Those with blue background in their aquariums ....

[HClH2OFish]

I've got blue on mine..I use the sheets and just use poster putty in each corner to keep it up...makes the little featherdusters growing on the back really stand out.

No coralline on the tank glass yet, but it's coming along! I'm just dreading my move next month!!

 

[Unarce]

I've got the black background, too, but it's mostly covered with coralline. I do like how a blue background enhances the overall appearance and coloration of a reef, but I guess most are saying that's short-lived.

 

[Anonymous]

When I set up my system I painted a piece of acrylic (cause I had it laying around) blue on one side and black on the other and just stuck it on the back of the tank. I tried it both ways and liked both. After a while though I just removed it because the glass got covered in stuff.

 

[Oceans Ferevh]

You will have to scrape it about every five days to keep up with the alga. Mine is mid-blue...and mottled green, with scum. It's fascinating to see what new patterns the snails are going to leave through the muck. I can tell apart my turbo, nerite, and bumble bees' munch marks. It you like to track things, go for it

 

[Playdope]

I was reading a thread recently about how theres going to be an algae magnet with a razor (or acrylic safe blade) on it.. or an attachment for certain brands of magnets. Sounds interesting.. and may make cleaning the background more often easier.

 

[Mogo]

Light blue, dark blue, powder blue, black, whatever... I'm still trying to find a colour that will hide algae growth.

The colour of my back wall is black and it looked great until 2 years worth of corraline algae buildup. Damn, I should have painted it yellow.

 

[Reef Goalie]

I have a blue back also and never clean it. he coraline and polyps grow where they like. It looks fine without any cleaning.......

 

[da colts1]

my 125 reef never gets cleaned by me.......however the lawnmower blenny has a blast with it.

 

[cmc1]

I have dark blue, I like it because it looks like the endless sea beyond. I clean it once a week and just use Kent's acrylic scraper to clean...real easy!

 

[MLVA123]

There's an enormous thread on RC that details a 240g in-wall project. He left the back clear, but painted a piece of acrylic that he attached to the back of the tank. It took him a couple of tries, but he did this gradient paint job that goes from black through three different shades of blue. The results are stunning - it adds this amazing illusion of depth. But, as pointed out here, if you went to all that trouble you'd be scraping your fingers to the bone to keep the back clean. Arrrrrrrgh.

 

[Anonymous]

There's an enormous thread on RC that details a 240g in-wall project. He left the back clear, but painted a piece of acrylic that he attached to the back of the tank. It took him a couple of tries, but he did this gradient paint job that goes from black through three different shades of blue. The results are stunning - it adds this amazing illusion of depth. But, as pointed out here, if you went to all that trouble you'd be scraping your fingers to the bone to keep the back clean. Arrrrrrrgh.

That's what I typically do. I spray paint a piece of plexiglass with two shades of blue - medium and dark blue. I created a gradual color change from dark blue to the ligher shade. I attached the plexi to the tank's back with electrical tape. Has worked great for me for many years.

 

[delbeek]

You can get backdrop material called Korogard, it is a wall covering. We use it IN our tanks to cover the back wall. If you plan your aquascape properly it is relatively easy to remove, clean, and then reinsert into the tank. This gives you a nice, clean coloured background and takes only a few minutes once a week to clean. Better yet make two or three and you can swap them out and then clean it when you have the time.

Aloha!
J. Charles Delbeek

 

[Jolieve]

I have a blue background. I knock back the coralline with the mag float every once in a while, but I like to leave some of the coralline on there too. Most of the coralline growth I have is pink and I think it looks really neat on the blue background.

J.

 

[Anonymous]

yeah...I sponge-paint the backs of my tanks.

You wanna pick about 4 or 5 nicely matching colors, and start with the color you like the best, it will be the most prominant. Don't overdo it with any one color, though. After the last color, overlay the entire thing with a solid coat of something dark, like black, navy, or forest green.
Looks kewl, and you don't have to worry about which color algae is growing, tho the purple coralline otta overtake them all.

PS Do NOT use your girlfriends sponge from the bathroom. Big no-no. Buy yer own, cheapskate!