DIY Styrofoam and concrete aquarium background tutorial

Today the Madman tackles the DIY Aquarium background for the CONGO aquarium once again..
Not reinventing the wheel here this method is somewhat tried and true.
This tutorial i will take you through each of the steps I took to make this incredible background become a reality. I think it turned out amazing and I'm sure I will be doing more of these in the future.
Overall this DIY project can be tackled with anyone at any skill level...even me. The styrofoam can be acquired cheaply or found via fish shipping boxes etc... and upcycled. The Hydraulic cement (Quickcrete) can be readily accessed at any home center that sells building materials cheaply. brushes and disposable containers were found at the local dollarstore.
The building process can take as long as you wish depending on the level of detail you wish to achieve. For me this background to build was about a week, had to wait on the cement to cure between coats. The water leaching process accounts for a couple weeks. I considered using hydrochloric acid to rapidly speed up the process but because the background was already installed I did not want to risk my room full of critters to the gas produced from the chemical reaction. So slow and steady won this race and I truly couldn't be more pleased with the end result.
I hope you enjoy the video.
Cheers!
Biggs
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[@moonpiess_]

that turned out pretty awesome Dad

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks Zoe

[@chrisbee83]

@@themadaquarist This warned my heart as I'm a Chris and my husband's middle name is Chris and we have a Zoe 😊

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

It turned out amazing!!. If I ever get set up my 33 gallon long, I'm definitely going to attempt to do one myself!! ❤️ Thank you so much for taking the time to share this tutorial!! You Rock🤘❤️🌿🐟🌿💚

[@themadaquarist]

Please share it with us when you do. You don't have to be fully insane like me and could do it on a much smaller scale. Thank you so much as always for all your love and support Mary. Sorry for the huge delays in my responses. Took sick over the holidays and getting caught up is a mountain to climb.but I'm climbing it lol

[@stubbsaquatics6080]

Well... That looks amazing.. Love it..

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@GNJsAquaticNation]

Fantastic Job !!! Looks very real and natural.

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you so much 😀

[@jeremycover]

That was great! Thanks for sharing! Very inspiring

[@themadaquarist]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching

[@AquaGardenZen]

That came out amazing 👏 great job on the background can't wait to see it stocked with fish very exciting

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you 🙏

[@cichlidcenter4686]

That looks fantastic!!

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks so much

[@SusanforSLCAquatics]

Wow! Awesome Chris! ❤️

[@themadaquarist]

Very kind Susan thank you

[@jamesgreen9372]

Success is good ! Thanks for the video, Jim

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you kindly my friend

[@ChantalsCritters]

Looks so real. Great video

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks so much for your never wavering support of my content and you’re beyond kind words of encouragement. Truly means a lot to me

[@SkullAquatics]

Very cool project- loved it 👍👍👍

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you 🙏

[@RikoStan]

You make it look easy!

[@themadaquarist]

Yes but did I redeem myself?

[@Simply4Aquatics]

Looks absolutely awesome! That’s a job well done. Makes me want to make one! 😁

[@themadaquarist]

a smarter person, not me, would do a smaller one first lol

[@alansmith2292]

Very good job, I'm inspired!

[@themadaquarist]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@allycapone101]

Amazing!

[@fishiemon64]

Thanks for the video it came out really good I like it a lot 👍🏽✌🏽

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you kindly

[@gavinbrown4311]

Phenomenal !

[@themadaquarist]

That’s truly kind, thanks

[@stevenbisset8717]

flamin brilliant 👏

[@themadaquarist]

very kind my friend

[@AQUAFUNK]

This looks A-LOT-MO-BETTER 💪😎👍

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks much Dude!

[@markhalliday3703]

Wow Biggsy,this is great,you are a Rock star mate 😁👌👊👍🤜🤛🇦🇺

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you kindly Mark

[@Thunder.Aquatics]

Great video!

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks so much

[@tomfasano9082]

Might have to give this a try

[@themadaquarist]

Hope it works out my friend

[@ydocg6]

Nice job!

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you kindly

[@MissChelle]

Awesome job!🇦🇺❤️

[@themadaquarist]

That’s very kind thank you

[@victoriab3882]

Good job Biggs!

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you so much Victoria

[@kjeaquatics]

Very Nice !

[@themadaquarist]

thanks so much

[@jackanddan]

Came out awesome Mr. Biggs…. Some people might say that background rocks 🤘🤘😀😀

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks Dudes

[@RikoStan]

Lol #dadjokes

[@jackanddan]

@@RikoStan 🤘🔥🔥🤘

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

It does🤘💓

[@SumerSubba]

You made it ridiculously easy

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks for watching

[@CeboAquatics]

wow. great job! ... i have made one similar for a bearded dragon setup... but haven't tried it in my tanks yet. ... it's definitely on my bucket list. :)

[@themadaquarist]

You can do it! Easy and fun to do

[@zeninsyt]

"The Tickle Trunk" hahaha ... I remember that show from a looong time ago :)

[@themadaquarist]

At least one person caught the reference

[@AquaticDomain]

Looks awesome! What kind of dye did you add to the Quick Crete and what is the silicone you used?

[@vlopezgtest]

Thks a lot

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you for watching

[@scotthopkins2235]

looks great and I know the cost was reasonable when you look at premade units and the cost they bring. I'm thinking of using the higher density foam board just because it's easy to get at the home improvement stores and one 4X8 sheet should cover a 55g on 3 sides.

[@themadaquarist]

Sounds like a great plan to me!

[@johnjwedrall4290]

I found your channel today and subscribed to it today 👍

[@themadaquarist]

Welcome aboard my new friend, I hope you enjoy the chaos and absurdity

[@johnjwedrall4290]

@@themadaquarist yep I do enjoy 😉 👍

[@Das_Logic]

Wow

[@themadaquarist]

Thats very kind thank you

[@SupremeGecko]

Oh the mess you have made. Finished product- AMAZING!!!! You have Michelangelo sculping skills!

[@themadaquarist]

I'm really good at making a mess of things! It's a gift lol

[@SupremeGecko]

@@themadaquarist I think it has taken years and years of practice to master the skill level you have.

[@themadaquarist]

@@SupremeGecko lol it’s has

[@TMAquatics]

Nice Job Biggs. Is the quickcrete mixed per instructions or do you add more water?

[@themadaquarist]

You can ask my wife but the Biggs rarely if ever reads instructions. I just added enough to make it fluid and in small batches.

[@hummingbyrd6333]

Awesome Background , I have made small flat pieces rock out of Dry lok Quickrete coloring . And some with cement , i have not silicone Styrofoam together Can I use any silicone like house hould silicone ? Also i am working on inserts decorative for fish taks for plants anything you would recommend to do and not too do? 0:33

[@MickeyMetalmjl]

do you find a submersible Styrofoam takes up alot of space in the tank. Less room for fish...Nice outcome!! BRAVO

[@stephencraig8578]

How long did you let the cement cure before putting it in the water?

[@sharrell5185]

I love it too how did you keep the styrofoam from coming off by the turtle biting on it. I think you said something about cement that I've heard that cement is not safe for turtles was there something else use that I missed

[@themadaquarist]

I don’t have any turtles but once cured this product is like stone. It is a cement product just no additional aggregate. Just a thin slurry. Cement products contain lime which is extremely caustic and needs to be leached away to make it safe for use. Once that’s taken care of it will last for many years in a home aquarium

[@steveburlingame1935]

I should do this for my sons turtle tank

[@themadaquarist]

I fear that turtles claws may eventually expose the styrofoam

[@themadaquarist]

But for the price still very much may be worth it

[@kf4956]

I have a quick question. If I were doing this on a smaller scale for decorative rocks or a smaller plateau, could I do the leaching process in a bucket or kiddie pool? I'm wanting to make some slate like pieces. I wouldn't have to treat the water or anything right?

[@themadaquarist]

Definitely. Just be watchful using the muriatic acid as it works very fast

[@ottomattix86]

I wanna do this in my new 360g!

[@themadaquarist]

I look forward to seeing your creation

[@ericfab4858]

Canada wooooooooooooooo

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks Eric

[@joseluissanchez2684]

Hola compañero de acuarofilia...el fondo de acuario que as fabricado...no cambia los parametros del agua?un saludo desde españa

[@themadaquarist]

Yes concrete is extremely alkaline, so once the background is fully cured it needs to be leached extensively to remove the lime. Several days of soaking and water changes takes care of it. Testing water parameter will easily tell you once leaching is complete

[@baysavs1029]

Looks really good. Would you ever consider making one for someone else's tank

[@themadaquarist]

Sadly I would never have the time. The fun part is making it yourself

[@stoneysscapes7544]

​@@themadaquaristAmen Buy the arm and the leg from Aqua Decor or do it yourself and you'll never be the same , unless you do it in a well ventilated area . Lol Until the end I was thinking that I had to do Dry Loc ? I guess you can get by without it ? Like you said do not stock the tank until the job is over and safe. Now I have to find the video where you yucked it up 😮

[@Janpva.]

Sweet ! But what paint di you use? And the concrete is usually changing the PH a lot.. unless u used a special type of concrete

[@themadaquarist]

No paint just concrete dyes. As shown in the video the background was leached multiple times until it stabilized. I could’ve use a diluted muriatic acid to speed up the process but that would’ve had to be done outside due to the gas produced. PH is stable now without any issues

[@Janpva.]

@@themadaquarist thank you! I would like to paint mine. So.. i might use acrilic paint and see if it works...

[@dawnt6791]

Can you provide a link to the exact Quikrete product you used, please? The only "hydraulic cement" coming up when I search for Quikrete brand doesn't match the label of the product in the video, so I'm not sure if it's safe or not to use for this. ?? BTW, thanks for this tutorial. You make this process look a lot easier and explain better than some of the other videos I've watched. MUCH appreciated.

[@themadaquarist]

Pretty much every time I’ve bought it the label Is different. All the same, brand doesn’t matter

[@dawnt6791]

@@themadaquarist I did finally find the one with the exact label you showed. Had to order it online. Now that I have it, I figure I can take the container to my local hardware store when I need more - to be sure I get the right stuff. More than one way to get what I need. LOL

[@themadaquarist]

@@dawnt6791 I’m currently ‘punting a couple of small ones. Very quick and easy to do once done it before.

[@DanielNelson]

I've done a few coats of hydraulic cement. Feels heavy. But I could also crush it with little effort. Is that ok? I think gentle use should be fine but if I dropped it or squeezed too hard it would break apart.

[@themadaquarist]

Yes, slowly build up a few layers to get the texture you want then install. But yes it I were to say drop a rock on it it would crack/crumble

[@Silvic20]

Can you please show how do you maintain it? Mine is full of algae and I Can’t scrub otherwise it will destroy the background

[@themadaquarist]

I honestly haven’t had to do any maintenance on it. Looks the same as the day I put it in

[@LuigiCrampAquarium]

what paint did you use ?

[@themadaquarist]

I didn’t use any paint

[@tmoe1153]

Quick question that I hope you can answer. I just did a 3D background myself and I used hydraulic cement let it cure for 24 hrs and siliconed it in and I have done 100% water changes the past 3 days in my 55 g tank and the ph is still extremely high. Is there any suggestions on how to speed this up or long did it take for your water to straighten up? Thank any advice will be helpful

[@themadaquarist]

Just takes time leaching the lime out. I would just filled the aquarium and let sit overnight then drain and refill. However I was using reverse osmosis water which will take any buffer it can get so the process was decidedly faster for me. If the background had not yet been Installed you could you muriactic acid slowly and in small doses outdoors in a well ventilated area. The chemical reaction produces a gas. It’s an almost instant process but have to go slow so it doesn’t fully consume your background

[@MartianPerson133]

Did you get the pH to level out? If so, how long did it take?

[@bigfishlad4847]

Take a bow bud 👌

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you so very much my friend. Also thank you for joining the channel

[@bigfishlad4847]

@@themadaquarist no problem its the best on YT fella

[@obliviousthunder]

at what frequency you do the water changes during those 2 weeks?

[@themadaquarist]

You mean during the leaching process? Daily to every second day until the leaching stops

[@Marshymilz]

@@themadaquarist Thanks for this video Legend 🤙Did the PH come back to the same PH as your source water? I've been leaching mine for about a month now, my tap water is at about 7.4 but the water in the tank is sitting on about 8.4 now (was completely off the scale until recently) not sure if its going to get back to the mid 7's which is where I need it for my Discus.

[@stacyking8092]

I made this and mixed flexibond with cement. However fish died:( can you recommend something to make sure that the fish won't die when coating the styro?

[@themadaquarist]

I’m in Canada I use a product known as Quickcrete. It a very thin concrete slurry when applied. I’m he one you mentioned I’ve never heard of. Regular concrete watered down to make a thin slurry would work fine. Biggest and most important issue is the leaching process after it’s fully cured. This process can takes a few days with several water changes. If not done fully the water would be so incredibly alkaline that few fish could survive

[@tanyawilson5928]

My tank is octagon

[@themadaquarist]

Can still do 1,2 or 3 sides if you wish

[@buzk4]

Did u not forget hole forna filter? Onthe right side 🤔

[@themadaquarist]

No it was built at the right height to accommodate the overflow

[@nutmeggs]

Is there a product that could be used in place of the QuickCrete that WOULDN'T need the lime leached out of it? Patience isn't my best quality and unfortunately neither is extra space! Also, do you have a brand or type of concrete pigment you suggest?

[@themadaquarist]

Any concrete based product will need to be leached. Perhaps epoxy coating of some kind may be an option however most would have an non natural finish imo.

[@nutmeggs]

@@themadaquarist same thought with the epoxy - shine galore! Lol

[@tylerraber4800]

Cement mix is safe les gravel too

[@curvingfyre6810]

Concrete?? Doesn't that have problems with mineral leakage?

[@themadaquarist]

Yes (Lime) and if you watch the video I will show you how to solve the issue

[@erikwilcox6377]

Would it be reef safe

[@themadaquarist]

That honestly I couldn’t answer. I’ve never been a reef guy so I wouldn’t want to say yea or no without knowing for certain.

[@matevzkoman8478]

Do you think that it would be ok to use normal cement?

[@themadaquarist]

Yes would still need the leaching process to remove the lime. However it could be incredibly heavily

[@matevzkoman8478]

@@themadaquarist what do you mean with the leaching proces?

[@themadaquarist]

@@matevzkoman8478 in the video I go Into detail about it and why. If you don’t the water will be so incredibly alkaline that nothing will survive it n it.

[@matevzkoman8478]

@@themadaquaristdo you think it would make a difference if I used normal cement or hydraulic(water stop) cement? And how is your background doing today

[@themadaquarist]

@@matevzkoman8478 the hydraulic would work fine as well as I’ve used it in the past. Has to be done flat though as it’s very thin and self levelling. Challenging to build up and dimension or texture with it though. The background looks same as day one

[@hunterdiggs9747]

What kind of cement exactly

[@themadaquarist]

Quick Crete

[@hunterdiggs9747]

@@themadaquarist no specific brand it all works the same?

[@themadaquarist]

@@hunterdiggs9747 yes all works the same. It’s a fine cement powder, no aggregate, mix with water to make a thin slurry.

[@DanielNelson]

How's the aquarium look now?

[@themadaquarist]

Still great, a bit overcrowded for my liking but about to do some major switch ups in the fishroom and I’m leaning towards flipping this tank with the piranhas aquarium

[@DanielNelson]

@@themadaquarist would love a video or short. Thanks for the content

[@liamwalters5029]

Nice Biggs your not just a pretty face

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks Liam

[@Jade_1976]

I thhink this is harmfull to fishes

[@themadaquarist]

Not if done correctly. Once leached it no More toxic than sand

[@FuzzyFrogAmarantha]

Man, you dont have to shout like that... My ears exploded at your intro....