Setting a background

A bit late of this post because of a snag on this subject. The first time I tackled putting on a background it was much smoother and on a smaller scale with my first tank. I decided with both tanks to go with a self adhesive background. Black on this new tank. I figure a dark color will help bring out the details in plants and fish.

First thing with self adhesive is the use some mild soapy water and wipe down the side of the tank you want the background to go on. Now here is where it gets tricky. First time, the aforementioned snag, the background folded in on itself with the help of an oscillation fan. I was worse than duct tape and I had to scrap it. This time I turned off the fan. I removed only a partial segment of the clear film that covers the stickiness. Then anchored it to one corner of the tank and laid the material carefully across the back of the tank. With a larger tank, I had trouble laying the background evenly. I recommend asking for help if it's available.

I wrapped a small section of background around the corner of the tank to anchor it.

After applying the background, take an old credit card or something squeegee like, and pull the air bubbles towards the edges to smooth out the background. As I keep saying, a larger tank is a bit more tricky. I was left with some creases and some big bubbles I had to poke with a knife then smooth out. I had to fight my sense of perfection and do my best. Hopefully once the decor is in and everything is set up, the air bubbles in the background with not be as noticeable. Plus I didn't want to buy more self adhesive background at 4 bucks a foot.

Using a credit card to smooth out air bubbles

I had to poke some bubble with a knife to get the air out.

As final step cut off the edges with a sharp knife and smooth out the background some more it you feel like it needs it.

In a picture the creases and bubbles don't look so bad. But we will see once the whole thing is set up.

The Next Big Step

And so we begin...

I spent the morning clearing a space for my new tank. Best spot for that size is in the location of my 10 gallon tank. So my focus is the 10 gal for now.  I disconnected all electrical equipment and drained half the water. I then carefully moved the tank to another suitable location. Added the gear back in place, added some fresh water and powered up. I did leave the lights off for about an hour to calm the fish down after the move.

Then it was time to get the giant tank out of the box. I cut open one side of the box and dragged it out on it's styrofoam buffers because it is heavy. I inspected it for any cracks or any visible flaws. The sealant is put on heavily on the glass but not messy. On the outside corners too.

Then I took a bit of water and a lint free cloth and wiped down the entire tank.

no fluff off this rag 

After I finished wiping the front and back, sides, inside and out, I began to fill the tank to test the seals. I will leave this for about a 12-24 hours.

filling tank to test seals for any leaks

using a 3gal bucket this much took about 5 trips