the PH will drop eventually .......but you should "soak the background for weeks before putting it into the display tank, unless theres no fish in there then you can season it in the tank - - -as far as holding it in the tank......lol good luck with that - -stirofoam floats so you have to out wiegh it with your creat or fight it floating out all the time- - - -
caps are needed either lol unless your yelling at us
first press the capslock button untill the little light with the lock and an "A" on the inside turn off...
kthxgoodbye...
then... you should glue down the background with some good clear silicone I from homedepot or wherever you pick up mexicans to work on your pad... then like teh boss said, season the cement... depending on how thick some parts of the cement are it could take months for it to stop affecting the PH... i think you could speed up the curing process with vinigar water... but i dunno... that's how i cure cement ponds...