# New 3D Terrarium Backgrounds



## Guest (Sep 28, 2006)

New in the US market, 3d naturalistic backgrounds for your terrarium.

































for more info visit http://www.aquaterra-intl.com


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

Purdee neat look'n!


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## damizz (Aug 22, 2006)

They look really neat, what kind of cost are we talking on them?


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2006)

I looked for prices and compability with high humidity enviroments and couldnt find anything on your site. Could you post a litle more info on them here for us.


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

I was going to ask the same thing. You could definitely make some sales on here witht this stuff, but most people will want a little more info up front before they get aggressive about makeing contact to buy.


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

Pretty cool. I've been working on some 3-D backgrounds, too, and was hoping to have them ready for MWFF, but I'm a little bit behind on my schedule.


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## W3rdSmyth (Nov 18, 2005)

Just a guess, but I suspect that humidity and water isn't a problem, as they are used in fish aquariums as well.  

Those are neat, and I have just finished applying four cans of foam to the back of my tank being built :shock: I should have seen these premade deals about two weeks ago, hehe.


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

I just emailed the company and asked a few questions myself. I'll be sure to share the info. with you guys once I get a reply.

Did you guys notice the size of these things though? I believe 24" x 16" was the smallest. I'd like to know what they are made of. Can they be trimmed/cut down for our customization needs?

Yeh, the cost???? Nothing was on their website, not even MSRP??

I think they have a GREAT idea to market, just need to address some of the obvious things first though.

Hopefully, more to come!


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## Blort (Feb 5, 2005)

I think I may have seen these in person in an aquarium in Houston. If it is the same stuff, they are amazing backgrounds.


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## W3rdSmyth (Nov 18, 2005)

I wrote them an email with both a personal inquiry for my own tank as well as an inquiry for work. I spoke to my boss about them as well to let him know I'm getting the details. With a site the size of ours, hopefully I'll get some quick responses and get my hands one one of these quickly to see it for myself. If they are good quality and reasonable in price, shipping, etc. then I'll be trying to get one of these as a sample into one of our new item buying meetings. Specifically I am looking to purchase one of the 48x24 size for myself, most likely the Tsunami wood or the Amazon.

I didn't get to go to Superzoo this year, wish I could have gone to see these in person.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2006)

I like the amazon ones myself, I sure hope the price is right on these!! these ay also be a good candidate for retail resale.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2006)

It looks like the back to nature backgrounds for the aquarium i sure hope they aint in the same price range.
http://www.aquariaan.nl/backtonature.htm price is in euro but its just to give an idea.
grtz


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## FrogOnMyToe (Jun 23, 2006)

Yea, Id like to know the pricing on these as well.. [specifically the rainforest one on the website.]


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2006)

I'd guess they hold up to humidity just fine, since they're in a housing with PDF's in the pictures.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

I took a look at these in person at the recent NARB show. I believe they're made of fiberglass. Pretty detailed, but to mount or plant anything on them, they would have to be drilled.


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## Frogger 415 (May 28, 2006)

I hope they have some at the Midwest Frog Show this weekend !


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## Guest (Sep 29, 2006)

*Pricing for AquaTerra Backgrounds*

I appreciate all the interest and the positive comments about our product. The response has been overwhelming. We are selling faster then we can make them so act quick if you want one.

I can't list all the prices because it would be too many to list, but here are a few prices so you can get an idea of the range.
Slimline 3D 24x16 is $66.99
Slimline 3D 48x24 is 199.99
Deluxe 3D 24x16 is 79.99
Deluxe 3D 48x24 is 245.99

You guys can get a feel of the pricing for the other sizes between 24"-48".
Other manufacturer's of this product are way over priced. Our products are top quality, super realistic and priced to sell.

We are looking for authorized dealers so if you are in the business, don't hesitate to contact me and we'll set up you up to be a dealer.

Kevin


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## FrogOnMyToe (Jun 23, 2006)

I really like the pricing... now you've got me thinking. This would be so much easier [and better looking, imo] than anything I could ever do with foam and a razor...


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

These things are more than likely awesome in person and well worth the money. But I don't know about the rest of the gang, but when I build a viv, I don't look for ways to spend the most money I can. Instead, I try to find ways to cut corners and save a little money here and there to put toward an expensive frog. So in my opinion, these seem a little expensive. 
What are the chances of you guys coming up with one that is only $29.95, say one that is half the thickness you normally do? Less material, that kind of thing. That is something I would be interested in. Otherwise, I am happy with my $5 can of GS.


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## roberthvalera (Jun 9, 2006)

I agree. Plus there are only a few options and everyone will have the same tree backround. Im also pretty broke sometimes so that does not help.


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## FrogOnMyToe (Jun 23, 2006)

I think when you are dealing with something like this, you need to step back from the hobbyist point of view. Like, I loved building my viv for my Azureus, don't get me wrong. And I sure as heck LOVED cutting corners. 

Buuuut... if you're going to have a show viv in a living room or something.. it needs to POP! Just like how my personal reef tank was all corner-cutting, but my show-reef uses all the pretty stuff and as little DIY as possible.

When I sell stuff to people at work [pet store] the non-super-hobbyist consumer prefers to spend more money and have something that looks amazing and realistic [real rocks instead of home made, in the case of saltwater] over something that is DIY.

So when I look at these, and see how great they look, and compare them to the current 3D backgrounds we sell at work [cheesy sponge-like foam that are painted with marine-safe epoxy] that are almost the same amount of money, I can really see a market for such a product.


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

> Buuuut... if you're going to have a show viv in a living room or something.. it needs to POP!


Yes.....but not POP my bank account!!

The most expensive one is twice my utility bill, one and half times my car payment, and one third of my morgtage payment. I am sure they are beautiful. I would really like to see one in person and might even change my mind. But having built 7 vivs now, I have learned that the object is not to see how much money you can put into the viv but how much brains you can use to make it cheaper. If I put one of those in each of my vivs at just $79.99 each that is a total of $560, that is more than I put into all 7 vivs combined. I would have no money left to buy frogs.


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## fishfry (Aug 20, 2006)

I had the opportunity to see these backgrounds in person at the NARBC in Anaheim and they are very nice, and definitely a great alternatives to the Back to Nature backgrounds which it seems you will have a heck of a time getting in the U.S. I don't think they are overpriced and I am sure there are a lot of people out there that would rather plunk down some money for a nice vivarium background than deal with the a DIY background. I personally really enjoy the construction part, but I know there are lot of people that probably wouldn't. The biggest market seems to be with fish hobbyists that can put that in their tank and call it a day. 

Is it possible to drill holes into the backgrounds, do you just need to silicon it in place?


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## Guest (Sep 29, 2006)

dragonfrog said:


> > Buuuut... if you're going to have a show viv in a living room or something.. it needs to POP!
> 
> 
> Yes.....but not POP my bank account!!
> ...


like the others have said, these are mainly for the wallet hobbyist, not the DIY crowd 
It's like car maintenance, sure I can do all my own repairs for a fraction of what the dealership charges... but some people don't have the time or the know how to do it themselves, and sometimes you just don't feel like getting all dirty, and possibly screwing something up, and you just want to take the easy route for a change, knowing everything is going to be fine in the end


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## Nuggular (Apr 8, 2005)

I have to agree and say they are way to expensive. Especially since they have a mold. I already spend over $100 on my vivs, not including frogs, and almost every background they have is over $100. Ya they look great, but they arent worth the price. I would pay at most for the largest, $100. Otherwise, I'm with dragonfrog on this one, I'm happy with my can and my cork bark and rocks and silicone. You dont need to spend $100 plus on a cool looking background. And frogs aint cheap, and alot of us froggers dont exactly have alot of cash.

LOWER THE PRICES AND MORE PEOPLE WILL BUY THEM.


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## r90s (Jun 13, 2006)

I think it's *Great* as a new option for vivs, even though my funds for the hobby are limited too. More options = goodness and light, as far as I am concerned.









Clyde


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

AS mentioned onpage, I would post my reply email from the manufacturer.

First, here is my questions to them:


> I have a few questions about this product:
> 
> *A majority of Poison Dart Frog hobbiest have vivariums on the smaller scale. Most use 10 and 20 gallon aquariums, used both vertically and horizontally, for their vivs. Your smallest product is 24" x 16". That's a little large for our needs when using a 10 gallon viv. Will you be coming out with a product to fit the 10 and 20 gallon aquariums?
> 
> ...


Here is their Responses:


> Hello Lon
> The 24x16 fits a 20 gal tank. We will in the future have smaller sizes.
> We have two product lines. One for Aquarium use and one for Terrarium use.
> The backgrounds can be trimmed. If you are strictly using it for terrarium use, we currently have a special on terrarium backgrounds. They are 30% off list price.
> ...


Maybe this will help if you had the same questions!


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## Guest (Sep 29, 2006)

Nicely done, that's great !

Regarding the price, let's say the background is $70 and it cost you around $50 of expanding foam and silicone, 20 more bucks to get this isn't that big of a deal in my opinion. I think that's another background option to take into consideration heh

trep


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Any ideas on costs? The one looks great, would be nice to have more info on them.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

kyle1745 said:


> Any ideas on costs? The one looks great, would be nice to have more info on them.





> I can't list all the prices because it would be too many to list, but here are a few prices so you can get an idea of the range.
> Slimline 3D 24x16 is $66.99
> Slimline 3D 48x24 is 199.99
> Deluxe 3D 24x16 is 79.99
> Deluxe 3D 48x24 is 245.99


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

:-( Passed right over it... Its time for a nap.


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2006)

Slimline 3D 24x16 is $66.99 = 46.90
Slimline 3D 48x24 is 199.99 = 140.02
Deluxe 3D 24x16 is 79.99 = 56.02
Deluxe 3D 48x24 is 245.99 = 172.22

Well at 30% off they look all right (affordable) to me. I think maybe i will get one just to see if i like them.


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

I think these are a great design for display tanks, and yeah they are more then gs, but its not for a hidden tank in your frog room. Unless of course you have that kinda dough. PErsonally i love DYI, so they arent for me, but i sure, MANY people will end up purchasing them.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

I like em. Maybe when I get outta college and start making some real money.


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## cubby23 (Jun 12, 2006)

Umm. Can you mount broms? If not that cuts out like half of us who would buy them. I think they are a rip off. And I enjoy mkaing my backgrounds. Also until these, everyone had a custom one of a kind background. I think they are cheesy. But a possible option for a first time frogger who has the money.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

They are fiberglass, so I think you would have to drill them - kinda pain, but you could drill and mount the broms, probly hotglue em in, before you even stuck it in the tank. Kinda cool.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

> where do you get yours? around here HD and Lowes have gone to about $5-6 on GS and 'cone


Landon, if you check out your local wally world in the paint area, they sell GS cheaper than the hardware stores, but they also sell a different brand of stuff, touch-n-foam, that's a buck cheaper. I can't tell any difference between the two. 

I have this strange feeling that I'm not part of the target market for these backgrounds... They look great, buy they're not for me.


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Ok guys pulled some stuff posts from this thread. Lets keep it nice, and sure they may not be the cheapest background out there but they do look very nice. If you would like to discuss other background options feel free to start another thread.

Thank you and any questions please let me know,


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## Guest (Oct 2, 2006)

thanks for the info Mike. i hate Wally World though :lol: i like these backgrounds, but i think im more interested in how they were made so i can try it myself 

it reminds me of the ones Steve Bonheim makes out of epoxy. ive been wanting to give it a try, but hadnt had the time or need to go any further than reading.....maybe some day.
http://www.dendroboard.com/coppermine/t ... ?album=287


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## pa.walt (Feb 16, 2004)

to some the prices seem expensive but think how much time and materials put into making these. they remind me of the back to nature stuff (?). 
the stuff steve was selling at iad wasn't cheap either. but he put alot of time and money into it. 
an example how much do you pay for sneakers, how much do you think it costs to make them. that is the way i look at this sort of stuff.


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## W3rdSmyth (Nov 18, 2005)

I think the prices aren't out of line for what they are. I looked into a similar fiberglass background from another manufacturer for my tank and the price was pushing $350 where this background is about half of that.

Still, with that being said, I already foamed my tank I just haven't covered it in silicone and such yet. I was checking into these premade backgrounds before I went to the mess of covering my GS with stuff. I've got continuation on my background on hold, as I give serious consideration to one of these backgrounds vs the greatstuff/silicone background. :?


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## foxhunt006 (Sep 10, 2006)

I really like these... It looks like they've invested a lot of time and materials to get a finished product that looks phenomenal. It seems like they have a fairly novel idea going for them as well. For those reasons, I think the price would be well worth it. 

It's true that GS is cheaper, but it's the same as comparing a lexus to a volkswagen. There's definitely a difference in price, but they will both get you to the same place you're trying to go. Pretty vivariums = happy froggers, regardless of what background is being used.


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## topherlove (Jul 14, 2006)

i suppose there okay, but for me, one of the parts of the hobby i enjoy are customizing my own tank and making it look the way i want and being able to plant anywhere in my tank easily without drilling etc. Not to mention there a mold so everyones backgrounds would look the same. I suppose for newbies or people with not much time there great, but still a little to expensive for my taste


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## StevenBonheim (Feb 22, 2004)

As posted above, I too create similar products- and I understand why the prices are on the high end. Remember, this is just another option for people... No one is suggesting you should all switch from using spray foam. By making lots of backgrounds from the same mold, they are cutting down production time and making it possible to offer lower prices. I, on the other hand, focus on keeping each piece totally unique (which results in higher costs). Like others have said, these backgrounds look great!


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

:shock:


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2006)

I've 3d background in my 266g FW tank and is one of a kind.


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2006)

^ sweeeet!! 

purchased? self made?


oh yeah and WELCOME to DendroBoard!!!


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2006)

2mnytnx said:


> ^ sweeeet!!
> 
> purchased? self made?
> 
> ...


Thank you for the warm welcome..

I purchased it couple of years ago. It was a display tank and I had one made just like it.

I'm in the process of building my own viv and your site has excellent info and helpful members.


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## Paul E. Wog (Jan 2, 2005)

Wow, Really nice rchan11. Makes me want to get back into keeping cichlids again. I've been wanting to build two huge tanks for a few years now. One for tanganyikans and another for malawis. I would like to do a super densly populated malawi tank with 2-3 predominant sp. and a couple of misc sp here and there to break things up. I saw a 300 gal tank like this several years ago and thought it really looked like the rift lake pics that you see in books. the guy had major filtration on it and had to do 50% water changes every week to keep the water quality up though, as I recall.

Anyway, back on topic. I would agree that the price is way to high for my budget, but stil tempting because I usually don't take the time to build a show viv. Maybe if I had some extra cash layin around. Like thats happened recently. :roll:


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