Back to Nature Slim-line Tank Background

[TW]

Hi all

I'm thinking of using Back to Nature Slim-line background, but wondered if any members could share their experience with it.

Are there many drawbacks in using it, such as problems in getting a good seal. What happens when / if water does get behind it?

Appreciate any opinions on whether they are good, or more trouble than they are worth.

[AHC]

Hi Robyn,

I hated it. It soon didnt take long for a good seal to make gaps where it stuck to the back glass. Food, watse and debris would find its way in there and never come out no matter how hard you try. I think they are a good cause of bacteria to proliferate.

[TW]

Hi Aaron,

Thanks for feedback :)

Just wondering, did you have the 3D type, the sort that looked like a tree root and had gaps between the rear of the background & the tank wall or the one that is completely flat on the back (like the one pictured) as I think that makes a difference.

So, were your issues with the flat back style?

[AHC]

Hi,

I bought the slimline background so it wasn't the 3d with the tree trunk etc. Although the back didnt look like that. Maybe it was a variation?

Basically i bought the background because it was thin (didn't take up too much room) and looked like a rock face. I bought it when i bought my 3ft x 2ft tank a while ago from a LFS.

I asked them to install the background for me so when i picked it up it was ready to go. They had siliconed it on by placing a bead all the way around the edge and then placed a spiral snail shell pattern in the middle. about 8 months later i realised that it had pulled away from some of the silicone and there was food, debris etc trapped. I also notice that my khulli loaches had gotten in there and made it there little home.

HTH

[TW]

What did the back of yours look like? It was different? But still flat?

Sadly, by the time of your reply I'd already gone ahead & ordered it, largely based on the experience of a guy called Dan from BIDKA (also SD). He had a bunch of wild blues in a tank with a cheaper copy of the Back to Nature slim-line. If I'd read your feedback before I ordered, I may not have done so ..... but ..... what's done is done.

I plan on using so much silicone, that basically the whole back will not have a fraction of a millimetre without silicone on it. Dan said that when I thought I had bought enough silicone for the job, to double it LOL. Once the underneath has completely cured, then all the edging & joins will get another top beading of silicone for good measure.

Wish me luck, now that I'm committed. I will certainly keep a careful check & move the discus to another tank at the first sign of any issues.

[BigDaddyAdo]

I would silicon yourself as that way you can go overboard and make sure its sealed properly.

[Bad Inferno]

You wont stop the algea growing and in 6 months it will look shocking

[TW]

Hi Bad Inferno & Ado

Yeah, Ado, I'm hoping that doing it myself will make the difference, as with these warnings, I will be quite paranoid to make sure it is well sealed and I'll not be sparing with the silicone. Whereas maybe a LFS could have placed more emphasis on being economical with the silicone.

From what I'm told, BN will take care of the algae - at least that's what a user of this same background has told me when I asked him about algae & cleaning. I can only hope that's true, cause it's too late now anyway. Just before Aaron (AHC) replied, the background had been paid for & ordered :ug The darn thing is too expensive to not even give it a try.

Thanks for the replies.

[AHC]

Hi Sorry for the late reply.

The back of it looked like a flat version of the front. It was slim and flat though.

Give it ago. It sounds like the problem with mine was that they didnt use enough silicone. If you do it yourself you can make sure the background won't move.

In relation to the algea. I did start to get some, but then i popped a BN in and he soon fixed the problem. I didnt have highlight at the time or an imbalance so the algea was limited to start with.

Good luck with the project. Show some pictures of how much silicone and what it looks like when finished. Im sure over time we can monitor. You could be like a test case for DIY silicone overload.

[TW]

Thanks Aaron - I've been given lots of installation tips by the UK person, who started me on this track. I'm a little stressed & worried that I won't be able to do it right.

Apart from an overload of silicone, 2 other useful things he mentioned, for example:-

allowing for the silicon in the tank, meaning the silicon holding the glass together, as it has a rounded edge (in the coners) to it so when fitting a background in the back it should be cut a little short (Top to Bottom) so that the background sits flat on the back panel of glass, that way you get a much better seal.

Once its stuck in, use piles of books in the tank wedged in to hold the background tight to the back of the tank to make sure while the glue is setting that the background is pressed firmly to the back pain of glass otherwise the tend to come away slightly.

Anyway, fingers crossed I haven't made an expensive mistake :ug

I'll post pictures of the process for sure. Just wish I was better at DIY. Wish me luck all !

[TW]

Oh, Aaron - forgot to ask. It's around 300L. How many pepermint BN's do you think for this tank & take care of any algae issue?

[TW]

Give it ago. It sounds like the problem with mine was that they didnt use enough silicone. If you do it yourself you can make sure the background won't move ..... Good luck with the project. Show some pictures of how much silicone and what it looks like when finished. Im sure over time we can monitor. You could be like a test case for DIY silicone overload.
Probably wouldn’t have gone ahead with this, after hearing of Aaron's experience – except by then I’d already paid & ordered the darn thing. I'm covering the back wall & one of the side walls.

Still, glad I did hear the bad reviews, because at least I was forewarned on how important a good seal is.

I fell in love with someone’s tank picture who used this same background with no issues. Also, another hobbyist, who used a very similar one, helped me with all his installation tips. I hope with his advice, I’ve sealed it enough to be water tight & debris proofed. His most important tips were:-

* Use heaps of silicone.
* When you think you’ve bought enough silicone – double it !
* Cut the background smaller than the tank silicone (ie the silicone holding the tank sides together) otherwise it won't sit flat, leaving gaps between it & tank wall
* Weigh it down while silicone dries, to ensure good contact between background & tank wall
* Seal all end edges well
* Use heaps of silicone (much more that the instructions say) oops, did I say that already - well that was his very most important tip!

Anyway, I’ll let the pictures tell the story

Trim the height to fit the tank. Place all pieces in tank, in their position, for a test fit for accuracy.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/79G_298L_Discus%20Tank/000_1295_fromtheback_cuttingtosize.jpg

Instruction Card indicating manufacturer’s recommended use of silicone (black blobs indicate silicone)
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/79G_298L_Discus%20Tank/000_1313_instructionsonsiliconeamou.jpg
I think that’s enough silicone to make it stick – but not anywhere near enough to make the seal watertight & debris proof.

Showing how much I used
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/79G_298L_Discus%20Tank/000_1297_silconeonpiece.jpg
One full tube on each background piece was used. Using a spreader, the lines / beads of silicone were blended into a solid coverage, before positioning in tank.

Up to now, I more or less followed manufacturer’s instructions, except in relation that I used much more silicone.

Weigh it down. Each piece was allowed to dry before the next step.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/79G_298L_Discus%20Tank/000_1298_weighingitdown.jpg

Seal the Edges. When dry, a bead of silicone was run along the end edge & the glass. Allowed to dry
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/79G_298L_Discus%20Tank/000_1301_siliconetheedges2.jpg

Process was repeated until all pieces in place and the last piece had dried

Seal the Edges & the Overlap. Another bead of silicone was run around all edges to seal, as well as the overlap where the pieces join.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/79G_298L_Discus%20Tank/000_1307.jpg

I’m pretty sure it’s sealed enough, but just to make sure, I plan on putting another bead of silicone over all the joins. Heaven help me if I ever want to remove this !

Still have the side wall to do.

I’ll add more pictures when tank is upright & with water.

[TW]

Oops, forgot to mention that the final seal around the edges will be with the black silicone that Jothy sent me. Thanks again Jothy !

[ivo]

OMG Robyn, so much work for a background! Good luck with it n post some pictures after you install it. Merry Xmas!

[TW]

Hi Ivo

Merry Christmas to you, too. Nice to hear from you.

It's really quite an easy product to work with - it's just that I took my time with it and only did one piece at a time. I'd be more worried about stuffing it up if it was one of the nice 3D amazon tree root types - but this was easy. Just needed to take out shares in a silicone company

I should have some nice wild semi royal red spotted greens moving in very shortly !

[Dan s]

Hello Robyn,

I hope you got it all sorted. The problems listed by others are easily overcome, Algae will easily be sorted by BN and hopefully with the tips I gave you there wont be any of the problems listed by AHC.

Ive used these types of backgrounds for the last 5 or 6 years (if not longer) now and the first couple I did, I did experience some problems with but it was only because I hadnt fitted them properly so had gaps that food got trapped in due to to little silicon, not allowing for the tank silicon in the corners and not weighing the background down whilst the silicon was setting. Once you have these problems sorted you should have years of service out of them.

Once in place they make such a difference to a display tank, it allows you to make a beautiful and natural aquascape that you cant get with a blue background.
Slimline or the 3D backgrounds, I will be using them for many years to come.

Hope you had a good Xmas and New Year and I look forward to seeing the tank and the new fish soon.

Dan (from the UK).