Universal Rocks 3D Backgrounds
Although the company has been in business down in Australia for over 10 years, Universal Rocks is starting to gain a bit more presence in the United State. In case you haven’t seen this product before, Universal Rocks creates flexible, realistic 3D aquarium backgrounds in a variety of types to fit everything from reptiles, to specific freshwater habitats and even marine landscapes.
Molded from actual rockwork, Universal Rocks is pliable and can even be installed on an already up and running aquarium. Since they are lightweight, the backgrounds won’t fall and crack the glass making it a safer option to get a bit more dimension in the tank. The backgrounds use magnets to secure the background to the glass so no need for silicon or other adhesives.
Each product by Universal Rocks is handmade to give you a unique look. The natural-looking finish is paint free using crushed rock, sand and oxides to create the coloring. If you need to clean it, a stiff brush and elbow grease will work without damaging the finish.
The company even has some unique covering for side and back overflows as well as some realistic looking aquarium rocks. We are unsure whether the rocks are a full synthetic rock-type material to allow for biological filtration or just a crushed rock covered product similar to their backgrounds.
Coloring
All products are individually hand colored using crushed rock, sand and oxides. No paints are used in is this totally realistic process. All products are made in the Arizona brown color. Due to the fact that our products are hand colored, please note color variation will occur.
Material description and Usage:
Each item can be purchased in one of 3 materials:
(A) Aquarium usage - Revolutionary flexible material, therefore allowing you to install into new or existing tanks with ease as the product bends - this is ideal with larger tanks when glass center braces are already installed.
(R) Reptile usage - This is a combination of the flexible durable material on the surface and has a structural foam on the backside which makes it Rigid. These foamed backed items however, have been created predominately for reptile enclosures and will need clips to hold in place if submerged - they will float!
(F) "Foam Only" - This is our most recent development. The foam can be used in either Aquarium or Reptile enclosures and is what it suggests "foam only". The product looks the same but does not have hard coating on the surface, this product is also Rigid. This is suitable for small and large tanks or enclosures but please keep in mind this product DOES NOT BEND and it will break if you try to. This is the cheapest option and suitable for most size tanks WITHOUT center braces or opening restrictions.
Not all products are available in the foam.
Maintenance
Backgrounds can be washed and scrubbed down with a stiff brush and appropriate cleaning agents not harmful to fish life.
We recommend you do all small trial of your cleaning agent in a inconspicuous area of your rock to make sure it does not dis-color the rocks surface. We suggest that you wash your new rock before installing into your tank.
Installation Guide
- To Secure your background in place simply use an Aquarium grade silcone adhesive and apply to the back of your background on the areas that protrude the most and touch the back of the enclosure. Prop in place until silcone dries.
- To secure to wood, you can screw through the background into the wooden enclosure. Screw into inconspicuous areas of the rock formation. The screw head can then be camouflaged, using a dob of silicone and then matching sand sprinkled into it.
All products can be hand cut. This gives you the ability to tailor make our products to your needs.
- Aquarium Background of certain style can be cut down to suit smaller tank.
- Rock can be cut to allow your animal to crawl or swim into for hiding etc.
- Cut to fit squarely into a corner.
- Cut at different angles so that no 2 rocks look the same.
If alterations are required the following tools may be useful:
- A sharprigid blade/kitchen butcher's knife or a small toothed hand/jig saw.
- Set square and marker - pencil, chalk etc.
- Tape measure to ensure you cut the correct placew and angle.
- Structual adhesive silicone.
- Screws and screw driver.
- Sometimes pebbles maybe used to help weigh Aqua Rocks and Backgrounds into position. Simply place them on or push against certain parts on the rocks and backgrounds.
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Small lights inside or behind certain rocks can create a beautiful effect.
Small water pumps can be used to create waterfalls running over any of the rocks. Just drill a hole in the desired place a put a pipe in from the outlet back to the pump. - Moss and other types of plants can and will attach themselves to the rocks.
