Background colour advice

[Furgan]

Hi

I’m stripping down and changing my current tank and looking for advice on background colour.

The tank is a 200L cube, which will have.
Ada aqua soil (the dark colour near black)
I hope to carpet with Eleocharis Acicularis 'Mini'
The back corner will be built up with granite rocks and a large spider wood coming out
Off this spider wood there will be susswassertang
Broken up with anubias around the base of the wood and maybe something behind it also
Co 2 with a FE
External filtration
Led lighting (not massive expensive powered, but good enough)

Stock will be wild green tetras and some neo Shrimp.

Now back to the background. I have used black background with dark substrate before but it did see, a bit dark but then it wasn’t heavy planted, I’ve used med-dark blue and did like that. The wall behind is currently off white and at the moment that looks good but the wall is marked a bit so prob would be better to paint the want even a off white.

So options are
Black paint
Blue paint (med/darkish blue)
White/off white paint
Or leave as is

Any advice would be appreciated
Thank you

 

[Kerryn]

Hi Furgan,

I use backing paper as this a little less permanent. I currently have dark blue on mine as it’s bit softer and doesn’t seem to show up algae as much. Although if you’re carpeting black might look better as a contrast. I tried a few different colours, green, black, dark blue, light blue and yellow. The yellow was horrible!

 

[Furgan]

I’ve looked back over old photos and the Black did look nice it’s just I had Discus in and black on black with discus dosnt do too well.

I am fed up with the backing paper as it just dosnt last or look as nice as paint. Tempted to go for the black as it might show the green neons up better, but a lot of the Aquascapes i see seem to go for the natural look

 

[zozo]

Opaque self addhesive window foil Than take a cheap Chinabay RGB led strip with a remote controller. Put it behind the tank at the top. Than you have a multi range of colors even more if you use a 3 channel manualy customizable controller.. The yellow/redish (golden/brown) colors looks best imho.. Brighter at the top fading away deeper down. Gives an enormous sence of depth and and natural look.

I played with this idea for a while a few years ago with a little experimental tank. Actualy used 2 light sources 1 from the top with a white light and a colored light from below. This gives even a more natural depth. The way light would be filtered in nature in slightly murky water, changing color in depth.

Back

Front:

a touch of cyan

a touch of orange

Purple Rain :X3: Purple Rain

crimson..

With a touch of yellow and a pinch of green

The orange and the last where my absolute favorites. But it's about limetless in different colors.. But that's a matter of taste.. You can have a different look every day. But since it not a display tank and an experiment to see what's possible and how it will look. I don't use it any longer. It is fun if you realy into colored backgrounds..

 

[Furgan]

Zozo I’ve tried window film before, 2 different styles and with both of them they bubbled up after a while esp if viewing the tank from the sides. My cube tank is viewable from 3 sides. It mostly looked ok face on but the other angles showed flaws in the film. But I do like your idea I just don’t think it’s right for me

 

[zozo]

If window film bubbles it means the glass is greasy and it doesn't adhere to that spot.. Can be a greasy fingerprint or even maybe a left over silicone fingerprint from the builder. I know the problem and these spots can be difficut to see. Your eyes tell it is clean, but the film tells you otherwise, that's a pain in the bud.. But if the glass is absolutely throughly clean the film realy wont bubble.

I once saw a topis where transpatant plastic bags were used.. You get them in all kinds of colors.. The wrinkly look and the color didn't look so bad at all.. I believe he also used light behind it..

 

[Kerryn]

The paper I use is classroom board backing paper, it’s really thick and tough. Once it’s fixed onto the glass you can’t see any imperfections.