But yeah black out the back, in my opinion. To me it makes the tank my appealing. good luck with the convicts. If you get a mated pair have even more fun
that price is terrible but if it's not your money, who cares. you could easily get something for 100-150 with a better filter and a stand if you went used.
convicts, hmmm, i wouldn't put anything else in a 55 with 10 breeding convicts