What blue for reef tank background.

[Reefnoob5]

What color blue should I get for my background. Deep sea blue? Or deep blue? Deep blue is a bit brighter. Deep sea blue looks almost navy blue but have heard good things. Just seeing what you all think. Thanks

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I like the bright blue on my tanks. I have MH lighting, so the blue looks really nice in the shimmer

 

[Auquanut]

I'm a big fan of Navy blue. Then again, I'm a retired sailor so I may be biased. I'd say to go with whatever shade you like best that isn't so brilliant that it distracts from the purdies you intend to put in the tank.

 

[NashobaTek]

I would think a navy blue would give the feel of depth, but it's up to you.

 

[Smite]

I can't really say on blues as I haven't used them on a reef but if your lighting is blue it will make a whiter background look blue. I did a heavy frosted backround on my 180 and it had a nice tinted blue to it. It also looked very natural and I feel reflected light off the back wall well. I actually painted the bottom of my current barebottom setup white and it reflects so well I have acros nubbing out on the underside. Sorry if no help, but thought I'd throw it out there for you to consider!

 

[Reefnoob5]

Has anyone tried a white background? My tank is currently already painted white but was thinking of switching it to some sort of blue

 

[KrisReef]

I am fond of white for the reflectivity, blue works great for Koi show pools but those are lit top down.

There is no right answer, just opinions on preferences so make sure you are happy with your choice.

 

[ZoWhat]

What about a mirror? That's what I'm doing on my next tank...getting a custom mirror cut to fit

 

[Smite]

Has anyone tried a white background? My tank is currently already painted white but was thinking of switching it to some sort of blue

White will look great. The only real downside to it is:
You'll notice film algae more, so you'll need to stay on top of cleaning the back glass.
Your pumps and cords will stand out more

the positives as I see them are
Added light reflection
Great contrast that makes corals and fish pop out more than black/blue. A blue coral on a white background really pops where as on blue, not so much.
Helps with taking pictures too. Your camera can get a better idea of whats actually white

 

[Smite]

What about a mirror? That's what I'm doing on my next tank...getting a custom mirror cut to fit

Only problem I see is fish going to war with themselves all day. I use my wifes compact mirror to lead hesitant fish into my trap.

 

[Reefnoob5]

White will look great. The only real downside to it is:
You'll notice film algae more, so you'll need to stay on top of cleaning the back glass.
Your pumps and cords will stand out more

the positives as I see them are
Added light reflection
Great contrast that makes corals and fish pop out more than black/blue. A blue coral on a white background really pops where as on blue, not so much.
Helps with taking pictures too. Your camera can get a better idea of whats actually white

My tank will be with a sump so everything will be hidden except for the overflow which will stick out a lot with white but I feel like white would still look awesome. I plan to just stack live rock up the overflow to hide it the best I can anyways.

 

[Reefnoob5]

Actually just saw some tanks with a white background. I like that. I can also paint my overflow white as well especially since it’s not in yet. White it is!!

 

[Rubymoon286]

I use an iron blue that's a little darker than darkmode on here, but about the same tone. I find it looks really nice in both blue light and white lights

 

[CMMorgan]

I love the idea of the white and then I think of how uptight I am. My new DT has a bright blue back and it's my favorite thing. Not too dark, not too light.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I've never been a fan of blues. They can look good right at first, but as soon as film algaes and bacteriums begin coating the back it looks terrible. I far prefer black, as it slightly inhibits algae growth (as it doesn't reflect the light back through the plant) and doesn't draw in the eye if something is growing over it. It's also far less distracting than blue, and doesn't give the eye anything to follow. White is a whole other issue, as it draws the eye really easily and distracts the viewer with even the slightest patch of algae. They start looking really dirty really fast.
The only blue-backed reefs I've liked, I've only liked them for the scapes and livestock. Blue is just too bright for me.

Anyways, sorry for rambling lol In my opinion a navy or near-black would work best and require the least amount of maintainance.

 

[Reefnoob5]

I love the idea of the white and then I think of how uptight I am. My new DT has a bright blue back and it's my favorite thing. Not too dark, not too light.

Care to share a pic? Haha

 

[C. Eymann]

In lighting is going to be more white (10-12k)
I like robins egg/ very light blue. If its going to be a pretty blued out lighting scheme then go with a deeper blue.

Just my .02

 

[CMMorgan]

Care to share a pic? Haha

Build thread Page 3 Post 47

 

[ca1ore]

Dark navy

 

[ZoWhat]

I use my wifes compact mirror to lead hesitant fish into my trap.

I should try that on my wife...leading her into my trap