Even An Inexpensive Backdrop Can Make A Difference

[Gvilleguy]

Rather than going for one of the $15US backdrops available in the LFS here, I opted for a less expensive, yet still effective solution! I spent 99 cents at a local drug store and bought a blue posterboard. I also bought a black one. I cut both to fit the back of the aquarium, and then had the family vote on which color they liked better. We ended up going with blue.

Aquarium before backdrop:

Aquarium with posterboard backdrop:

The camera flash actually made the backdrop brighter than it is under just the aquarium lighting.

I'd be interested to see more backdrop ideas from forum members.

 

[Torchwood~Mindfreak]

Very nice tank it looks really good I just went with one from petland so nothing to add lol

 

[carla85uk]

i have done exactly the same thing with my tank, i actually preffer just the plain blue to one with images

 

[onebto]

Great tank and the back ground extenuates it

regards onebto

 

[SchottayB]

Makes it look much better!

Can I just ask what you used to stick the background to the tank?

Cheers

 

[Jamepsss]

Plain blue or black does it for me. Yours looks miles better with the background. Some of the expensive 3D ones look good but can take up a lot of room in the tank.

I've got standard black on both my tanks stuck on with that 'sea view' glue which works well.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Makes it look much better!

Can I just ask what you used to stick the background to the tank?

Cheers

I just went low tech and used 4 pieces of clear scotch tape! So far it's holding fine, but I might eventually have to use something stronger.

 

[minxfishy]

I always use plain black paper, buy it on a roll from a stationery place, 10m for a few quid, cut and use as required and stick on with cellotape.

 

[walkers101]

exact the same as minx but mine is sugar paper

 

[Gvilleguy]

exact the same as minx but mine is sugar paper

I liked the black posterboard on mine, but I was out voted. I thought it would make the fish stand out better. This new aquarium is a "summer fun" project with my kids, so I'm letting them make most of the decorating decisions (as you can see from the neon colored gravel we used).

 

[kiriyama]

Had a printed one at the start, made the tank look like it had giant shrimps in it, plain black on the main tank and blue on the smaller, both show up fish colours nice.
Nice looking tank you have there, well done

 

[Gvilleguy]

Had a printed one at the start, made the tank look like it had giant shrimps in it, plain black on the main tank and blue on the smaller, both show up fish colours nice.
Nice looking tank you have there, well done

Thanks!! My biggest challenge now is keeping the kids interested while doing the fishless cycle! I'm only 10 days in with no ammonia drop yet, and they are anxious to buy our first fish. But I'm holding them off until we get cycled.

 

[Socks]

It does look a lot better with the background.I don't have any before and after photos but I just painted mine black,no tape or glue to fall off ;P

 

[stubert]

this is true, just put a bin liner behind my tank, makes it look over 9000 times better.

 

[Gvilleguy]

I took a better shot of the aquarium - tripod, no flash, time lapse - and this is the how the backdrop actually looks: