Tank background?

[stephk]

Hello,

I recently purchased a 16 gallon rimless tank.  I was wondering if I should just leave it alone or place some kind of (black) background.  I've heard of vinyl sheet, ect.  I intend to place lots of live plants in the tank.  What are your thoughts?  I know one advantage is the black background can hide equipment.  I am leaning toward just leaving it alone but not sure.

Thanks!

[MickS77]

I like them for hiding equipment more so than any aesthetic reason of having a background. I use black vinyl. 

Edited January 5, 2021 by MickS77

[JettsPapa]

I also don't like seeing through the tanks.  (I have plain brown kraft paper taped to mine.  It looks better than you'd think.)

[Doug_E]

$10 "limo tint" at Walmart is a good option. Larger sizes for full coverage in one piece. Nearly totally opaque, but lets in just a bit of light which allows for some interesting background effects. 

[mouseturd13]

I like having a background because I think my fish get less spooked. I got some kind of like cork board background at the craft store in the teacher section. It’s kind of similar to Vinyl. A huge roll for under twenty dollars and it’s got plant print on it so it just looks like a bunch of dense plants and it’s been great. I had to used some of that sticky foam stuff to hang things on the wall to make it stay though. If you want black I’m pretty sure it came in black. Leaves a lot of room for error too with lots of extra material or some for future tanks.

Edited January 5, 2021 by mouseturd13

[Frost]

I like painting the back black the best, but  painting takes time and can be a pain so on smaller tanks I'll just tape black construction paper to the rim

I don't like the stick on vinyl backgrounds because I can never get the bubbles out of those things, but if you can then go for it

[Colu]

I have a juwel aquarium 3D back ground  it looks like rocks

[Kirsten]

I think it's a good idea to put something on the back of your tank at the very least to keep your fish from casting shadows on the wall and stressing themselves out. I tried black a black plastic trashbag but hated the way it looked since you could still see the safety warnings on it, so I went ahead and spent a couple bucks on a cheesy plant-filled vinyl sheet from the pet store and taped it up. Some parts cling and some parts don't and that's super annoying, but it's less noticeable than the garbage bag.

[AdamTill]

A small quart tin of black latex paint from the hardware store goes a long way. It’s water resistant, and only bubbles if you leave it wet for a number of hours, but can be easily and non offensively rolled on inside the house.

Edited January 6, 2021 by AdamTill

[Paul]

Krylon black spray paint. It’s dry within 1/2 hr.

[ChemBob]

I like a darker background vs the lighter colors of my painted walls. I think it makes the fish I have look better. 

[SpicyFin]

I like backgrounds. Im partial to the cling type easiest to apply and remove win win

[FishyJames]

I have a black background.  Hides hang on backs, black hoses and algae.

[Dancing Matt]

@AdamTill @Paul, do you need to empty the tank before painting? Will the airborne fumes settle and kill the fish?

[AdamTill]

25 minutes ago, Dancing Matt said:

@AdamTill @Paul, do you need to empty the tank before painting? Will the airborne fumes settle and kill the fish?

It’s easier obviously, but with latex and a roller probably doable. Wouldn’t use spray paint around live fish myself (or indoors at all)

[RyanR]

I literally just added my first background to one of my tanks last night.  It made a huge difference.  Take a look at the picture.  I bought blackout window film and it is very high quality.  I plan on putting this on all of my aquariums.  Here's what I ordered.

[KaitieG]

My husband (who actually has few opinions on the whole fish thing) insists on blue for a background.

[stephk]

4 hours ago, RyanR said:

I literally just added my first background to one of my tanks last night.  It made a huge difference.  Take a look at the picture.  I bought blackout window film and it is very high quality.  I plan on putting this on all of my aquariums.  Here's what I ordered.

Thanks, that really does look great! Also, I love your AT-AT!

[RyanR]

5 minutes ago, stephk said:

Thanks, that really does look great! Also, I love your AT-AT!

  😁 My 6 yr old son saw that in an LFS and wanted it, but he hasn't seen Star Wars yet...lol.  I was impressed when he picked it out.

[Paul]

@AdamTill I paint all my tanks empty. I suppose you can roll paint on while they’re full but you’re making the job difficult.

[Fish Folk]

We use black foam board from the school supplies / craft section in WalMart. We cut it to fit between rims. In this case, with a rimless, you'll want to figure out how to affix it. We usually use small pieces of black gorilla tape on the black rims.

We've used this now on virtually all of our tanks. Fish feel secure "backing up" to it. With a heavily planted tank, it will disappear into the background. It makes plants "pop" too.

Here's a couple videos on various planted tanks featuring the black foam board background:

5.5 gal. Betta Tank

10 gal platy Colony tank:

20 gal tall Ram Growout Tank

40 gal. breeder Acara Tank / 20 gal long fry grout tank

 

 

[Marcus Joline]

I just decided to paint the back glass on all of my aquariums flat back and I absolutely LOVE how all of them turned out. Doesn't require any masking if your careful and keep a wet cloth around. I used Rustoluem oil based paint that comes in the small cans at any hardware store. I got flat black but it truly doesn't matter. I also used a cheap .50 foam brush. I start with a really light coat first, let it dry for 30 minutes than do a regular coat 3 times waiting 30 minutes between coats. You can look through the front to see if you missed any spots. I seriously loved how they all turned out. Also if you decide you don't want it anymore you can always scape it off with a razor but its a little labor intensive.  

[The Doctor]

One option for easily removable spry pain is plasti dip...

https://plastidip.com/

 

 

[AdamTill]

32 minutes ago, Paul said:

@AdamTill I paint all my tanks empty. I suppose you can roll paint on while they’re full but you’re making the job difficult.

Oh agreed, someone just asked if it was possible.

[starsman20]

1 hour ago, RyanR said:

  😁 My 6 yr old son saw that in an LFS and wanted it, but he hasn't seen Star Wars yet...lol.  I was impressed when he picked it out.

6 yrs old and hasn't seen Star Wars...    -1 Dad point  🙂