perhaps to make it more natural you could change the gravel to match the colour of the background as if the gravel that is there has been gradually eroded from the rock bank

Good idea spoon

these are my new ideas/brainwaves :lol:

im now saving up for an 8 ft tank and will be getting it made as soon as i have made the stand.

So this new tank will have a rocky background also but possibly no plants. so i will try go for spoons idea and do the eroded thing and see how it turns out. if not then i can only try try again

i was working planting plants near a disused basalt quarry i wish i had of waited till after that to build my background as nature is the best inspiration . perhaps go for a walk near some cliffs on a beach take a few photos for reference while carving

Is there anyway to obtain the step by step guide of si_sphinx did for background sculpting? truly is amazing si_sphinx and want to give it a go myself

Have you got any updates of this tank? I think it looks awesome.

Actually all the fish grew, a lot! And as they grew bigger, lumpheads and peacocks trying to spawn, the plants were pulled up, mosses ripped up, substrate all mixed together.it was in shambles so i pulled it all to pieces trying to get the bigger fish out. if i only had community fish in there, and not cichlids, it would still be the same. however the plants are doing great in the tropheus tank the tank is now sitting dry with no water in it

Is there anyway to obtain the step by step guide of si_sphinx did for background sculpting? truly is amazing si_sphinx and want to give it a go myself

Did i send you the guide? sorry i can't remember if i did or not.

Does anyone know how or where i can upload the pdf file of the guide i did so i can link it to here for everyone to use?

The one in the AW? I can pdf it for you.

i already have made it a pdf. i just want somewhere to upload it, like photobucket, so i can link it to here.

Send it to Zev and ask her to do it for you

mediafire.com ?

free file hosting

I put stuff on there to share with my family overseas....fullHD vids, docs etc

Thanks, i will check that out.

I have also pm'd Zev to maybe get it put in the articles section.

updates?

how heavy should these things end up with concrete on them?

ive started one 150x60 and its quite heavy now..

I'm just carving mine up now :yaw2:

Oh nice, Are you taking progressive pictures for show and tell? :spop:

I'll try find a camera and start recording the process, not sure how well its going to turn out tho.

I'm thinking of coating the finished wall in resin and then covering in sand, what do you think? I want a nice dark textured grain, like this one here : http://www.aquahobby.com/tanks/e_tank0902.php

p.s

What kind of resin can i use?

yes I liked that tank too.

I used Epiglass HT9000 general purpose epoxy resin. but that was over the concrete and not directly on the polystyrene.

The sand gives it a nice textured finish, just get the right coloured sand and it should turn out looking good.

Im nearly done carving (hacking) the poly, will start putting the resin on a bit later. Decided to use a black pigment mixed in with black silica sand

Finished applying the first coat of resin WOW it looks so good :happy1: Its too bad i took the photo's on a floppy disk camera and my computer doesn't have a floppy disk drive.... :dunno:

UPDATE:

follow this link http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=50854&start=15

Well done a great job u have done!!