Is a tank backing necessary?

Joby

Retired Staff
Aug 9, 2009
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West Midlands
I've not got round to doing anything yet but like some of these suggestions, keep them coming :clap: its amazing how ingenius people get for their fish :yes:
 

SmithRC

Member
Apr 21, 2009
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Newport Pagnell
I painted all the back of my fish room tanks - painted them blue... with I'd gone for black afterwards :(

The new tank is getting a sheet of ply painted black behind it... mainly because I cant move the damn thing now its in place :D :D
 

Lornek8

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Apr 21, 2009
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Hawaii
I saw an article on a large saltwater tank once. It was practically room sized. Outside the back of the tank was a piece of flexed blue plexiglass. Light was directed onto the plexi & it gave the illusion of additional depth. It worked especially well as the tank was desinged as a sand channel through a coral reef. One wall of the reef didn't go all the way back to the back of the tank so that when fish swam around the edge of the reef they appeared to disappear. Wonder if it could work on a smaller scale?
 

SmithRC

Member
Apr 21, 2009
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Newport Pagnell
If you look at the profesional planted tank shots you can get some really good effects with printed backgrounds...
an angled sheet lit from the bottom looks great!
 

Breamlegend

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Apr 22, 2009
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Central Coast NSW Australia
Can you show the slate background that must of taken some time to make i use sheets, one tank that has a background.
I'll get a pic. Took ages and I don't recommend doing it with small pieces as I almost passed out from the fumes. I've been thinking about making a tank out of slate with a glass front! Would be an expensive two footer and very heavy. Will use 10 mm slate and 10mm glass for the front panel.
 
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Tener ds

Member
Mar 22, 2010
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Crawley (uk)
got the guys at work to print me 1 black sheet off paper.cut it to size and taped it to the back off my edge.in about an hour or so the rasboras all came out and now seam happy.:)
 
I'll get a pic. Took ages and I don't recommend doing it with small pieces as I almost passed out from the fumes. I've been thinking about making a tank out of slate with a glass front! Would be an expensive two footer and very heavy. Will use 10 mm slate and 10mm glass for the front panel.
<3<3<3<3<3 Did you make the slate background at one time or did you do it in stages as the fumes would have been overwheling in one time.
Dame nice job and finish i would use it as a background in any tank! ( if i had the skill :cry: )
 

Breamlegend

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Apr 22, 2009
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Central Coast NSW Australia
I did it in two stages. The fumes were shocking. I was trying to use up a heap of offcuts from making caves. The trickiest part was using an angle grinder to trim down a few bits after I had made it without smashing the tank.:eek:hmy: