Aquarium Backgrounds?

[sufcdan]

What are the choices, with pro's n con's for backgrounds on aquariums?

Also where is the best place to find them? im looking for a suitable background for my 60litre aqua art

Any opinions

Will probably go with tahitian moon sand as substrate so something that will go well with that

 

[Ian H]

i just used plain black card, much nicer imo

 

[gaz gun man]

yep if I was going to set up another tank then I would use plain black card, or blue looks quite nice

 

[minxfishy]

A background is supposed to help the fish feel safer. Also helps to hide the wiring and plugs. Plain colour or brightly coloured, your preference, you can usually find a good variety at an LFS or ebay have loads.

 

[gaz gun man]

when I set up my small tank I went to Staples and bought 2 pieces of black card for about £1.50 each

 

[mikky77]

I used a Juwel 3d background,it has to be cut to size,and stuck on the inside with sealant.hey come in different sizes
Juwel 3d background

 

[UBigBobby]

Some people claim the background makes fish feel safer. It can also turn the glass into a mirror which freaks out some fish. Generally this isn't a problem and fish will get used to it.

You can go the photo-background route, which are the big photos of plants/rocks to add depth to your aquascape. Some people don't like these however as they make some tanks look too cluttered and take away from the attractiveness of the fish.

I'd say the best choices IMO are a plain black or blue background. This can be achieved by spraypainting the back of the tank or taping construction paper onto it.

Basically your plants and especially fish will "pop" alot more in front of a plain black or blue background than if you left the back of the tank clear, or put up a photo background.

 

[rossyboy]

Well in my first few tanks i used the basic plastic backdrops you get from your LFS, or just card etc.

But i've since got a new tank and decided to go for it properly haha, so I bought a Juwel 3d background for the full effect.

It sits inside the aquarium and is sealed in with silicone.

IMO-

Pro's=
-Looks attractive/more natural for my fish
-provides more protection as opposed to an open glass tank
-Can look great with similar things like black rock etc
-Can hide unsightly filters/pipes

Con's=
-You have to fix it in before filling with water, so ideal for a new setup really
-Can be quite expensive for what is essentially polystyrene or sometimes fibreglass
-Takes water space up


Pics below in my signature!

 

[Ficious]

i just used a black towel i had laying around...light blue getting darker near bottom is a good one too

 

[kj23502]

I'm thinking about trying a 3-D background for my new 75 gallon tank. Originally I used either blue or back on the back of the tank. I also heard of people painting the back of their tanks on the outside.

 

[pixelpefekt]

Some people claim the background makes fish feel safer. It can also turn the glass into a mirror which freaks out some fish. Generally this isn't a problem and fish will get used to it....

Don't think this is the case. From inside the tank looking out (fish perspective) there will be no mirror effect.

I quite like the aquascape image as a background. I've got one of Amano's background images on mine. I think it's an ideal solution if you are starting out and possibly have a fairly bare tank (IMO)