What Color Background do you use?

[natrate]

I've made the decision to use Fiji Pink sand instead of black. Now, I need to decide on a background color. From the pictures of other tanks, it seems like you can see the shimmer from metal halide lamps better on a blue background. Has anyone noticed this? I leaning towards a darker blue (like the background in "Finding Nemo"). What color do you use? Pictures would be nice?

[Casperson]

Blue is cool. I have blue. I've seen some that have painted the outside back of the glass which fades from black to blue as it get higher. This gives an illusion of deep sea depth.

Tom c

[grim]

I use dark blue foam-core board for my backgrounds. They are commonly sold by xacto or elmers, I get them at my local crafts store. They are inexpensive at about $3-4 a sheet. They cut very easily, and best of all, they hold their shape very well and look better then the commonly available sheet backgrounds (that mount sloppy). I use a bit of black vinyl tape to attach the board as well as hide the light colored foam core. Once mounted the boards are almost indistinguishable from a painted back. I used to use the glossy sheet stock stuff, but it would always develop a wave or pull in certain areas that would pull away from the glass. This wavyness just didn't look good, especially with halides, probably due to the fact that a point source light emphasized the imperfections in the mounting.

If you shop around you'll be able to find plastic faced foam core that is entirely waterproof, this stuff is ideal, but is harder to work with and a bit more expensive. Don't use the stuff that has a texture in the face (the cheap stuff), the pattern looks entirely unnatural. Your eye gets drawn to the background with that.

Any standard crafts store should have at least 3 shades of blue in addition to a black. I prefer the dark blue/violet elmers brand board, it's a very natural color (think eastern sky at twilight during the summer).

Jim

[blacksh33p]

i think it'd look pretty slick with the black sand and a painted black background. . but if you cant decide just do what grim said and get some of that foam board. get a couple colors so you can change it up if you dont like it or just feel like changing it.

[Cutiewitbooty]

I spray painted my background black, i think it looks cool :D

[The Marmot]

Black, it just really makes the corals stand out.

[surfnvb7]

I never liked the black sand.......it does look good in planted freshwater tanks however, but not in marine tanks.

I did get some indigo pacific aragalive sand once (i think thats what it was called), it was half black and half white...kind of a salt-n-pepper look. i liked it at first, but dont anymore. everyone is always asking me "what are those black things in your sand"......my response is "black rocks mixed in with the sand"......i got so tired of answering that question all of the time. plus, the black pebbles look like debris or something.....doesn't offer a very clean look.

i also have done a blue background before, which i thought would be cool. but i'm not liking it much anymore, and i think the reason is b/c i'm running bluer type MH bulbs.

so, if you have very white bulbs, like 14k, 10k or less MH's, i think a blue background would be good.

but if you have 15k or 20k, or alot of actinic supplementation, i'd go with the black background.........

a very blue looking tank, with a blue background just looks weird, then put purple/pink coraline, and green algae over the blue background......yuck

the black background provides more "depth of field" in making the tank look bigger IMO, and more contrast in making the other colors of the corals in the tank stand out more...

with all that said, i'm gonna paint the back of my girlfriends new 15g next week, and we are picking out a "gunmetal black" that looks metalic (it has some silver or some specs of glitter in it or something)........i think it will look great!

[2Salty]

Grim, Do you have a picture?

[EdKruzel]

I've used both colors and have seen them combined with black towards the bottom fading upward into blue.

I use strictly black as it blends with most black powerheads, helping to hide there appearance.

After awhile it all gets covered in coralline anyway.

Ed

[Andys29]

Iv tried both black and blue and i always end up with the blue on the background. It looks the best and gives the best colors in my opinion.

[Cutiewitbooty]

Oh just go black, you will never go back!!.................ok that didn't sound right............ :D

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

i think it sounded just like you wanted it to sound:D

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

i think it sounded just like you wanted it to sound:D

IMO-black is nice, but it seems to take some brightness away from look.(I've used both, now using black)

[luckybaker4]

Every tank I have had is black and I have never seen a black background that I didn't like. I think it makes colors POP more.

[surfnvb7]

Oh just go black, you will never go back!!.................ok that didn't sound right............

yeah...i will honestly say i know nothing about this particular topic :lol:

since you spoke up first, you have officially been designated the expert in that "area" :lol: :lol: :lol: