NatureDecor 3D Aquarium Background Review (Ordering, Shipping, Installation, and Pros/Cons)
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- A review of the pros and cons of 3D backgrounds as well as tips on ordering and installing. Please see below for links to some of the products in the video:
3D background company: naturedecordes...
The specific background I have (Massive Rock D): naturedecordes...
JB Weld Water Weld: www.jbweld.com...
Flex Glue ( I say flex seal in the video, but I used flex glue): www.amazon.com...
Thanks for watching! Please don't forget to rate and subscribe!
0:35 Background Company Info
1:10 Cost
2:17 Shipping
5:20 Installation
9:04 Pros/Cons and Summary
Discus101 Thanks!
That fish tank does not look like it has a lot of space front to back. looks good but looks too tight. you need a much wider tank to actually look good. yet you paid that much and it's not even real rock so I think you spend too much money for a "fake" background. Real talk, pay me 10 bucks and I'll put some rocks in your fish tank. When you have too much "fish tank" money I guess you can buy expensive fake stuff.
It's 125 gal which would put it on the larger side of normal in-home aquariums and is 18" deep. There's plenty of room in the tank, but it may appear like the background is too big on the video. I wanted the background to completely cover the overflow boxes (which run from the top to the bottom of the tank on each side). While you can buy real rocks for a setup like this, it will not look as good (in my opinion). I've had multiple cichlid aquariums with real rock over the years and have seen numerous setups with real rock and they never look as good as this. Stacked rock takes up a great deal of space as well and will not completely hide the overflow boxes. In the end, an island of rocks in the tank looks fake from a biotope perspective. The background is fake, but is actually painted using real rock. Everyone who sees it in person thinks the background is real rock. In the end, it's all about the appearance you're going for. One of the first things I say in the video is that this is not a "budget build" and is more of a setup to maximize the appearance and "wow" factor when seen in person.
Hmmm.. well I could say a lot about what has been said in the comment and the reply.. I will have to agree with the objections in respect to price, also it’s not as unique as you might think, it is the second time I have seen it (I_F_G) another channel uses this exact look in one of his tanks. Having said that it does look fantastic.. 😍 However , there is a way to achieve the same and more (uniqueness/originality).. I built my own and installed in my 210 gal piranha tank, just finished another one and installed in the new 200 gal discus tank and both cost me $ 60 and a bunch of effort.. The rest of the decor is from my creek behind the house.. please check it out at your convenience..
Btw.. my quote from Aqua Scape was $630 for 210 gallon tank ouch!
@@Bearskimethod Thanks for the comment! I checked out a couple of your videos with the backgrounds and they do look nice. A lot of this is obviously personal preference and budget. A lot of work goes into making a background like that (as you know!) and if the budget allows, having one made can save a great deal of effort. While other people have ordered similar backgrounds, they are usually not exactly the same and are rare enough to be unique (compared to the normal cobble stone stacking that almost every cichlid aquarium has). They are not cheap, but the convenience combined with the detail is worth it in my opinion. Thanks again and great looking tanks!
I can see how people would like it aesthetically, but if I get a 70 gallon tank it's because I need that much space for the size and number of fish I have. The large displacement doesn't make sense to me.
It definitely takes up some space, but it adds an aesthetic element that I was missing in previous cichlid setups. It's a personal preference and certainly not for everyone, but I really like the way it looks. When people see the tank they can't believe it's an aquarium in a basement. It looks like it was pulled out of a real rock-lined lake haha
..there is a way to achieve similar look, perhaps more unique,. DIY 💪🏻
And totally agree can’t rush the project and definitely a long term set up.. the tank looks awesome 😍
..btw it makes for a great place to hide equipment (heaters, plumbing,etc..) I actually managed to keep those out of the tank entirely 😉 in-line heating, another DIY💪🏻 project I highly recommend, especially when dealing with bigger tanks..
I've gone almost exclusively to wet/dry filters because of the convenience of hiding equipment with the benefit of great filtration. But backgrounds like this one or the ones you made in your videos work great to hide plumbing!
Discus101 right ! 👍🏻👊🏻
are HANG ON BACK FILTERS not to be used with these backgrounds ? .
Nice 3d. Question my I ask where did u spray or put the flex seal at on the 3d thanks. I have the same but not sure where to put it at.
I used flex seal, JB water weld, and silicone to attach it to the glass. I put the pieces in the aquarium without epoxy first to see where the contacted the glass and concentrated the epoxy to those locations, but in the end I basically put it all over the back and bottom of each piece. I even ran a bead of flex glue along a lot of the edges where the background and glass come together on the floor of the aquarium. Since this will be hidden by gravel I went overboard with the amount of epoxy there. I also used some epoxy between the background sections to connect them to each other. I used the JB water weld on the bottom because it seemed to form a really solid attachment. I can't tell you enough that when you think you've used enough JB water weld and flex glue, USE A LOT MORE! I thought I used enough the first time and it came off. Save yourself the trouble and put a bunch of the epoxy on and allow it to cure before adding gravel and water.
How’s the background holding up? I’ve herd that this company is sketchy to deal with. Herd that the backgrounds fall apart and they won’t honour their warranty.
I've had the background for about 2 1/2 years now. The finish on it has held up well. I've only cleaned it with a soft sponge and am happy with how it looks. I'm sure if someone used a bristled brush (like a toothbrush) they would take the color/finish off quickly and I can only guess that is the cause of some of the complaints you have heard. My biggest issue is the material it's made of. It's essentially like trying to submerse a lifejacket and keep it there for years. A few months ago, a couple of the pieces came unglued from the back of the aquarium. If this happens there is no other alternative than to completely drain the aquarium and try to reglue it, and that sucks. I moved the fish to a temporary tank and have yet to go through the process of reapplying the pieces. As for the company, I never had any issues. They always responded quickly to my emails and questions, but I can only speak to my experience. I would say it was a little misleading that the company seems to be based out of Canada, but the background is made and shipped from Eastern Europe which of course means delivery takes a great deal longer than expected. That being said, whenever I emailed about progress and when it would ship they always responded quickly and were friendly.
How is yours holding up? I bought one in May of 2018 and it has styrofoam showing through now. $500 down the drain.
I've had the background for about 3 years now. The finish on it has held up well. I've only cleaned it with a soft sponge and am happy with how it looks. I do think the finish will come off with a bristled brush or heavy cleaning, though. A few months ago, a couple of the pieces came unglued from the back of the aquarium and I've procrastinated reattaching it. As you know, the process of attaching it is tedious and I think I'll have to make adjustments to the cut outs in order to keep the background from coming off again.
450? That’s WAY cheaper than when I was looking at aquadecor. I was looking at 1000 back then for my 180 gal tank. I ended up getting slate rock from the rock yard for 35 bucks. It’s not nearly as nice as yours, but I couldn’t justify the 1000 bucks. 450 isn’t as bad.
Ya, a $1000 is too much for sure. $450 felt like a fair price for what I was getting. Not cheap, but looks great!
Did you ever end up with any 3d backgrounds? Modern Aquarium has gorgeous ones, but for my tank, it would cost $900 without shipping.
@@Teekipinekahkfhqiwi I’ve been using slate rock for my background. Super cheap and looks great.
Looks Amazing!
Thanks!
Great 3d background 👍
Thanks!
I see you don't need to speak
What Dimension did you provide them with for this background.
If I remember right, they wanted the inside dimensions of the tank. I sketched out a diagram for them with the dimensions along the inside of the tank and around the overflow boxes. Make sure to provide room for error. If I had it to do again I would have them make more room around the overflow boxes and make a the background a little smaller so it fits easier in the tank. I've had some issues with one of the pieces that doesn't quite sit up against the glass. It finally came off and I am in the process of draining the tank to try and glue it again.
How is this background holding up?
It has held up very well. The only damage is from a careless mistake I made while siphoning where I chipped a small piece out. Otherwise, the color and detail is essentially the same as when I installed it.
Question did u needed to drill or put small holes into the background for water flow? To the back of ur tank
Thanks for the question! The company drilled the background for me to the specs I provided. This included cut outs at the top for drains and return line as well as a few small slits that corresponded to the overflow boxes about half way down the background.
your link for Background does not work!!
Sorry, I think the company has moved everything to this website: aquadecorbackgrounds.com/3d-backgrounds/
What temperature do you keep your discus at?
I have the heater set at 83°, but it is in my sump now so the temp in the tank is actually closer to 82°.
I ordered one myself custom made to fit my acrylic aquarium about 4-5 weeks ago and I keep emailing them and they keep giving me a day when it will be shipped out and that day comes and goes and I keep emailing them asking nicely how it’s going and they always tell me it will be ready for shipping with tracking on so and so day but it never ships out, part of me was starting to think they weren’t a legit company, but apparently they are...I hope it doesn’t take another month just for shipping once it does ship out.
Ya, it took longer to make and ship than it probably should have. They do look good when they arrive and that makes it easier to take the delays, but I wish they would have been quicker. When you finally get it, don't repeat my mistake! Use plenty of adhesive (I would strongly recommend JB Weld Water Weld and even Flex Glue in addition to any silicone you use) and allow it time to cure before adding water. It was a huge pain to drain the aquarium and dry it in order to reattach it. Let me know if you have any questions once it arrives.
Ok I definitely will reach out if needed, and I’m glad you mentioned the right type of adhesive, I do have a whole quart of black flex glue left over from a different project I did so I will use that in addition to the acrylic silicone I have. I’m sure the wait will be worth it, I just wish they would email me when things are gonna take longer than they’re supposed to, I keep having to email them and I feel like a pain in the ass but it’s a lot of money I spent on this thing, I just want to be updated on what’s going on and they have poor communication if you don’t reach out to them and hound them a little bit...that being said their very nice and super sincere when they do reply to the emails at least and they are also sending me 3 extra matching rocks for the delay they said, but I’d rather just have the background by now...lol
.......also how long did it take to ship once it was actually sent out?
I agree. I emailed them quite a bit as well when there were delays, so you're not alone on that haha
@@jrnagri I just double checked and it looks like it took 8 days from when they gave me the tracking number for it to arrive. It was difficult to track at first because it ships from overseas. If I remember right, by the time USPS started giving information on it, it was almost here (the first company to provide info was a Serbian postal service and they didn't provide an ETA for arrival in the US).