Planning black aro tank, input requests

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M

mitchb

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 5, 2011
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victoria
Hello,

Just finishing up my clean up for the 180 I got and trying to figure out what I should do with it before I put the water in, so that I hopefully never have to change anything.

Was hoping for some input into these ideas:

1. Putting black vinyl on the outside of the bottom piece to create black bottom. I just finished cleaning my 90 and taking out 100 lbs of black gravel and don't want to deal with it again, or doing a gravel vac as the tank is on a stand making it around 6 feet.

2. Black background. I was thinking of leaving it completely bare, with heaters and air pumps going into the sump, but now after looking in picture section am really starting to enjoy the black contrast, but it seems there are only the rtg and colorful fish that have pictures up. Does anyone have any pictures of a black aro on a black background?

I know I once found a picture, on this forum I believe, of 2 blacks and a silver in a tank with a caption of double dragon or something but have searched for a long time trying to find it.

Sorry for the long post, just trying to get some input, and hopefully pictures from you experienced aro keepers so that I can do it right the first time and not have to redo it 5 times.

Thanks,
 
If you put black vinyl or anything else on the outside bottom of the tank it can only be seen by looking strait down at it. The light refracts in the water just like trying to look out of the side of your tank through the front, you can't do it.
 
Bderick67, that is an amazing looking fish. Can I ask what size tank he is in? I know I will have to upgrade in the future as this tank is just for the time being. You are right about the user, I looked through all his posts and found the image:
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb159/VinLwj/My%20Black/IMG_4883.jpg
He has his in a 180 as well and I really like the look of it, but understand it would only be temp as the fish will outgrow it.

johnny potatoes, I am guessing it is like looking in from one side diagonal to the other of the aquarium where it looks like a mirror. One thing I was thinking is that it would look black for the fish and have read that bare bottoms reflect some light which can bother the fish?

Thanks for your guys input I appreciate it.
 
Nice video,

One thing I did notice is that the pic is such a dark deep black while the video of the fish moving was more of a black lining around the fish, which is what I have been seeing a lot of.

I am guessing it is due to the light and reflection and was wondering what you would say the truest representation of it would be, in the picture or the video?
 
johnny potatoes said:
If you put black vinyl or anything else on the outside bottom of the tank it can only be seen by looking strait down at it. The light refracts in the water just like trying to look out of the side of your tank through the front, you can't do it.
Click to expand...
I disagree, my 270g and my old 100g used black vinyl for the bottom. It stands out just like someone painted the bottom.
 
Both are good representation but lighting does make a difference, the pic is under a hagan powerglo light. The 450g has a 250watt metal halide. Also black aros have different coloring at 15" then 27". The pic below is of the 15" black a month or so later when it was moved to the 450g @ 16". Note the difference in coloration, also note the larger 26" black aro's color behind it.


P1130926.JPG
 
So as the aro ages the blackness of their scales seems to lighten? Is that fair to say as the background one behind the smaller one looks a lot lights, almost like a light silver with some black around the outside of the scale?
 
well I wouldn't really describe the scaleas having black to it. Bit yes you pretty much have it. Below is a better pic of the larger black aro

P1130896.JPG
 
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