Tropical Fish Forums

[silent_rock_faery]

I know these kinds of things usually get asked around a lot but what do you use for your tank background?

and if possible, anyone want to suggest something for me?

Here is the tank as of last week, the plants will grow more I am sure, but any ideas? currently I am using tinfoil. It looks terrible.

[diademhill]

Take off the tinfoil. Crumple it and smooth it out again. It will look better.

[mandle]

If you cannot get a printed background then you can try a really simple easy to change way - get a large sheet of poster board - they come in various colors - cut to fit and tape it on. Some people paint the back but I never would want to do something that permanent. On a really small tank I have even used dark colored construction paper. If it happens to get too wet and looks ragged simply replace it with a fresh piece. Cheap and simple! When I first got my 37 gallon (used) it had a big map of Ireland as a background. It was strange but the colors fit nicely with the tank - tan and green.

[UncleWillie]

I have always used posterboard. I used to use black all the time (can't go wrong with black), but recently came across some very deep browns. I now have brown posterboard as a background and it looks great. I like it becuase it is still dark, but it is much harder to tell it is paper. Looks great for a 'natural' look.

I obtained a second-hand aquarium with a painted blue background, and like madle said, maybe don't go with something permanent. Think cheap and replaceable!

[nikelodeon79]

I'm a huge fan of solid black, no nonsense backgrounds for tanks. They put the focus where it should be: on the fish and the aquascaping.

I do also like really complex, natural looking DIY backgrounds, but haven't had the time/energy to complete one myself.
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[mustbekarma]

After you cut the posterboard or construction paper to fit, you could laminate it, provided you have access to a laminator. Since I work in a school, access isn't a problem for me.

For all my smaller tanks, I've just cut blue construction paper to fit, and just laminated the paper. As long as the background isn't too "big" to fit in the laminator, that works pretty well. By the time the construction paper is laminated, it's as sturdy as posterboard, and waterproof to boot.

I assume you could laminate posterboard to get a really sturdy background.

As to color, I love using a dark, royal blue, similar to the blue mylar you can get at fish stores. I've also used black and light, sky blue, but I'm not as enamored of those colors.
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[Fern]

I personally just never scrape the algae off the back pane of glass. In time it fills in and looks good. Plus its free
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[mustbekarma]

[Fern]

On most its the brown. On some its some type of green. I'm just not one of the anti-algae people I guess.... It does no harm, its a little beneficial, and I'm lazy
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[monstrosity]

I always use black posterboard. I don't have to tape it, though, because the wall behind my tank has, I don't know what it's called, a window-sill-like frame. I just set the posterboard on that, and it stays.
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29 G