of your project. Simply apply a coat with the cheapest throw away brush you can find - and then cover with some sand. Chose a color of sandyou would like the orcks to look like. the sand is very important - as it gives the rocks texture and color - and eliminates any shine of the epoxy.

Let this dry for 24 hours and repeat. You should put at least 3 coats on (I did 5 and had enough in the can of epoxy I bought to do 6 coats) - just be sure to let each coat cure before adding the next. Add more sand with each coat and your rocks will start to come to life. I used a couple different shades of sand (buy the 50lb bag at Home Depot for about $2) for some color. I also, to get the color I wanted did two other tings. On my 2nd coat, I added some Rit Dye right in my epoxy mix before painting it on the wall. This helped darken the wall. Then, right before my last coat, I dabbed some Rit Dye on the Rock wall (it will darken the sand) and let it dry before applying the final epoxy and sand.

Once this is all dry, hose it off to knock off any loose sand, etc. Wait for it to dry - then get ready to install it in your tank. Your tank must be empty and dry. Lay it in the tank and make one final check to see how it will fit on your back wall. Then apply a liberal coat of 100% silicone (aquarium safe) to the rock wall and glass and put the wall in place. Hold it there for a while so a bound forms - then you may want to prop it in place so it can dry. i used some spare styrofoam that I wedged against the front glass to the back rock wall to apply pressure pushing it back. I let the silicone dry and cure for 3 + days to be safe.

Finally, add water and enjoy your creation - as well as the extra money you have in your pockect that you didn't spend on some $400 back to nature wall :)



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