Tank backgrounds

vlangel · Apr 2, 2014

Mine is black, Krylon fusion spray paint. I like how my power head , overflow, returns and HOB skimmer fade into the background.

Tradewinds · Apr 2, 2014

Mauve is the way to go. [JK]

DrBoxedWine · Apr 3, 2014

I spray painted one of my tanks black, and used a roller to paint the other black. They both look awesome. So far, the spray paint has chipped a couple times and the one i used the roller has not. The chips were easy to touch up, tho, and it also could have been a fluke. One of them is in front of a window and it completely blocks the light. I've used one of those laminated poster backgrounds, black felt, and just nothing (we have light green walls). This spray paint has been my favorite hands down. People compliment it, and it looks great all the time, and it's been very low (or no) maintenance. It's what i'll be doing from now on. Just my $0.02.

hybridazn · Apr 3, 2014

I went to a sign shop and bought black vinyl for mine. No mess of having to spray paint and it applies like window tint. Very easy to apply. I highly recommend this route

Mr. Microscope · Apr 4, 2014

I say run it pennisula style, or black.

Harold Green · May 21, 2014

backgrounds

Over forty years of marine tanks I've tried many backgrounds. I started with the store bought backgrounds. The don't look to good after algae grows on the glass. Had a 55 gallon tank that is only twelve inches front to back so I used mirrored window film on the back and if you have only a small amount of rock it makes the tank brighter and gives the impression of more fish in the tank. I tried blue paint. The algae on the glass made it look kind of greenish and not to attractive. Tried black and even with metal halides it was like looking at corals at night with a spotlight. Decided to try some metallic blue paint. Found it to be transparent and it required half a dozen light coats to look blue. The downside is if any light falls behind the tank you can see all the cords and equipment. The upside. The transparent blue gives you a deep ocean look that seems to go way back behind the tank and at the same time highlights the coral. Originally I use krylon x metals blue but it now seems hard to find. There are other manufactures of anodized blue paint so I'm hoping they will work well on the 210 I'm currently building. Good luck with finding that realistic background.

gemini9 · May 21, 2014

Black just seems too depressing. It's like you're looking into the ocean at night time. Or that you're staring into the abyss or mariyana trench (whatever it's called) Need more color! I opted with a blue background from the LFS. Well, it's not entirely flat blue because it has a wave design on it. My only complaint is that it keeps peeling off and leaving dark spots on the rear of the tank where it lost it's stickiness. I keep having to reapply it. But it looks pretty! As for the algae, just gotta scrub it off so it doesn't look so "green" and spotty.

Pete polyp · May 21, 2014

Foil

gemini9 · May 21, 2014

Neon orange?

Kworker · May 21, 2014

gemini9 said:
Neon orange?

I actually have neon orange plasti dip spray paint I used for my scuba fins! haha I was thinking about that jsut a few minutes ago.

I say blue or black is about even. I went with a dark blue on my 180 and love it. I had black on my 55 before and loved it as well. I think blue fits better for a reef tank. White backgrounds are actually nice as well.. I used one for one of my planted FW tanks.

Pete polyp · May 21, 2014

I like black because it makes the bright colors really pop. My 40 has a black back and black overflow. Its actually difficult to see the overflow.

fishface1 · May 21, 2014

+1 with Pete, I blacked mine out and have black
sand makes the colors of your corals pop more, darker
background equals brighter foreground and like stated
above hides any cords running down the back of the tank.
I used black vinyl from work one big sticker easy to install.

gemini9 · May 21, 2014

Make a hippie tank and go psychedelic tie dye

Pete polyp · May 21, 2014

fishface1 said:
+1 with Pete, I blacked mine out and have black
sand makes the colors of your corals pop more, darker
background equals brighter foreground and like stated
above hides any cords running down the back of the tank.
I used black vinyl from work one big sticker easy to install.

Black sand looks so great. I went bare bottom.with mine because 2xwp25 in a 40 would surely create a mess no matter what the substrate