110gal. Malawi tank with DIY background

[stecartmel]

hi mate i live in england, where can i get this drylock from mate? your background looks like a real rock wall, also is this styfoam thing just polystyrene sheets?

thanks

[MightyEvilOne]

Hello England!!! Well, I don't know where you can get it at in England, I got mine at Home Depot/Lowes in the U.S. Look for some type of masonry waterproof material that is latex based. It looks just like paint but smells a little weird, make sure to read the back of the container and it should say it is safe for ponds (which means it is safe for fish once cured). Yes, the styrofoam is polystyrene, try and use one that has the same density as electronic packaging for better results. Good Luck!

[gmajor1982]

would this work for saltwater tank

[MightyEvilOne]

@gmajor1982 I don't know, I have heard that the styrofoam melts with saltwater but I don't know for sure. Sorry, I have not tried that yet...

[HugeMalta]

@MightyEvilOne Thats why you seal it properly :)

[RYANLAVIGNE1]

check my tank out when you get a chance.

[MightyEvilOne]

@RYANLAVIGNE1 I will check it out...

[RYANLAVIGNE1]

i may try one of these drylock ones in time cause the cement takes forever to chill on the ph.

very realistic looking though!!!

[RYANLAVIGNE1]

nice tank and background my only problem with it is there is no caves or places to hide which cichlids need.

[MightyEvilOne]

@RYANLAVIGNE1 Thank you!

I know, that there are not many caves but the rock work at the bottom has some. I have also rearranged the rocks several times to accommodate better living conditions for the fish. I also plan on getting more rock on my next trip to the lake.

[TheKingbenno]

Great tank, I was wondering how you colored the background? and what colors did you use? Your rocks look incredibly realistic. Thanks!

[MightyEvilOne]

Thanks for he comment!

The background is colored with Drylock and it has no cement at all. The drylock comes in white so I used cement pigments to dye it. I used charcoal, buff and the regular color of the Drylock (white) to get the colors you see.

[Blazemess]

The background is awesome I tried doing one myself and failed miserably.

[MightyEvilOne]

Thank you! Keep trying, I have done a few that I did not like either but kept trying and eventually made some better ones.

[cichlid62]

Beautiful tank dude, but I have a question, Where exactly in Lake Malawi have you seen Jack Dempseys and Red Hooks. They clash big time with the beauty of the tank, but then that's just my opinion.

[MightyEvilOne]

Thank you!

LOL, yeah I know... The red hooks were put in there without my approval, my dad just came into the office one day and threw them in there (he knows nothing about fish). The Jack, I had him from a baby and Haven't had the heart to give her away yet...maybe once she starts eating my fish I will let her go.

[brimi925]

Has the Drylok stood up so far? I was inspired by this video and have already started building mine with Great Stuff foam and Drylok. I am curiuos how long it has been submerged and if you would have done anything differently. Please answer! thank you!!!

[MightyEvilOne]

The background is doing great, lots of algae growth and I have not had any problems so far. The background has been on for almost three months.

[AweSomo84]

great job on the 3d background!

Peace and love

[MightyEvilOne]

Thank you!

[apauln]

this gets 5 diamonds "♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦"

[MightyEvilOne]

Thank you very much!

[scrubjay93]

The little baby acei are so cute!

You did a great job on this background!!

[MightyEvilOne]

Thank you very much! Glad you liked it!

[ezone50]

whats in the smaller tank>?

[MightyEvilOne]

There are 20 to 30 Acei fry in there.

[ezone50]

nice !! job 5/5

[MightyEvilOne]

Thank you!