# Aquarium backgrounds



## jkh13 (21 Jul 2020)

What aquarium backgrounds are people using if any? My tank faces a plain white wall behind it and I was thinking of putting a background behind it to make it more interesting, what is the best way to attach something like a plain colour or gradient background?


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## steveno (21 Jul 2020)

Hiya, i also have a plain white wall behind my tank, but have a controllable coloured led strip pointed towards wall which i some times turn on. It allow me to creat a gradient colour behind my tank, perhaps you could also used a similar method.

Note I has a small gap behind my stand and wall, and my tank isn't the same size as the cabinet so I'm am able to install a led strip behind.


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## steveno (21 Jul 2020)

Heres a few quick snaps to show what my tank looks like with coloured led strip on, the colours is more washed out when main lights are on too.


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## alto (21 Jul 2020)




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## rebel (21 Jul 2020)

Frosted with LEd light. It depends on your scape though. Some will benefit from 3d backgrounds but they are a pain as detritus collects at the edges.


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## alto (21 Jul 2020)

Almost forgot the Lightground (from a Polish company)

https://greenaqua.hu/en/the-lightgr...atter-vilagitas.html?nosto=nosto-page-search1

Or the ADA version 

https://greenaqua.hu/en/ada-light-screen-60-w60xh36cm-led-hattervilagitas.html

Note ADA prices vary dramatically depending upon country (if even available)


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## alto (21 Jul 2020)

rebel said:


> 3d backgrounds


After reclaiming a couple tanks with 3D backgrounds ... never again 
Total stinking slime


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## dcurzon (21 Jul 2020)

piece of black (or coloured) card.  available from anywhere.


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## Witcher (21 Jul 2020)

I use a wall of tall stem plants as a background generally plus black board behind the tank.



alto said:


> After reclaiming a couple tanks with 3D backgrounds ... never again
> Total stinking slime


Due to detritus, dirt etc it collects I'm absolutely hater of these backgrounds. I got them with my Juwels and removed them pretty quickly, as you've said - never again! Plus they are quite thick and take lots of space.


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## dcurzon (21 Jul 2020)

alto said:


> After reclaiming a couple tanks with 3D backgrounds ... never again
> Total stinking slime



I had a rainbow crab that literally took this stuff to pieces, constant pieces of polystyrene floating about.


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## Ed Wiser (21 Jul 2020)

New tank is getting a light background from Poland.


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## steveno (21 Jul 2020)

I was considering  to applying some frosted film or as Jusy liked to called them foggy film in the video the Alto posted 😅, and was  just wondering if sucker cup still stick to back of these type of film, as I use sucker cup to hold cables in place to rear of my tank 🤔.


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## Melll (21 Jul 2020)

steveno said:


> I was considering  to applying some frosted film or as Jusy liked to called them foggy film in the video the Alto posted 😅, and was just wondering if sucker cup still stick to back of these type of film, as I use sucker cup to hold cables in place to rear of my tank 🤔.




I have just stuck a sucker onto the film I have on one of the tanks, I will let you know when it falls off 👍


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## Melll (21 Jul 2020)

19.03 it fell off.


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## tiger15 (21 Jul 2020)

Most nature show tanks have no  background, just plain white wall or using led light to accentuate a blue sky simulation behind.  But these tanks also don’t hang cables, hoses or HOB filters behind or hide them with tall plants if present.  I use multiple HOB filters and  tank top led lights that have many cables that I must and have used background  to hide the clutter.  I use commercial aquarium backgrounds made of water proof vinyl for my fish only tanks before I started growing plants.  The  patterns I inherited range from image of a rock wall, coral reef, to planted aquascape, and it turned out the the simple rock wall looks the best with plants.   If I can select a new background for my planted tank,  I will select plain light blue to green to resemble sky or natural water color that can reflect light back to the tank.  Never use complicated images that are OK for  fish only but distractive in planted tank, nor dark backgrounds that absorb light.


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## Majsa (21 Jul 2020)

I have one tank with plain white background and two with black. The one with white background has a plain white wall behind it, but still the tank looks better with its own background, hiding cables, shadows etc. One of the tanks with a black background is rather successfully hiding an ugly black HOB and its evenly ugly black prefilter sponge.


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## tiger15 (22 Jul 2020)

Majsa said:


> I have one tank with plain white background and two with black. The one with white background has a plain white wall behind it, but still the tank looks better with its own background, hiding cables, shadows etc. One of the tanks with a black background is rather successfully hiding an ugly black HOB and its evenly ugly black prefilter sponge.


Most aquascapers do not use HOB and prefer canister hidden in the cabinet.  They want to minimize equipment and cables outside from distracting the view, so they have no need to have background to hide clutter.  When they take pic of their scapes in competition, they temporarily remove all equipment.

I am no pure aquascaper as I keep large fish with plants  that generate heavy bioload and canisters won’t work as they get clogged quickly and PIA to clean.  I use multiple HOBs that are easy to clean and tank top LEDs so I must use background to hide ugly boxes and cables behind.   There are still intake tubes inside the tanks ( 2 in my 75g and 3 in my 125 g) plus heater and intank reactor that cannot be hidden but the scenic backgrounds help diffuse their appearance somewhat.  I favor the simple rock wall background in my 125g over the busy aquascape background in my 75g but I inherited them before adding plants.


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## Wookii (23 Jul 2020)

If you have loads of equipment behind the tank to hide, I'd still go with a plain black background over anything with an image or pattern on  it.


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## Tom Ryan (@aquascaperay) (5 Aug 2020)

I believe the lightground is a cheaper version of the ada light screen and makes a nice finish to the aquascape. Not yet available in the UK but I got in touch with the distributor who said they will be available here soon


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## Ed Wiser (7 Aug 2020)

Just received my lightground backgroud from Poland shipped to me in the US in a day an a half.


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## Wookii (7 Aug 2020)

Ed Wiser said:


> Just received my lightground backgroud from Poland shipped to me in the US in a day an a half.


 Will be interested to see how this goes - will you be posting some construction images somewhere Ed?


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## Ed Wiser (8 Aug 2020)

I have a build thread on the forum. 
I will be doing a unboxing and set up video.


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