Best background for pictus catfish?

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I realize this might be an unusual question, but as the title says, what is the best pictus catfish background? I'm guessing something dark brown like the rivers they come from?
Asking because I suspect the dissatisfaction of the ones I rehomed/am attempting to rehome is partly due to that - they have a white painted wall as their background, very different from dark brown. For those with happy pictus catfish, what is the background of your tank like?

 

[Fishman Dave]

All my tanks generally have jet black backing and sides. Even if it’s as simple as a dustbin bag taped to the back and sides. Find that most fish settle better this way and act more naturally, plus I am not one for fake pictures of plants or rocks as they soon don’t look good.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The lighting may be more important than the background color past the acclimation stage, I suppose... and overall the background color should be pretty inconsequential but I'd love to hear and learn otherwise.

I don't know if our pictus are happy or unhappy (I think our track record sucks, having gone from 27 in 2016 to about half, but then IDK what to expect of them in terms of life span) but their tank's background is another tank with other live fish swimming in it.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

IDK what to expect of them in terms of life span

Milingu does have the individual bought in 2000 and still going, so that's at least 22 and possibly quite a bit more depending on purchase size. Assuming they didn't buy an individual destined to grow unusually old, that track record of losing half in 6 years is indeed a pretty sucky one.

Guess I'll have to tape some dustbin bag to my tank and see how consequential or inconsequential it is.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

That's the spirit!

As for the guesses why we lost half, all is deposited and explained in our pictus thread. A couple of significant events were predation by tig and jur tank mates and unknown infection, perhaps columnaris outbreak in 2018 that might still be hanging around and picks off weaker fish now and then.