Gravel behind 3D background or not?

[moniqa]

Hi!
I'm setting up my first aquarium, it is 240 litre (63 gallon). I have already installed a 3D background and put the canister filter intake tube behind it, the outflow tube will be in front of it. The background isn't glued to the back wall of my aquarium, there is open space behind it. I have made holes covered with mesh to the background to let the water behind it.
Now I started to put the gravel to the aquarium. As there is open space behind the background then could you say should I put the gravel also behind the 3D background? Or should I put the some gravel only in front of it and leave the space behind it empty? Is there any difference?

 

[flukekiller]

i would say no gravel as it could trap food particles and poop to create ammonia/nitrates

 

[moniqa]

I was also concerned food and other particles will be trapped in gravel behind the background and as there is not very much space then it would be difficult to siphon it.
My other consern was the pressure the water and the gravel of the front-side affects to the background. If the there isn't any more support than the silicon I used to glue the background wouldn't there be a danger the gravel pressure from the front side will eventually move the background from the place I glued it and make so the openings the fish can use to swim behind the background?

 

[Keman]

i would say no gravel as it could trap food particles and poop to create ammonia/nitrates

Agree! You want the space behind to be free of things (gravel) that collect gunk or that allow growth of nasty...

 

[mudbuttjones]

I would think water pressure wouldn't be an issue as long as there is water on both sides.

I personally would not worry about the gravel unless there were an extreme amount of it piled on the back. If it's just the usual 2-3" I wouldn't lose any sleep over it

Sent from my SCH-R950 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[moniqa]

Thank you for your responses! I will leave then the back-side empty.

 

[deeda]

If you are concerned that the background might be moved by any gravel in front of it, you could use short lengths of PVC pipe to act as spacers between the back of the tank and back of the background. They would not need to be siliconed in place but should be a snug fit.