Turn Tiles into a 3D Fish Tank Background - Lifehacker

Posted: 02 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST

Illustration for article titled Turn Tiles into a 3D Fish Tank Background

If you're bored with the plain background of your fish tank, you can add a 3D background inexpensively with this simple guide.

You can find rolls of fish tank backgrounds at nearly any fish store, but they lack sorely for realism and look like what they are—flat and static photographs. You can make a 3D background that will add a significant amount of realism and texture to your fish tank with little expense and only about an hour of work. My total cost for the project was $10 for a box of slate tile from the clearance bin and $3 for some silicone.

You'll need some basic supplies and tools including a hammer, a screw driver or chisel, and a caulk gun. On the supplies side of things you'll need a tube of silicone caulk and a box of slate floor tiles. Make sure you buy silicone caulk without any additives. If you want to be extra cautious you can buy only from a fish store, but I've been buying silicone caulk from the hardware store for years without any problem—just make sure you read the label carefully and buy silicone that doesn't have any fungicide or other additives, GE Silicone 1 for Doors and Windows is the brand I've always used.

The first step is the fun one. Take your box of floor tiles and bust them up with a hammer—wear safety goggles! How you break them will be determined by your tank size and the look you're going for. If you want a big chunky background then break them into large pieces and leave them that way. If you want a background with smaller pieces, then smash them accordingly.

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Once you've broken the tiles, look through the pile of pieces for corner and edge pieces. You'll want four good corners and a fair number of pieces that have a straight edge on them. These pieces will be the corner and edges of your background respectively. The rest of the edge pieces will need to be chipped with the hammer to break up the straight lines for a more natural look. Slate "naps" pretty easily, so you can hit just the very edge and it will chip away in an irregular pattern.

After you've finished breaking up and sorting the slate tile it's time to start building the background. Lay the fish tank on its side. I put my tank on a piece of styrofoam but you could put it on a carpet scrap, old comforter, or any other soft surface. Lay out the first layer of the background on the glass. Place the corners and edge pieces, then place pieces in the middle trying to leave as little space in between them as possible. Don't stress about a jig-saw-perfect fit because the second layer is going to cover up all the gaps.

When you've laid out all the pieces to your satisfaction, start applying a liberal amount of caulk to the back of each piece and pressing it firmly into place. You'll want to put the heaviest amount of caulk in the center of the piece so that it'll spread out under the slate without spilling out over the edges. You can opt to leave the first layer to set for a few hours or if you're careful and you can move right onto the second layer. You're going to repeat the process of laying out the tile pieces and securing them with silicone, this time with a focus on covering up the seams or gaps in the first layer.

After the second layer is down and you've pressed everything firmly into place, leave it alone for at least 24-48 hours to cure. The silicone will release acetic acid as it cures, so when the background stops smelling strongly of vinegar you know it has cured enough. You can't go wrong waiting an extra day or two at this step; many aquarium enthusiasts will let silicone cure for upwards of a week before doing anything else with a tank.

It's worth noting that although I started with an empty and dry fish tank it is possible do to this project with an already established fish tank. Instead of adhering the tile directly to the back of the fish tank you'll simply adhere the tile to a piece of acrylic sheeting cut to fit inside the tank and then slowly and carefully lower the background into the established tank and lean it against the back.

A guide to building a fish tank background wouldn't be complete without a picture of the fish that ended up in the tank:

The 20 gallon long went in my office and now houses four Neolamprologus Brevis, a shell-dwelling Cichlid from Lake Tanganyika in Africa. The male fish seen in the photo above has taken a particular interest in my computer and will swim to the corner of the tank and stare at the monitors every time I sit down to work.

Have your own DIY pet-related project to share? Let's hear about it in the comments.

The best virtual aquariums for your PC you need to check out - Windows Report

Posted: 26 Mar 2018 12:00 AM PDT

Marine Aquarium is another virtual aquarium that also works as a screensaver. The aquarium offers great graphics and 28 fish species. Unfortunately, you're limited to only one environment. Regarding the fish, this aquarium offers a wide range of customization. You can add specific fish to an aquarium, or you can use a random option that will always add different species of fish to your aquarium.

The application also supports background music, which is a nice touch. If you want, you can change the background color of your aquarium or add a specific logo or a clock to it. In addition, you can also disable specific species of fish from appearing in your aquarium. Regarding the fish, you can see the name of each species along with its location, diet, and size. If you want, you can even create specific fish sets and toggle between them.

The aquarium can hold up to 30 fishes, which should be more than enough for any user. Marine Aquarium offers solid graphics and a wide range of customization. Unfortunately, you're limited to only one environment which is the biggest flaw in our opinion. The free demo is available for download, but the demo version only has few fish species available. It's worth mentioning that Marine Aquarium can also replace your screensaver with your virtual aquarium. Overall, Marine Aquarium is a solid virtual aquarium, so be sure to try it out.

4. 3D Fish School Screen Saver

3D Fish School Screen Saver

This virtual aquarium doesn't have advanced graphics as some of our previous entries, but it offers a wide range of features. The aquarium supports saltwater and freshwater environments, and each environment has different species of fish available. The aquarium can have up to 100 fishes, which sounds impressive. We also have to mention that you can change the number of bubbles and switch between different backgrounds.

The application also supports clock and calendar which can be useful to some users. It's worth mentioning that this virtual aquarium can also work as a screensaver, which is quite useful. Although this virtual aquarium doesn't offer the best graphics, it offers a wide range of features in the full version. The full version offers 25 types of fish and 6 realistic animated backgrounds as well as new animated underwater backgrounds. Most importantly, the full version lets you save your customization settings.

3D Fish School Screen Saver is a decent virtual aquarium with a wide range of customization. The visual aspect is probably the only flaw of this application, and we have to admit that this virtual aquarium looks a bit outdated compared to other entries on our list.

5. Amazing 3D Aquarium

Amazing 3D Aquarium

This virtual aquarium offers great visuals, and it will allow you to add up to 10 fishes in your aquarium. Regarding the fish, the application supports about 20 different species, but you can also download more from the developer's website. You can have random fishes in your aquarium or you can choose exactly which species you want to have. Amazing 3D Aquarium also supports different backgrounds, and you can choose the preferred background or use a random one. If you want, you can even download new backgrounds from the developer's website.

We have to mention that this application has a media player plugin so you can play your favorite music on it. Amazing 3D Aquarium works as a screensaver, but it also supports Live Wallpaper feature. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to use this feature, so we assume that it's available only in full version.

Amazing 3D Aquarium offers solid graphics and decent customization options in the free version. If you want to get access to all features, you'll have to purchase the full version.

6. Goldfish Aquarium

Goldfish Aquarium

Goldfish Aquarium is a simple virtual aquarium with decent graphics. The application has high-quality fish models and static backgrounds that look a bit outdated. Goldfish Aquarium offers 16 species of fish and several different environments. Each time you start this application you'll get a different environment, but you can also select preferred environments as well.

In the demo version there are only three species available, and if you want to unlock the rest, you'll need to purchase the full version. We have to mention that you can select your preferred fishes, but you can also have random fishes in your aquarium. Keep in mind that the free demo doesn't allow you to have multiple fishes in your aquarium.

Goldfish Aquarium is a solid virtual aquarium screensaver, but if you want to unlock all its features, you'll need to purchase the full version. Regarding the flaws, our only complaint is a bit outdated backgrounds that might turn away some users.

7. Aqua Real

This virtual aquarium offers great graphics and many features. This application has 26 different species of tropical fish. In addition, there are three different environments available. All environments feature coral reef and each environment looks amazing. In addition to fish, there are sea slugs and hermit crabs that will appear randomly on the bottom of the screen.

We have to mention that each type of fish has a different behavior, and while some fish prefer to stay in groups, others will stay alone. If you have different types of fish in your aquarium, sometimes they'll attack one another.

Aqua Real also allows a certain level of interactivity, and you can touch the fish to scare it. You can also add a shark to the aquarium in order to scare your fish. Aqua Real offers a wide range of options and it allows you to easily create a beautiful and realistic environment for your fish. It's also worth mentioning that there's support for music, so you can play your favorite tunes while virtual aquarium is running.

Aqua Real can also work as a screensaver replacement, which is another plus. This is a great virtual aquarium, and it offers beautiful graphics and a wide range of options. We have to mention that the free version has only a few species available and a single environment. If you want to unlock all features, you need to purchase the full version.

8. Sharks, Terrors of the Deep

Sharks, Terrors of the Deep

If you like sharks and other larger fishes, Sharks, Terrors of the Deep might be perfect for you. Unlike other applications on our list, this one only features sharks. Regarding the available sharks, there are 12 different species to choose from. The application also has three different environments to choose from.

Regarding the limitations, you can have only one shark available in the demo version. If you want to add multiple sharks, you'll need to purchase the full version. Sharks, Terrors of the Deep is a perfect virtual aquarium for all users that are fans of sharks. We have to mention that some backgrounds seem a bit outdated, and this minor flaw can turn away some users.

9. Exotic Aquarium 3D Screensaver

Exotic Aquarium 3D Screensaver

This application has a colorful design, and it will be appealing to the younger audience. This is a simple virtual aquarium screensaver, and unlike other entries on our list, it doesn't offer any advanced options. The application doesn't allow you to choose the type of fish, which is a major flaw in our opinion. You can control the sound and sound effects, but unfortunately, you can't add your own music. We also have to mention that you can't change your environment, which is another flaw.

Exotic Aquarium 3D Screensaver has a loading screen, and with its colorful design, it looks more like a video game than a screensaver. This screensaver supports digital clock, which is a useful feature. Regarding the limitations, you can view the screensaver for 60 seconds before the registration message appears.

Exotic Aquarium 3D Screensaver is a humble virtual aquarium, and with its colorful visuals and lack of configuration, it will be appealing only to the younger audience.

If you like fish and aquariums, be sure to try any of these virtual aquariums. Almost every application on our list can work as a screensaver, so if you're looking for a new screensaver, feel free to try any of these applications.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in February 2017 and has been since completely revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in February 2017 and was revamped and updated in March 2019 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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