First of all, the "clips" that come with the background are just rings of plastic. They were very difficult to force over the edge of my tank and once there, the rubber background easily slid out from under them. In case it isn't clear from the other descriptions, yes, this product is made of rubber, and another interesting thing about it is that it floats. It is in fact *so* flexible that it bows in the middle from trying to float. The packaging says that it can be siliconed in, what they mean is, it *must* be siliconed in. It says that you can keep it in place using clips and gravel. I have three inches of gravel at the bottom of the tank, but after trying to wrestle this thing against the glass for the better part of half an hour, I'd say that I'd need at least 7-8 inches of gravel and several large, heavy rocks to keep it forced back flush with the glass.So, here's some installation instructions based on real-life use:
#1get some aquarium grade silicone. I don't know how much you're going to need, but guessing by how rippled/pitted the backing is, my guess would be: a lot. I'm also going to need silicone to plug up some holesmine had about 6 pea-sized holes in it, and I don't want my guppies swimming through them and getting trapped behind the background. Speaking of which-
#2don't buy fish until this thing is installed. If you're thinking of installing it in a tank full of water, I hope you have waterproof flooring because it's gonna be messy. Every time I try to push the background back up against the back of the tank, all the water behind rubber sheet takes the path of least resistanceup, out, and onto the floor. Then, the background falls off the edge again as soon as I let go of it. Right now, it's sitting in a slouched mess in my tank as I try to find 55 gallons worth of clean buckets to-
#3drain the tank. You're going to need to take the tank down, empty the decorations and gravel, thoroughly dry it, and lay it on it's back. I haven't gotten this far yet, but I anticipate trouble. My lid had a bar down the middle, so I will need to bend the background to get it laying in the tank, meaning the silicone will need to go between the background and the glass after the background is already in the tank. Then weight the background down so it doesn't move, wait 48 hours for the silicone to cure, rinse the whole thing out (somehow..... the tank is wider than my shower and it's 20 degrees outside.) Not sure where I'm going to put the fish in the meantime, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Gotta say, tearing down, storing, and rebuilding an entire 55 gallon tank is not what I had in mind when I read that it was "easy to install."
In short, if you're sitting in your house with a dry, empty tank, wondering if this would be a good accessory, go for it. It looks pretty good for what it is. If you're looking for a nice background for a tank that already has water and/or fish, I'd give this one a pass.
Edit: altered my review up from two to four stars because, after I drained the tank, filled a spare 10 gallon for the fish, cut the background to shape, siliconed it in place, waited two days for the silicone to cure, and refilled the tank, it looks *spectacular.* It looks like real stone and I'm really happy with it. It's a very hard install, though.
Buy Universal Rocks 48-Inch by 20-Inch Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background Now
Arrived in record time! Ordered it on a Tuesday, received it on Thursday. Came well packaged and as shown in the advertisement. I had been debating buying one of these for a looong time. I had looked at every company that makes them, DIY versions and pretty much every possible route to go for my 75gal. Universal Rocks stood out for me. They are well made, durable and easy to install. The clips provided may seem low-tech, but the idea is to have this panel rest against the back wall, under the lip of the aquarium. I recommend going to Universal Rock's site as they have a whole section on using the clips, installing and placement. I did this while doing a normal H2O change only I completely emptied the tank of decorations and plants. Gravel vac'd thoroughly and installed with my stock of 20 cichlids still in the tank. Scrubbed it completely first and put it in. Sank right out of the box and bent around the center brace with total ease. At first it was approximately 1/4" too tall for the tank. I removed it and using kitchen sheers (very tough and tedious and I would recommend tin snips for the job) I trimmed the bottom of the background. Fits like a glove! Clips went in place no problem and looks awesome! I would not hesitate to purchase anything with Universal Rock's name on it. I contacted them directly with several questions and received excellent, quick responses every time. If you have a particular question that is holding you back from purchasing, ask them and they will resolve any doubts. This really makes me proud of my tank. Looks awesome, is durable and will make any tank a showpiece. Will definitely be purchasing another for my other 55gal tank as well. 100% SATISFIED!!!!Read Best Reviews of Universal Rocks 48-Inch by 20-Inch Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background Here
I do recommending using GE silicon 1 or 2 to adhere it to the tank, the clips are only good for probably in a reptile enclosure. It does look good in my 75 gallon aquarium. When I got it I used some large sheers or tin cutters to trim it, then placed it in tank, and on the outside glass I circled where it made contact with the glass so I knew where to put the silicon along with around the edges.Want Universal Rocks 48-Inch by 20-Inch Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background Discount?
This product flexes. The 30" x 18" Rocky Aquarium which is Rigid is not.The flexible products do not need much packaging.
The rigid products are inadequately package and will likely arrive with corners broken! BEWARE!!
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