Background for aquarium

[Litespeed]

Just got our 84 gallon starphire aquarium. Now we have to decide if we want a background and if so what kind. I'm sure it's all a personal preference but I would like to know what others think.
I want to focus on the fish in our tank, not the background. Would a plain light blue background work? We are going to have mainly black gravel with some green fake plants and only one colored plant (which they sent us by mistake). We will have a "picture rock" and possibly some colors glass pieces in the tank. We have looked at Walmart and Petsmart but they don't have a great selection--any suggestions where to look. Our tank is 36" wide x 18" deep and 30" high.:help:

[Drumachine09]

Check out my DIY ]HERE ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.)

[zackish]

Plain old BBBBLACK!

[spudbuds]

I like black backgrounds. They seem to add depth to the tank (and hide the wires) without taking the focus from the fish.

[spudbuds]

BTW, congrats on the new tank. Can't wait to see pics.

[Lady Hobbs]

I like black, also, but the only thing about it I don't like is it makes the tank very dark so lights have to be on to see the fish. I don't like light blue, either.

Right now I have cloth on the back of 3 of my tanks.......one a dark blue and two in leopard print. I am actually in search of a straw runner to use on the back. Use your imagine and you can come up with some nice ideas. Wallpaper, shelf paper, a shower curtain, a printed sheet you like the pattern of (or the color).....etc.

[ruecole]

I used a light blue poster board (cost: 50 cents each) for both my 20g and my 10g.

Rue

[Drumachine09]

and two in leopard print

Exotic!




I have black on 3 of my aquariums. I LOVE it on my planted aquarium, because it makes the green plants REALLY pop.

My other aquarium has a dark blue posterboard, of which I am not too fond.

[Litespeed]

I think what we will try first is just holding up a black trash bag in back of it and see how that looks. We won't even start cycling our tank for about a month until we get back from vacation. We don't want to take the risk of well meaning neighbors over feeding fish or turning off filters or heaters.
Here is a picture of our tank (empty of course) and stand. Once we have everything done and up and running I will post another picture. I'm really excited about this and want to learn all I can.
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[Futureboy]

it really depends what your going to have in the tank

black sets off highly coloured or white fish and plants great

but i dont know how nice it would look with dark gravel?

and blue seems to look alittle dull i think


p.s whats a picture rock?

[Litespeed]

Picture rock can go by different names. In our local fish store it goes by the name of Rainbow slate. Here is a picture. It looks better under water, this piece is a little dirty with stains.
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[Futureboy]

ah ok gotcha looks good

[~Erik3.8.07~]

i got stuff like that in my tank too, only its big chunks of rock not slate, here its just called rainbow rock, and they really look great in the tank

[Rue]

...I've tried black...I've tried blue...

I prefer the vegetation backgrounds...but it's still not quite what I'm looking for either...

[emma_421]

It is probobly hard to tell without the water, gravel and rock in it. I have a dark blue background with plants on the bottom. I would not have picked it out in a store but it really does look good with my tank.

[gm72]

For a background I have been thinking about doing a tye-dye on a sheet or pillow case (depending on the size desired) with just blacks, browns, and greens. Darker colors.

[Lady Hobbs]

If people like black, it would be much cheaper to go to the store and get several yards of black material and do all your tanks. Cloth doesn't give flash-back when taking pictures and one could use a bunch of white rocks to lighten it up if you felt it was too dark.

[spudbuds]

If people like black, it would be much cheaper to go to the store and get several yards of black material and do all your tanks. Cloth doesn't give flash-back when taking pictures and one could use a bunch of white rocks to lighten it up if you felt it was too dark.
Great idea Hobbs! I've like the look of my black background, but I can't seem to get the warps out of it and the reflection from the camera flash bugs me. The cloth would solve both of thoese problems.

[emma_421]

Never thought about that one. Maybe I will do that to my 10 gallon.

[gm72]

You can also just use construction paper. Or, as I did recently with the coldwater 38, cut the cardboard that comes with the aquarium and/or stand, and spraypaint it.