3 D backdrop fish only question

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Hoytsdaddy

Member
I know from previous suggestions to use Live rock in FO tanks. Im exploring other opportunities and think I may have it....Please advise on my plan. I found in Basiles Rock post in the General forum a guy who made a 3D backdrop that looked like ruins. He made it out of foam and used hydraulic cement to coat it and it looks awesome. Question being this...... Will this concrete like finish act as my liverock to help the bio in my tank?

If not........Can I coat the foam with portland cement and crushed oyster shells to act as my live rock?

or hydraulic cement and crushed oyster shells maybe mix in some ag sand?


any suggestions on this is an awesome help.

The background is fairly large and covers tthe entire back of the tank ... See basiles post to get an idea(i dont know how to place a link or I would) Mine is going to be in a 110 gal FO tank. I also have a overflow box into a wet dry with flowing through a filter pad then a bin with some rubble rock and chaeto then into a sump with a phosban filter that I can Dr phosban or charcoal or what ever needs doctored, a protein skimmer and a return pump.

lease advise on this fish ony idea..... And wich method would work or if they will work at all????
 
H

Hoytsdaddy

Member
Hello anybody out there?????? Wheres AL when you need him? He is everywhere else in this place. Respectfully and LOL. Come on guys need some help . 24 viewers but nobody chiming in . Little help....pleeeeeeze?
 
michelle9491

michelle9491

Member
As far as the foam, I personally would stay away from it, just asking for trouble later on down the road.

What kind of fish are you gonna have? If you try to do anything with crushed oyster shells & have a puffer, you can forget it. I have created a few things for my FO tank with the stuff, next few days all the oyster shells are gone. Obviously he loves that it.

Im basically trying to do the same thing you are & havent come up with anything that will work yet, why I didnt reply sooner. Will let you know if I ever figure it out!
 
H

Hoytsdaddy

Member
Someone else help out here. I know you guys make the fake liverock and that method should work?????? Any more help out there?
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
The only thing I can offer on this is that a friend used a foam backdrop and had nothing but algae problems. Once he removed the foam the algae went away. I don't know if there are different kinds of foam that may be different.
 
H

Hoytsdaddy

Member
Ok so what if I skip the foam and make it completely out of the fake rock mixture you guys use. I think its argonite or something like that???? Seen it in here before and am guessing its fairly popular?
 
H

Hoytsdaddy

Member
Iam trying to get the usage of both appearance and also get the live rock benefits. I want to start a fish only tank but I want one that pops. Most FO tanks are kinda boreing. So I wanted a sunken city and make the ruins outta the same stuff they make the artificial LR out of
I was thinking of the styro assembly and putting four or five coats of the stuff on to make it look aged and weathered and get the performance of regular LR for my bio and filtration benefits
I can do it either way all artificial LR or foam coated with the LR mix.???
Check out the backgroung of the ruins in Basiles Rock sticky it really looks awesome. I have a 110 so I have more room upward in height so itll pop out even more as itll be a taller structure. It will also take up around the same amount of space as stacking it full of LR.
 
reefs reefs

reefs reefs

Member
yea i would stay away from the foam to first of all the foam is not called live foam. Live rock is what you need it has helpful bacteria and helps filter your water to. I think it would work fine in a fresh water tank but with salt water there really is no room for only doing half the work and spending half the money. I would stick to the live rock in my opinion
 
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