A Waikiki-Style Internal Plastic Background for Fiberglass Displays?

[happyclam]

Has anyone heard about the thin blue plastic backgrounds that the Waikiki Aquarium uses in a lot of their exhibits? They bend the plastic around the back and side walls to create a seamless background that mimics the experience of scuba diving on a reef. I am trying to source this material to include in a tank overhaul. I am looking for bright blue, and ideally the surface could be printed or painted to mimic wave ripples on the surface as seen from underwater.

 

[happyclam]

Ooh, what about something like this? http://www.tapplastics.com/product/...s_rolls/acrylic_sheets_transparent_colors/519

The transparent effect could interesting, almost doing something like an internal shadow-box.

 

[happyclam]

To illustrate the idea:

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This was taken at the Steinhart Aquarium looking into a corner of one of their displays. See that there is no seem? I think it creates a nice effect in tanks that otherwise cannot take advantage of the mirror effect of glass side walls.

 

[happyclam]

I found my copy of The Reef Aquarium, Volume 3 by J.C. Delbeek and Julian Sprung (2005). They describe, "An alternate to an external backdrop is to use a removable insert that can be easily slipped inside the tank behind the rockwork to cover the visible portions of the back- or sidewalls" (531). They mention a colored, flexible, and inert wall covering product called Korogard(R) that can be easily cut to size and is flexible enough to curve around the interior corners of the tank. Has anyone seen this or a similar product in Lowe's/Home Depot?

 

[photoblepharon]

Easier to find online. Kydex is the other brand.

 

[happyclam]

I'm to going to bump this in case more ideas pop up.

One caveat is that the tank is ~40" deep (tall), and there is only 20" of headroom above the tank. So, the material has to be flexible enough to be able to bend it over the top of the tank and position it inside. I am considering doing a valley-type aquascape, with strategic rock work disguising the side walls and most of the back, but then leaving a small bit open in the middle to create impression of ocean beyond. In this case, perhaps a 24" wide by 40" tall section of 1/8" blue acrylic. Would this have have sufficient bend to get it into position?

 

[Bent]

Have you checked out the shadow box backgrounds?

 

[Reef Frog]

Wow that background (#3) looks really nice happy clam. And this is coming from someone who doesn't care for most solid blue backgrounds. It looks to be backlit, no? It's seems if it wasn't, the effect and impact would be lost.

I also wonder how this background would look under the heavily blue lighting that is so popular today?

 

[CafeReef]

Have you checked out the shadow box backgrounds?

exactly what I was about to recommend

 

[happyclam]

Ended up going with high impact polystyrene sheet and a Krylon coat. Sheet functions nicely for aesthetics and is flexible enough for installation, though still in testing to determine durability.

Purchased the sheet here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I...rene+sheet&dpPl=1&dpID=31LXYeXqwYL&ref=plSrch

 

[TNT32D]

Would you have pictures of the finished product?