The Back to Nature aquarium backgrounds are the result of large scale tests of both different methods of production and a variety of materials in order to find the optimal durable product for tough aquatic environments. After all, it is not only important for the background to be beautiful for its owners to admire in the first weeks following installation, but also just as crucial for it to stay beautiful after having been inside an aquarium for extended periods.

Sune Holm glues some pre-cleaned rocks in order to make a cast.

The creation of a new Back to Nature model entails an enormous amount of work.
1. First, we must decide what kind of background we want to create; this inspiration usually comes from photos of natural biotopes.
2. Then, it is necessary to find locations in nature that resemble what it is we have in mind for our creation as much as possible.
3. Next, these locations must be prepared (often this involves cleaning) before we can make a casting. This part is really time-consuming and may even take weeks.
4. The casting must then be removed and taken to the studio where even more time-consuming work is begun. In the studio, the background is designed and a prototype is created. This involves a combination of artistic sculpturing and industrial design. The product is not only meant to be beautiful, but it must also function practically both during production as well as once inside the aquarium.
5. Once the prototype is finally ready after a series of tests, it is then time to produce a hard mould which will be used for the production of soft moulds (these are made of a special kind of rubber) which will ultimately be used in the production process.
A mould that is produced in a hard material cannot be reused as it is impossible to remove the mould again from the background after production is completed.
6. The rubber moulds (which also have a short lifespan) are produced.
7. Using these moulds, the background is then cast in polyurethane, both uncoloured and coloured, by hand, in a single process.
8. The background is then set, cleaned and inspected before being packed for shipment.

There are several factors which must be taken into consideration during the production process to ensure the maximum level of quality is achieved in the final backgrounds. Below is a list of some of the more important factors which play a vital role in the final result.

Joel Malmström surveying his imitation rocky reef with satisfaction.

The materials
The materials used in the Back to Nature backgrounds include polyurethane, yet this does not say so much since there are many different kinds of polyurethane, some of which are not even suitable for aquariums. The mixture of polyurethane used in the Back to Nature backgrounds has been carefully tested for many years and does not release any chemical substances into the water which may be harmful to fish, plants and other living organisms in any way nor does it affect the chemical composition of the water. For this reason, Back to Nature backgrounds may be used in all kinds of aquariums, even marine aquariums.

Hard and durable surface
The special production process used in the manufacture of the Back to Nature backgrounds results in a surface which is extremely hard. This is why the backgrounds can withstand rather vigourous cleaning methods. The risk that the background will be destroyed by algae-eating catfish species with strong jaws is minimal (although some caution must be taken regarding some Panaque sorts which have been known to destroy "everything").

Underneath the hard surface, the material is more porous, making the background even stronger and more durable.

Colouration
The Back to Nature backgrounds are produced using a unique colouration process which prevents the colour from ever flaking off. The colour is combined with the material of the background itself in a chemical reaction. As a result, the surface layer will remain intact, even after years of wear and cleaning. And better yet - the colour will also remain intact without losing its lustre.

The extremely hard surface combined with the unique method of colouration also means that the backgrounds will not be affected in any way by normal dosages of standard medicines (for example medicines containing methylene blue and/or malachite green) for aquarium fishes.

There is plenty of space behind the Back to Nature backgrounds to place a large biological filter.

"Hide" the technique
An aquarium is a bit of nature that you try to recreate in your home - in nature, you may find fish, plants, rocks, gravel and rotes? but not things such as aquarium filters and heaters. It is thus logical that you would not want to have to see this type of technical equipment when enjoying your aquarium, even if these items are necessary.

The Back to Nature backgrounds are designed in a way that leaves sufficient space behind the background so that it is possible to hide all the technical equipment and also, as many people do, use the whole space as an enormous biological filter chamber that is effective for years without cleaning.

Of course all aquarium backgrounds (no matter which manufacturer has created them) occupy some of the swimming space for the fish - the more spectacular and three- dimensional the background, the more space it takes up - however, what is important about the materials used in the Back to Nature backgrounds is that they are so thin that a minimum amount of water volume disappears, which means that the conditions necessary to maintaining a good biological balance are still present.

This aquarium has been working with Back to Nature modules since 1994 and they are still just as beautiful as they were in the beginning.

"Old" product
Back to Nature has been available to the public on the market since 1994, however, it is worth noting that before 1994 Sune and Charlie had been active testing and conducting experiments for more than 20 years total to finally be able to produce the optimum aquarium background.

Both of the originators (see "History") had tested and rejected many models and had conducted experiments with many types of materials that ultimately proved to be insufficient in quality.

At the time of the introduction in 1994, all of the testing had already been completed and all of the negative factors had been detected and corrected and therefore a complete product was finally ready to be introduced. The first aquarists who bought these backgrounds were not some kind of "test pilots," thus the originators were free to concentrate on improvements in backgrounds instead of "repairing" mistakes.

In this way, Back to Nature was already a step ahead of all its competitors even at its introduction, and remains a step ahead to this today.

Joel shows two sections of the new Woodrock system.

Woodrock
After large-scale development activities, Back to Nature is finally ready to introduce a completely new system - Woodrock - representing another step forward in aquarium decoration when it comes to combining practicality with beautiful design.