Has any one used these backgrounds?

[Patr1ck]

Has any one used these backgrounds? If so what did you think about them?
http://aquariumhabitats.com/

Thanks
P

[FLGirl1977]

Hi Pat!

I've bought from this guy and he's great to deal with. He is willing to go through the installation process step-by-step.

I haven't bought aquaterra myself, but a friend of mine has and it's beautiful. I bought a Pangea background myself and the quality is outstanding... you definitely get what you pay for!

Having said that, while I love my Rocky IV for a while.... there are definitely disadvantages to having a permanent background:

1. It's not easy to change it once it's in there. If it's siliconed in, it's really hard to get out.

2. No matter how many water changes you do, how low you keep nitrates, even if you have a UV filter (which I have), algae is going to grow on it. If you like that look, great! If not, I don't recommend these types of backgrounds. Just install it..... and it will grow! :p

3. Space. I don't recommend putting these backgrounds in anything less than a tank that is 24'' wide. You loose lots of valuable space.

4. Last but not least, It's great for hiding all your equipment behind the background (heater, intakes, outputs, powerheads, etc). Guess what else goes back there??? LOTS of POOP!:o It's very hard unless you've planned ahead of time to move it forward more (but then it takes even more precious space) to reach your hand behind there and vacuum out all the poop. I have small hands, but still couldn't reach down there and had to rig a coat-hanger on the siphon tube to vacuum it... and even then it wasn't easy.

Despite all of this, if you like it... get it! They looks SO awesome and really make a statement. I just wanted you to be prepared with everything and so you can plan accordingly and know what to expect.

Which background were you looking at anyway? What size tank do you have?

[Patr1ck]

Thanks Renee' for taking the time to type all that. I have a 90 gallon and was thinking about Amazonas I and III, Mudbank and Rocky IV as well. Also, since all of the filter stuff is behind it, did it create "dead spots" in front of it?

Thanks again,
P:D

[FLGirl1977]

Good question! There was... the entire surface area was a dead spot actually (because the outputs were completely submerged and divided with a T-tube and directed through the background through 2 drilled holes). I was really worried about the oxygen exchange, so I bought a magnetic Korelia powerhead and attached it on the side and pointed it upwards towards the surface. Problem solved! The only other thing was that the other side of the tanks surface didn't move, but you could buy another powerhead for that side as well. I never needed to, the fish were all fine with the one powerhead and it made quite a bit of surface agitation, so I never bothered.

[Harriett]

Renee', since you have done this, I would also like to check with you on a couple things--I have looked at these backgrounds myself over the last few years as well as building a little library of 'do it yourself background construction stories'.
On the Pangea website, it is suggested you put the intake pipe [going to the FILTER] behind the background and the return pipe [going to the TANK] in front of the background and drill holes so water flows behind the background to get taken up. Seems to me that you'd need a fair number of holes of some size to allow the canister filter to take out as much water as necessary to run properly. Seems like besides a poop bank back there, small fish could end up back there too? This method would also preclude a sponge prefilter on the intake pipe which means more filter cleaning [not my favorite job]. How much actual space is between the back tank wall and the background? Do you think putting heaters behind the background would be problematic? Any other tips? Do you by chance have photos of your tank with it?
Thans,
Harriett

[FLGirl1977]

Here are some pictures for you Harriet, they're not the greatest in the world. This is shortly after I set the tank up, (keep in mind, that's why there isn't algae growing on it yet)..

Ok, I've circled the intakes in blue and the outputs in red:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/rplein/IMG_4419-1.jpg
(Keep in mind this isn't the whole shot... there are two intakes, that's why there is an arrow pointing in the direction towards the other intake and a red arrow pointed where the other output is).

All together there are 2 intakes (one at each end) and 4 outputs (2 of the outputs are coming from a powerhead behind the background, a t-tube connects them and a tube is connected to the powerhead) and the other 2 outputs are connected with another t-tube behind the background and joins together at the main output from the eheim canister. The intake for the canister is right next to the intake hole (which is covered so fish don't get behind the background). Here's a picture of the intake cover:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/rplein/IMG_4406.jpg
That's Flash (my old OB peacock---meanest fish I've ever had!)

Here's a horrible pic of the background that doesn't do it ANY justice, but you get the idea and it reveals what the shadows normally hide:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/rplein/IMG_4418.jpg

Here's a closer shot of one of the outputs:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/rplein/IMG_4390.jpg

And here is a tank shot without flash:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/rplein/IMG_4458-1-1.jpg

I never had any problems with fish getting behind the background, you just have to make sure the slots on the intake covers are too small for the fish you are using.

As far as the space goes, here's a picture of the top:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/rplein/IMG_4345-1.jpg

Not a good pic, but it's all I have. From the pic it doesn't look like it goes out that far, but it goes out further towards the bottom, hense wider in the back where it's more difficult to reach.

Hope these help....

[FLGirl1977]

BTW, here were my malawi babies that ended up occupying the tank.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/rplein/IMG_4746.jpg

You can see the algae starting to grow, even with 40% weekly water changes. Later the algae turned to green and was so lush that I ended up trading these guys for credit towards a colony of tropheus that LOVED munching down on that algae!:p

[FLGirl1977]

BTW, before I started installing my background, I found this link particularly useful:

http://pets.webshots.com/album/122377585FDMrOA

[Porkchop]

I would say a bow front is a perfect tank to put that background on. I dislike the fish choice though. Looks like a lot of work but well worth it.

[Harriett]

Yup, those pics are great. Thanks for posting the link and also for taking the time to post your pics. Much appreciated.
I am thinking of this stuff for either my 75g tropheus tank or the 80g wild leo angels tank...it would be sweet!
Best regards
Harriett

[FLGirl1977]

I would say a bow front is a perfect tank to put that background on. I dislike the fish choice though. Looks like a lot of work but well worth it.

The malawis or pirahnas in the link??

[trebor69]

they sure are nice looking BGs

but wow

it wouldnt be hard to have $400 in one to do my 75g

I don't have that much in the entire tank (excluding fish)

[Patr1ck]

Those pics are really cool. Thanks again for taking the time to do all that. Do the backgrounds come with those intake strainers?

P

[FLGirl1977]

Unfortunately no, they don't come with it. I found those at my LFS. You pretty much have to do everything yourself... they don't provide tubing or holes in the background either. I guess they figure they wanted to leave that up to the customer so it gives them the freedom to put intakes/outputs where they want to go.

[Porkchop]

The malawis or pirahnas in the link??

Yes, sorry that was a little unclear. If I were to spend the money on one of those backgrounds, it would be for Discus or Cichlids. That is just me though :p