Mirror under tank

[Zanne]

I'm getting ready to set up a 10 US gallon quarantine/hospital tank. The place I plan on putting it is a solid wood hutch that has a mirror on the top to protect the finish. I don't plan on putting any gravel or sand in the tank in order to make it easy to clean although I do plan on having some rocks in there.

Would the mirror under the tank have any detrimental effect on fish that are put in there for either quarantine or to get well?

 

[canarsie11]

Should be fine........

 

[freshwater]

that would look pretty cool to have a mirror on the back of a tank would make it look a whole lot bigger

 

[FishDan]

Many fish will be stressed by having reflections created by mirrors. Take betas as an example. They are often stressed or get agressive when they see their reflection in a glass tank wall, it will probably be the same or worse with a mirror. If you want to protect the finish on your hutch there are better, less stressful, ways to do this. A thin piece of styrofoam is a great way to protect your furniture and keep your tank level. Even a plain piece of glass would be a better choice. I personally wouldn't use a mirror. Not all fish may be bothered, and betas certainly are not the only ones, they are just the single best example I could thjink of on the spot.

\Dan

 

[Zanne]

I realize that bettas would react badly, however my betta is in a tank of his own and wouldn't ever be quarantined in there.

The mirror is not a seperate purchase but is something that has been on top of the hutch for years. I'm just querying to find out if it would be okay or if I'll need to cover it with something else. I also thought that it would create the illusion of a larger tank if it wouldn't bother the fish and would add interest.

 

[Small Fry]

I would be concerned about scratching and cracking the mirror (but that's just me) I use this kitchen material that they use for some place settings and that seems to work fine. Make sure you get the stuff with the fuzz on the bottom to avoid discolouration on the wood though. You can get this stuff at Wal-Mart

 

[LoveMyOscar]

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