Backgrounds » AquaTerra 3-D Backgrounds » Background Installation

Installing Background

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• Measure the inside length of your tank or enclosure.
• Cut the background 1/4" shorter then the length you measured. This allows 1/8" gap on both sides to apply silicone.
• Diagonally trim 1/2" off the bottom corners of the background so that the siliconed edges of the tank does not interfere with the background sitting flat on the bottom of the tank. (This is not necessary if you have an acrylic tank.)

• Place the background in the tank and using a felt tip marker, outline the bottom of the background.
• This line will be used as a guideline to apply silicone.

• Apply silicone following the inside of the line.

• Now carefully lower the background into place.
• Match the bottom edge of the background with the outline of silicone and press firmly into place.

• Run silicone along the sides, filling in the 1/8" gap.
• Let silicone dry for 24 hours before filling the tank.

• When filling the tank, alternate filling the front and back of the background. This is done to even out the water pressure on the two sides of the background

Cutting and Rejoining Background

• The background can be easily cut with any utility knife or razor blade. Simply cut into the background approximately half the thickness of the background.

• Next, place the background along the edge of a table and press down along the cut that you just made.

• The background will snap clean in half, leaving you with perfectly matching edges.

• To join the two pieces back together, apply a bead of silicone along the cut edge and match the two pieces together.

• The two pieces match seamlessly!
• Remember to allow 24 hours for the silicone to dry.

Drilling Holes in Background

• Using a drill and holesaw, drill hole in desired location.

• Apply a ring of silicone along the back of the hole.

• Place plastic wire mesh over the hole and let dry.

• Water will flow to the back of the background through this hole acting as an overflow and surface skimmer. The plactic screen will also prevent fish from getting behind the background.