A "color changing" background for your reef tank! What do you think?

[Jilly92]

Today's QOTD is inspired by the ReefStache CADE Reef Build and more specifically the update he posted yesterday about his LED lit frosted background here! I have personally seen these kits in action at a reef show and I was impressed by them and thought I might also like to try using one at some point in the future. That being said I would like to hear your thoughts on it today!

Would you ever consider using a color changing background on your reef tank?

image via @ReefStache

If you had a remote where you could set a color and it's not just flashing rainbow then yes

 

[sealife4life]

That’s definitely a cool idea! I wanted to try something like this but went a GSP route eventually it’ll be covered.

 

[ZoWhat]

What's next?

 

[Durhamreefer]

I have red LEDs on the back of my tank, not for ambiance but more for visual alerting. So my tank/room changes color whenever something needs attention.

Webcore?

 

[Rp8]

I had one on my 75. It was nice at night. I would put in on a low level when the main lights went off when company was over to add a little flair. Got it from 5 below.

 

[BiggestE222]

Whatever happened to just admiring the fish and corals?
Has the hobby really gone from keeping fish and corals to keeping fancy equipment?
I fear it has.

Fancy equipment for the filtration . Lighting and flow and dosing. Not so much for exterior accent lighting that does not be if it coral growth. Seems like something you might like on a car interior.

 

[HB AL]

I can't even see the back of my tank except the top few inches!

 

[vtecintegra]

Reminds me of these glofish. Ok for a 5 year old's tank, but ridiculous for a reef.

 

[windemerejack]

When i had visitors i used to show them my fish and corals, not 'hey look at my lights, look at my skimmer, look at all the equipment.
Why do people bother buying fish and corals, just buy a tank, fill it with water and then buy lots of fancy equipment, the saving on not buying fish and corals will be immense, just think how much more money you will have to spend on equipment to show people.

 

[aabjones888]

I don’t want to take nothing away from what’s in the aquarium. Corals, fish and whatever else is in the aquariums wayyyy more important.

 

[Shooter6]

If it works on freshwater tanks I would probably do it at some point.

No contact with water so doesn't matter fresh,salt,alcohol, space soup ect..

 

[Tundra Cuttle]

Whatever happened to just admiring the fish and corals?
Has the hobby really gone from keeping fish and corals to keeping fancy equipment?
I fear it has.

The reason I really want to do this is because I saw a background like this that looked like sunset, so it looked like the sun was setting on the reef and the corals looked so beautiful with that sunset background I just have to try it! Though my other equipment is about as simple as it gets.

 

[ReefStash Verified Sponsor]

If you had a remote where you could set a color and it's not just flashing rainbow then yes

Yes, the set I purchased comes with a remote and there are different settings. Once I have the lights over the tank and water in the tank I will be settling on a sunrise/sunset look and the lights won’t be filtering through all of the colors. You can actually just set it to one color as well.

 

[ReefStash Verified Sponsor]

That’s definitely a cool idea! I wanted to try something like this but went a GSP route eventually it’ll be covered.

GSP backgrounds are great, in all the tanks I have had over the years, along with all of the expensive coral and fish… number one conversation piece when guests come over were always the GSP or Xenia.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

while i do think this looks cool and is a great creative idea, I view it as mostly millennial hype/bling (hey look at me) and it's just something that will fade in it's appeal rather quickly.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

That’s definitely a cool idea! I wanted to try something like this but went a GSP route eventually it’ll be covered.

does the GSP stick to the glass reliably or do you help it out in some way?

 

[Durhamreefer]

Reminds me of these glofish. Ok for a 5 year old's tank, but ridiculous for a reef.

Mind sharing more as to why you believe it's ridiculous? I find peace of mind in having my LED strip glow bright red when something is amiss in my tank. I'm home a lot, don't live with my phone in my hands and generally prefer having the redundancy of alerts via phone notifications and visual. Color coding alerts is next on the smart tank list. Apex - Webcore - Smartthings - IFTTT - Tasker - Radion lighting... Love it all. Call me ridiculous if you wish, it all serves a purpose for me. Oh, I'm far from 5 years old.

 

[sealife4life]

GSP backgrounds are great, in all the tanks I have had over the years, along with all of the expensive coral and fish… number one conversation piece when guests come over were always the GSP or Xenia.

Other than the GSP I’ve read there’s a blue one as well. On the look out it would be nice to have both colors

 

[mdb_talon]

Whatever happened to just admiring the fish and corals?
Has the hobby really gone from keeping fish and corals to keeping fancy equipment?
I fear it has.

Haha like when i see a picture of someones sump and it looks like NASA put it together and then i see the tank and it looks like the equivelant of a homeless camp for corals.

 

[ReefStash Verified Sponsor]

I hate this. I like as natural a look as possible, this is not conducive to that goal. I can understand why other people might like it, but for me, absolutely not.

It’s funny you mention this… because it’s the exact look I’m going for. While my video shows the filtering of the light colors… the entire intent is to have an open ocean look when viewing the tank and the light kit will be set to a sunrise/sunset type look…. It won’t be constantly filtering through all of the colors that the light offers.

This is one of the main reasons I went with a peninsula and then set it up in a standard position. No overflow or any equipment on the back glass. I’m imagining looking into the tank and seeing a deep ocean… the scape will utilize NSA - negative space aquascape. The center will be open water and I’ll have a scape on the left and on the right.

I can see it in my head… just hoping it comes out the same way.