Trash bag for backround?

[ShadowP]

I want to put up a black background for my native tank. I didn't think about painting it like I usually do until like 2 days ago. Since then I got the paint for it but I didn't have enough room to get it, so I used that paint for my stand instead. Since I don't have the room to get the paint roller behind the tank I thought about using poster board, but I'm worried about it getting wet and becoming soggy( my pseed likes to splash me before I feed him sometimes) so anykind of paper is out of the question. I went to the lfs today and looked around for one of their backgrounds to fit my tank and they didn't have any, literally zero backrounds for anything larger than a 20 gallon. So That route is is a no go. The only other thing I could think of is getting black trash bags and using one to cover the back and tape it on. Unless anyone has some other way to accomplish the black backround that I haven't thought of. But if you have used the trash bag idea do you have any tips on how to do it without having wrinkles. Pictures are always a plus.

You could always go to any arts & crafts store (Michael's, A.G. Moore, etc) and purchase a large sheet of black felt backing material or go to Super K Mart or Walart a buy some black denim, cotton/linen twin bed sheets or drapes (yeah, enough weird people out there! Even available in black).
Cut to size and tack to entire back top frame with rubber cement then let cure for a day...then stretch slightly to remove wrinkles and tack just the bottom back corners. Tiny bit of masking tape to hold til adhesive cures.

 

[HarleyK]

I've got black trash bags on a couple of my tanks.
Looks fine and simple. Just tape it tight without folds.

 

[mudbuttjones]

I've done the black trash bag before. The tank was in front of a window that got indirect sun. The light filtered through the plastic a little and looked neat.

You could always go to the LFS and buy a plain black roll of the "backgrounds" they sell. I've slipped plenty of those behind tanks that were 3" from the wall.

The last one I bought cost like $7 for a 48x24

 

[justarn]

i use a piece of black acrylic/perspex in my 300g, its on the inside so is very easy to install inside while the tanks full and running.

 

[BrookKeeper]

i use a piece of black acrylic/perspex in my 300g, its on the inside so is very easy to install inside while the tanks full and running.

I am curious why you decided to put it inside the tank? Does it conceal plumbing? And if so, do fish ever get behind it?

 

[justarn]

because after a few months behind i got the usual water marks between the glass and sheet, its like a black mirror inside looks way better than it ever did outside!-)
old pic of it outside and red oscar shows a nice recent inside shot...

 

[BrookKeeper]

because after a few months behind i got the usual water marks between the glass and sheet, its like a black mirror inside looks way better than it ever did outside!-)

Gotcha. I get around the splashing/salt creep issues with my mirrors but running a strip of 2" wide electrical tape (one of my favorite least known everyday construction materials) along the top frame of the tank and the top edge of the mirror (or black plexi). Keeps all the water on the back of the background, and in the case of the mirror, protects the backing from flaking off as it will if it gets wet/salty.

I use the same product to make/replace hinges on glass and plexi tank lids. It is waterproof and can withstand years of bending and flexing. Commonly used by plumbers to tape electrical wire to well pipe, it can be found at many plumbing supply houses.

 

[justarn]

i see, pics now added above, black is much deeper... i like cable ties haha, use em everywhere so i get what you mean with the tape!-)

 

[BrookKeeper]

i see, pics now added above, black is much deeper... i like cable ties haha, use em everywhere so i get what you mean with the tape!-)

It does look much nicer on the inside... Cables ties are a must have also, but they tend to get brittle when used to tie wire in to the well pipe. Scratched my cornea a few weeks back, used the 2" tape to cover one lens on a pair of Oakleys to make a pretty slick eye patch without damaging them...

 

[Cheifwalnut]

I ended up just taking everyone and everything out draining the tank and painting it. I tried to garbage back but it look ridiculously terrible.