DIY StyroFoam Background

Well I figured it was time for a few more picture posts... This is the making of my Styrofoam background for my 125 Cichlid tank.
Material used:
1-4x8x1 sheet of Styrofoam insulation from HD
4+ tubes of GE silicone I (won't say aquarium safe BUT from my reading it is the same stuff as the aquarium safe stuff.)
1 60lb bag Quickrete cement mix
1 black(charcoal) cement pigment
1 red cement pigment.
a couple sharp utility knives
Last but not least TONS or patients...

So here we go

Cut out the "stones"

These parts foam the side of the background to give it more dimension and hide the filter intakes.

Attach the stones with silicone



This is an image of the side pieces where the filter intakes are hidden for a cleaner look.

Here is the stones all attached

This is the first base coating of cement this is a thin watery coating.


Skip ahead... add pigment and keep adding cement... allow a few days dry time between coats and keep the cement moist use something to cover the cement or some type of misting system. It is critical to slow cure the cement.


So because of the cement used the PH will be VERY high to start (well above 9) rinse off the wall during each water change and then allow the wall to soak for a few days then do another water change. To be honest it look over a month for mine to come down within reason BUT it now maintains a steady PH of 8. So this has become my Cichlid tank! (more pictures of those guys to follow!)

That looks awesome. I dont know if I have the patience to do something quite like this.

The project in itself is not hard to do in fact cutting out the rocks is by far the most tedious part. The rest of it is just wait time... Silcone... dry...silicone...dry cement...wait...cement...wait...cement...wait... silicone in aquarium...wait... fill...wait...fill wait...fill wait........zzzzzzz

Yeah all those waits is what would get me. Id talk my gf in to doing the rocks haha. I have a hard time with the do this...wait...do that...wait things sometimes.

very nice how long did it take you

WOW well done... great project completion.. thanks for sharing

mike205 wrote:

very nice how long did it take you

Hard question to answer actually haha.
Making the wall took roughly one week. That is first night cutting the background to size then cutting the rocks... and siliconing them on
second night light cement coating
3rd more cement
5th another color coat
7th last coat of cement

after it was "made"
3 days letting silicone dry in tank and then about 3+ weeks of water changes every 3-4 days getting the PH down so depending on how you look at it...

not bad
thanks man

Wow Great back ground and DIY project.

Looks like a perfect evening "drinking beer" type of project! a good way to spend some summer evenings! And if ya do it outside.. the thunderstorms will rinse the ph down for ya!

"The project in itself is not hard to do in fact cutting out the rocks is by far the most tedious part."

Yea, and guess who got stuck doing the rocks? <----- this lady :P

And Strike was taking all the credit!.. 50 lashes my man... 50 roses my lady!

haha this is very true

Count your blessings she puts up with the "obsession!".. Working on mine slowly... Gotta take a tip on the person (you, me thinks).. about buying Diamonds... LOL

wow good work, cant wait to see some fish in there!!

That takes alot of patience. Especially when you dying to put some fish in the tank. Looks good though