Best Backdrop Color (Aesthetic)

Quick general question :

I've got a reef tank set up and I wanted to put some colored construction paper over the back of my tank... I'm thinking black, or dark blue? Or another color? I have blue moon lights at night and a 65W 10,000K and a 65W Actinic during the day.

Any people out there have an opinion on which backdrop color provides good contrast to the colors in the tank while not making it too dark?

Thanks!

 

i spray painted my black, i wish i had gone with blue. it makes the tank look brighter

 

i would rethink the construction paper, and spray or drips or salt creep and you're going to have to start over with new. most aquarium stores have a laminated backdrop on rolls they cut to fit. sorry, just a thought

as for color. the darker the color, the "deeper" your tank appears. in my completely subjective opinion black may be too dark aesthetically and seem artificial. i went with a blue that was too light and wish i had a darker blue. the colors of any corals will "pop" more against the contrast of a very dark background.

 

Good call on the laminated backdrop, makes sense... I'll have to pick some of that up some time. So a mid to dark blue is good? Perhaps like the blue that is the background of 3reef?

 

I would do blue, clean teh glass then put some killz on it first to make the paint stick, then paint it black.

 

killz? Also, blue then black? Or did you mean paint it blue at the end?

I don't want to do anything real permanent like painting... is laminated backdrop a reasonable alternative?

 

lamenant is a good option if you are unsure about what color you really want (or if your tank is already set up). you might still get a little salt creep behind the stuff, i really don't. my background is very close to the 3reef's background color and i wish mine was quite a bit darker

 

i personaly like black better becuz it make ur coraline and other bright corals and things will pop more do to a greater contrast but it is up to what u like

 

Black is best for taking pictures against.

When I had to choose the color of the epoxy paint for my 193 g reef tank i am nearly finished building, I originally wanted the medium blue. I have medium blue on my 90g I currently have set up.

But then a professional photographer spoke to our reef club and said that black is best for taking pictures of corals and fish.

If it looks too dark, you probably need more light.

 

I prefer to leave the back alone. It will soon be covered with coraline anyway. Using a background will, IMO, give the back a dirty look once the coraline starts growing. Just my opinion.