How to install the picture in the back

[yvez9]

I know it somehow has to stick but how do you keep that airtight?

Do I have to put in water and then seal it all the way around?

It really looks crappy right now because half the image is very faint because of the glass' reflection...

 

[SirMinion]

Most people put it on the outside of the tank.....

 

[Great Lakes]

Yes, the most accepted practice is to tape it to the outside of the tank.

 

[yvez9]

It is outside the tank
it just doesn't stick to the glass so when i look at it, i can see the reflection of hte glass instead of the picture

do you understand what i mean?

 

[Vip]

what you said can work, if you wet the whole thing then stick it on as good as you can it should turn out ok if it doesnt run your credit card over it sealing it out flat.
Ive done this before and it worked.

 

[white]

Hi, I am presuming that you mean the photographic background.
I have had more trouble with this than any other aspect of setting up my aquarium.
My first effort was to stick it against the back glass (outside) with sellotape. This looked fine initially but proved to be undulated and when evening came you could see all of the little variations.
Under pressure from my boss (the wife) I removed the backing (not easy in a 3 inch gap) and decided to use double sidded tape and tape the backing to a large piece of Cardboard. For some reason the double sided tape caused even more rippling. I have now bought another length and am trying to decide how to stick this. My local shop says it is quite easy to stick direct to the back glass. This will remain to be seen.
Frustrated, Roy.
Anyway a Merry Christmas to all.

 

[Barday]

Try using vaseline or something similar. Spread it on the picture side and then just place it on the tank. This should create a nice air tight seal

 

[nshockeyplaya]

Is it bad to put the background on the inside of the tank because thats what i did and it seems to look better but algae builds up behind it, is that bad?

 

[evilbunny]

i always wondered why people didnt' stick the picture inside the tank, i mean u can do it can't u ? apart from losing a few fish that could swim behind it, and i cant' imagine that it would stick properly, or i'm not think of how to stick it to the back properly,

as it is i'm too scared to buy a background for fear of never being able to make it look good ... that and 6 ft of back ground is way too much for any uni student to spend on pieces of paper

 

[code47mastermind]

if its one of those backgrounds you can buy the have like fake plants or waht not form fishstores.... take some mineral oil or baby oil and put it on the background and the put it on the back of the tank and squeegy out the bubbles and it will look like it was built onto the tank..... you need very little baby oil... just enough for it to grab so dont put excessive amounts or you will have some dripping oil

 

[Talleyrand]

I would assume the paper and inks used in tank backing are not non toxic and would do unwanted things to your water chemistry. Not to mention when the paper starts to rot away you will have little white paper "turds" floating in the tank and clogging everything.