# To BG or not to BG



## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

I constructed this DIY background for my 4ft 75g. My intention was to use this and a good bit of DW and moderately plant the tank. Well......after weeks of researching, gathering equipment, and looking at all your tanks, i am second guessing my initial plan.

So i am posting a poll in hopes that you all can help me make up my mind. Please feel free to just vote, but i would really like to hear your input on the up sides and down sides of both of my options. 

The background is 6 inches deep at its widest point, leaving me only 12 inches of floor space in the norrowest areas. 










options:

1. Background. DW. Low tech. Light to moderate planting. 

2. NO background. Lots of DW and rock formations. High tech. CO2. Heavy planting.


Thanks for your help.


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Option #2 so you can send that awesome background to me. 

Lol, jk. I say go with your original plan. That background is extremely well-made and would look great with some driftwood, especially if you had it placed in a similar manner to this tank. A nice grassy carpet (_Helanthium tenellum_?) and maybe some amazon swords would really look nice. 

That's just my opinion though. Whichever route you take will result in an awesome tank anyway.


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## Hcancino (Jun 18, 2011)

I say option 2. As someone with a 12" deep tank (60 gallon) you will really want those extra 6 inches if you go the planted route.


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## JEden8 (Jan 5, 2011)

That background looks really cool! I would stick with it. Good job on it!


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

thanks for the feedback folks



AzFishKid said:


> Option #2 so you can send that awesome background to me.
> 
> Lol, jk. I say go with your original plan. That background is extremely well-made and would look great with some driftwood, especially if you had it placed in a similar manner to this tank. A nice grassy carpet (_Helanthium tenellum_?) and maybe some amazon swords would really look nice.
> 
> That's just my opinion though. Whichever route you take will result in an awesome tank anyway.


Funny you should chime in here, your tank is one of the ones that i was talking about above that has sent me into this tailspin. Thanks for the kind words on the BG. 

Also thank for the vote of confidence on either way i decide to go. Thats appreciated.



Hcancino said:


> I say option 2. As someone with a 12" deep tank (60 gallon) you will really want those extra 6 inches if you go the planted route.


And that is EXACTLY what im talking about. That 6x48 inch strip the BG takes up could accomidate a bunch of cool plants.



JEden8 said:


> That background looks really cool! I would stick with it. Good job on it!


Thanks. I put A LOT of time and effort into it. Blood sweat and even a few tears. I would love to see it through. But my vision of the end product amd how i see this tanks finished product is changing and moving away from the BG.


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## leaa (Dec 16, 2011)

Nicely done. Maybe you can even stick some javafern and/or moss in the deep cracks to have the jungle emerging out of the walls, like epiphytes growing on immersed fallen wood. Combined with lots more matching driftwood and loads of plants, should be a stunning result.

Be great to see where you go with this. Any plans on the fishstock?


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

As nice as that background is (and it's awesome), I feel like going from 18" to 12" is too much to give up. Not to mention that depending on the material, you're probably losing 10-15 gallons of water volume by putting that in, which sort of sucks as well. You'd essentially have a 55G with an awesome looking background left over.


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Although scaping in an 18" tank is definitely easier, 12" really isn't too bad either. Finding properly-sized driftwood becomes a slight issue but it's definitely doable.

I guess you should ask yourself what are you trying to accomplish with this tank... A lush garden with tons of plants in it, or something with a more predominant hardscape? That should be your deciding factor, IMO.

Another option would be to do a riparium. If you could figure out how to incorporate riparium planters into an aquarium with that 3D background, it would look awesome!


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

You went to all the effort to build it....use it. If you aren't happy take it out.

When aquascaping in cyber space seems like we never can have a tank deep enough. In real world life we have the space we have to work with. This is were artistic skills enter into the mix to create the illusion of depth.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

leaa said:


> Nicely done. Maybe you can even stick some javafern and/or moss in the deep cracks to have the jungle emerging out of the walls, like epiphytes growing on immersed fallen wood. Combined with lots more matching driftwood and loads of plants, should be a stunning result.
> 
> Be great to see where you go with this. Any plans on the fishstock?


 
thank you. the moss idea sounds good, ill use it if i go the BG route. 

Im fortunate enough to live by a lake in which they lower drasticly every winter. I stumbled across a driftwood grave yard. Literally, its an inlet that is probably 300ft x 300ft and packed from shore to shore with DW. You can walk across the dw and NEVER step foot on the ground from shore to shore. So i have a bunch of great pieces at my disposal. 

for fishstock i want:

cichlids
1.1 Api. paucisquamis
1.1 Api. cacatuoides
1.1 Api. nijsseni

others
1.1 zebra plecos
20 celestial pearl danio
a group of cories


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

VeeSe said:


> As nice as that background is (and it's awesome), I feel like going from 18" to 12" is too much to give up. Not to mention that depending on the material, you're probably losing 10-15 gallons of water volume by putting that in, which sort of sucks as well. You'd essentially have a 55G with an awesome looking background left over.


Exactly



AzFishKid said:


> Although scaping in an 18" tank is definitely easier, 12" really isn't too bad either. Finding properly-sized driftwood becomes a slight issue but it's definitely doable.
> 
> I guess you should ask yourself what are you trying to accomplish with this tank... A lush garden with tons of plants in it, or something with a more predominant hardscape? That should be your deciding factor, IMO.
> 
> Another option would be to do a riparium. If you could figure out how to incorporate riparium planters into an aquarium with that 3D background, it would look awesome!


i have a GREAT stump piece that am DEFINITELY using. Its 31 inches from left to right and 14 inches from front to back. With the BG it would have to be trimmed a good bit. But its the "look" im shooting for. A flooded Amazon appearance.

Im not all to crazy about ripariums













DogFish said:


> You went to all the effort to build it....use it. If you aren't happy take it out.
> 
> When aquascaping in cyber space seems like we never can have a tank deep enough. In real world life we have the space we have to work with. This is were artistic skills enter into the mix to create the illusion of depth.


i am going with a soil base (faternity of mud here i come) and a PFS cap, so the rescape after the fact would be messy to say the least. So i feel it would be best to choose the end result from the get go stick to it. Plus with all the silicon that it take to secure these things to the tank, it would be a complete nightmare to remove with the soil and water already in place. i need to pick one and go with it.

Thanks for the input.


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## FinalJenemba (Dec 2, 2011)

The last tank I did, I spray painted the back flat black. I don't think ill be doing any other kind of background again. I like the 3D ones like yours, but they're allot of work to get right and for me, the trade offs aren't worth it.

But I do think your tank is gonna look awesome either way!


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## leaa (Dec 16, 2011)

What a fantiastic resource to have that driftwood locally. Maybe find some really impressive branchy pieces and pack the tank with them. It will match the wood BG, and may also give a bit more depth as the eye follows the brances through the tank. You can also draw they eye in with moss and javafern (maybe windelov and some narrowleaf for variety) tied at various heights throughout if the brances reach all sides and up to the top. I belive Amano's trick for depth is to put larger leaved plants at front and smaller at the back, and with regular java or swords etc at the front and small leaf stems, moss or java narrow leaf at back it should pull off more depth than available. Moreover, it should also get that Amazon look you're after, i do love the piece you're starting with 

I like the stock ideas also. I've been wanting apisto's and zebra pleco's for a while but no more tanks allowed .


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

thanks everyone to the input. i have decided to go with option #2


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## Erick (Nov 1, 2011)

Well. You have to make your choice, I can't do it for you. But I can say that you have made one NICE background. Job very well done!!!


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## whitepapagold (Aug 19, 2010)

Good choice. No matter how nice the BG it will always look a bit out of place with real plants, rocks and wood.

Personally, I think BGs shine with cichlid tanks. You could make a nice cichlid tank with that BG.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

whitepapagold said:


> Good choice. No matter how nice the BG it will always look a bit out of place with real plants, rocks and wood.
> 
> Personally, I think BGs shine with cichlid tanks. You could make a nice cichlid tank with that BG.


that was my intention at first, but them i stumbled onto this forum and, well..............


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## Naekuh (Oct 19, 2011)

AzFishKid said:


> Option #2 so you can send that awesome background to me.


LOLOL i +1 this... where is the line for that background...


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

Naekuh said:


> LOLOL i +1 this... where is the line for that background...


thx

the line?


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