Paper Tank Background or Clarity

Eelzor · Oct 4, 2003

Just for note, what do most of you think is better? A tank with photo paper on the background displaying plants, rock etc. or nothing at the back just a clear tank?

BlackWolf0503 · Oct 4, 2003

I've done both & now am trying the to do the Slate Rock look. Haven't gotten that together yet. I would lean towards paper background just cause it looks better But more impotantly Hides what is behind the tank.

mrV · Oct 4, 2003

Some dark backgrounds, blue, dark green, black... Don't like those "photo papers", look quite... hmm... boring.. and doesn't even look natural. One of my tank has plant paper, but when I remember I change it to dark blue.

Lateral Line · Oct 4, 2003

For the last "n" years, (where n is a large but imprecise value!), I have simply painted the backs and sometimes the sides of my tanks with blackboard paint. Paint on the outside of course.

cheirodon · Oct 4, 2003

I've seen people use sheets of tinted window material. It's like plastic, and can br removed easily if you get tired of it. There's all sorts of colors. However, they don't seem too natural.

I'm getting ready for a bigger tank, and my plans are to find a nice color marble or granite cut in the raw (that's the stuff they use for floors). And since I'm looking for the one with holes and crevices, I'll surely pay peanuts for it. I was thinking along the lines of a nice Carrara, which is a natural lime-cream color, so as not to compete with the fish colors.
It would have to be placed on the outside though, because of the weight and porousness.

B)

pondfreak4365 · Oct 4, 2003

We've been playing with the idea of using fabric because I like a black background, hides the works better for us. We currently use the plastic stick on backgrounds in black.

KimmyFishy89 · Oct 4, 2003

I have paper background of a coral reef. Which looks nice with all my colorful plants.

juanveldez · Nov 2, 2003

I only have paper on one of my tanks and it really isn't mine any more as I gve it to my wife for her goldfish. I put the back ground on as we were fostering a mommy kitty and her 5 kittens one of which we kept little mini as I call her. and the kittens had figured out how to climb up there and since my JD was in there at the time I needed something that they could do what they wanted and didnt' bother him

wuvmybetta · Nov 3, 2003

hows about the mirrored style? does anybody have one of those? I'm highly considering one for my 120....but the last thing I want to see while looking in my tank is myself

,does it work like that? :huh:

rsz · Nov 3, 2003

wuvmybetta, do u mean a mirrored tank or a mirrored background that you stick on? :huh:

i hav the mirrored tank, and the 2 sides are reflected, but you can see straight through the back of the tank :angry:

wuvmybetta · Nov 3, 2003

my lfs-keeper was showing me a background that had a shiny metallic blue on one side and a metallic silver on the other :huh:

,I didn't get to see it unrolled since it came in a package so I don't know if you can see thru it :huh:

,so you can see wires and such through your background? Is it the same one that I mentioned :huh:

if so.....I don't want it :lol:

rsz · Nov 3, 2003

no, i'm talkin about something completely different

)

my actual tank has reflective sides (i didnt know when i bought it, but it doesn't bother me -_-

)

i dont have a background stuck on - i didnt have the money when i started my tank, and im not too bothered now!!

wuvmybetta · Nov 3, 2003

,gotcha

Inchworm · Nov 3, 2003

Some of my tanks have that plastic picture stuff, some have nothing. It's not really nice to look in and see the electric cords and things hanging down the back of the tank. :huh:

There used to be paint you could put on the outside that gave the tank a frosted look. It came in an assortment of colors and looked nice if you wanted to coordinate it with gravel, etc. It also came in a plain frost. If I could find some of this again I would probably use it.

FanOFish · Nov 3, 2003

I have a hex style tank and have covered the back three panels with black backing. When the light is on it seems that the fish stand out more against the black back than they did without it. It also hides everything behind the tank, ie. cords, filter, etc.