FishProfiles.com Message Forums

What are some possibilities for making an inexpensive, yet nice looking background for my 55 gallon tank? Thanks in advance.

Wrapping paper is one of the more common, you can also use paint (only if you're sure you like the color ). I've used metallic paperboard, and have heard of others using foil.

^_^
[link=H2g2]http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/upgrade.html" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link] 2005 Don't Leave Home Without it
[/font]

Tissue paper worked well for me and since it's cheap you can chuck it out whenever you get tired of a particular color or if it happens to get icky.. Also, since some papers are translucent it makes for a pretty color effect..

Moss wall. Now.

I heard someone in another of the fp boards use contact paper. Personally, I just go with the BG my LFS has. Works for me.

The only store-bought background I like is plain black. It usually is blue on the other side which I've used once.

Currently two of my tanks have black backgrounds, another had foil which can be used on either the shiny side or matte, smooth or not. My other tanks have no backgrounds.


~~~~
[/font]

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I don't mind the store-bought background on my 55, but the background is taped-on. So the entire background is separated from the tank by a thin layer of air, and as a result the background reflects a lot less light than it would if it were, say, stuck on with mineral oil.

I've occasionally had small amounts of water drip back there and stick the background to the glass. That usually produces an effect that is far too bright and very distracting.

I've read of people making their own 3d backgrounds with a very shallow plastic pan, filling it with a mixture of rocks, sand, twigs and cementing it together with aquarium silicon. Problem with this method is that I'm not sure how hard or expensive it would be to find the necessary materials. You would also have to be very selective on what material you are using to glue and what you are glueing to the wall as rocks and twigs taken from the outside can have pesticides or other poisons in them.
Its a concept I read about in an old book, but I think its something that might be interesting to do if one had the time.

I like painting the backs of my tanks. Clean the glass well with alcohol or glass cleaner then paint with an interior latex. The background will withstand moisture and be relatively easy to strip.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright