Don't paint your background white!
- Thread starter Vukmir13
- Start date
White is nasty for fish tanks. Especially cichlids. Makes them go all pale and washed out. I soon swapped my sand for fine black gravel and put up a black background to cover my white wall. Bliss was restored.
Can you use a razor blade to scrape it off carefully? I feel for you!!
Can you use a razor blade to scrape it off carefully? I feel for you!!
Yes it washed out all my fish and being the insane clean freak that I am, I was constantly cleaning it. I scraped it with a blade which is messy, but not as annoying as I was expecting it to be. I covered everything up and spray painted it black. Now my fish pop, its fairly dramatic in my Sajica and polleni. Also the algae spots are hidden. I wasn't trying to avoid maintenance as much as regulate it a bit. I will take photos when it settles down. I had to move it so it stirred it up a bit. Then I'll post white and black and I'll let you guys tell me.
Oh no, that would drive me mad too! I'm so obsessed that I keep my Algae magnet in permanently, a bottle of glass cleaner and a cloth at the front of the cupboard! My glass gets done at least once a day. I can't stand fingerprints or drips! I could never hack that! The drips behind my black background do my head in. A spider made a nest behind mine and died. It really annoys me! My new tank is getting made with black glass on the back.
Ooohhhhhhh a Polleni! <3 I have one of those. It's a secret. Don't tell anyone. He snuck into my amazon biotope tank. I always say he hitch hiked on a boat. He is an amazing fish. Eats from our fingers, has the personality of an Oscar and is such a character. Love him. Treasure yours. They're endangered and will become even rarer than they already are soon.
Pics would be lovely! I would love to see the difference!
Ooohhhhhhh a Polleni! <3 I have one of those. It's a secret. Don't tell anyone. He snuck into my amazon biotope tank. I always say he hitch hiked on a boat. He is an amazing fish. Eats from our fingers, has the personality of an Oscar and is such a character. Love him. Treasure yours. They're endangered and will become even rarer than they already are soon.
Pics would be lovely! I would love to see the difference!
I'll take photos of the fish in a week or so once their true colors set in and then post them also, but for now, the tank itself...
Another thing is that although I think they're both aesthetically pleasing for different reasons, however the white background makes for a brighter tank and it can be too much for my living space. I painted it today and it's also much dimmer in the tank and in the living area. It's just logical to paint white unless you have a nano that you could easily clean, but even then I'd never do white again.
Another thing is that although I think they're both aesthetically pleasing for different reasons, however the white background makes for a brighter tank and it can be too much for my living space. I painted it today and it's also much dimmer in the tank and in the living area. It's just logical to paint white unless you have a nano that you could easily clean, but even then I'd never do white again.
*sorry, logical to paint black unless you have a nano, then you could go with white
I personally prefer the black.
It helps hide the filter inlet and outlet, looks tidier and cleaner, the plants contrast beautifully against it. The wood looks great in both.
Nice tank by the way! I prefer your layout in the black pic, it looks more natural.
The black will make your fish pop, due to them being lit up by the lights against a dark background, it just makes them stand out so much more.
Also, I agree. I've done both, and white is too much for an area where you relax in dim light and watch TV or read. It's just too bright for me!
I look forward to seeing the fish! Keep us posted!
It helps hide the filter inlet and outlet, looks tidier and cleaner, the plants contrast beautifully against it. The wood looks great in both.
Nice tank by the way! I prefer your layout in the black pic, it looks more natural.
The black will make your fish pop, due to them being lit up by the lights against a dark background, it just makes them stand out so much more.
Also, I agree. I've done both, and white is too much for an area where you relax in dim light and watch TV or read. It's just too bright for me!
I look forward to seeing the fish! Keep us posted!
The Mother Confessor
thank you for the kind words, I totally agree with you
