If ever there was a stupid question...

[MurfQ]

Ok, I know this is a really stupid question, but bear with me. I bought one of those plastic aquarium backings (cause I got tired of seeing the wires and wall) and I'm not sure how to apply it. They don't come with any instructions So, do I tape it to the outside of the aquarium or does it go inside? And if it goes inside, how do I keep it in place? Will it just stick underwater?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Tape it to the back of the tank on the outside.

Not a stupid question at all.

 

[JDogg]

Tape it to the back of the tank on the outside.

Not a stupid question at all.

i agree with both points, I use clear scotch tape

 

[7Enigma]

Best way to apply the backing is not with tape (or at least not ONLY with tape). What you want to do is find something similar to a squeegee (I used an empty cd case), and some vegetable oil. Clean the glass with water and dry, then clean the background with water and dry (you want NO water residue).

Now using some clean dry paper towel apply some oil to the paper and lightly coat the background (obviously on the side that will go against the glass.

Place once side of the background against the glass and smoothly apply across the whole tank.

Now take your squeegee and work the bubbles out between the background and the glass. This will give you a MUCH better looking background, and you should only need to tape the edges for a couple days untill it flattens out.

I first taped the background on and wasn't impressed with the look, then I heard about the oil, and it looks 1 better IMO. Took about 20minutes max, and thats because I had very little room behind the tank (its up against the wall).

HTH,

justin

 

[rich311k]

I tape on black poster board. It is stiff so it stays nice, I like the black background and since it is about .75 a sheet, I dont mind replacing it when I accidentally get it wet.

 

[evercl92]

I slide mine under the lip of the top rim of the tank. Water cant get on it (at least the side facing the tank). It also holds it better. Then I used clear packaging tape.

 

[Guest]

my tape always pops off in a couple spots, im always fixing one corner. then water gets between the glass and background causing the 'it looks wet in spots' effect, and it never dries. i like the oil idea and wouldnt mind trying it, but my tank is so close to the wall in a recessed area that it would be a pain to get to. i also like the black paper idea, but i know i would be changing it a lot from getting wet. it looked real good when i put the tank together, but now it's in it's final resting spot and i cant do much. i found a happy medium where it is loose enough not to show wet spots, but tight enough to still see it.

 

[JRagg]

I always just put the background on the back and used scotch tape to hold it on. I would put tape on the side edges and wrap it around the side of the tank (for about an inch). Then if necessary I would put a piece in the top center to keep it from sagging. Mine didn't come off after 2 years. I'd try it without the veggie oil first and see if you like it or not. If you don't like it, try the veggie oil thing. I'm personally fine with it just taped on.

 

[MurfQ]

Thanks everybody! You'd think those things would come with instructions. I'll probably give it a go tonight. I too have the problem of not much room to work with since it's pretty close to the wall. I might just give it a go with the tape, but I have a sneaky feeling I'm not going to be happy with the results. So I just give that oil thing a whirl, when I'm calm enough not to rip it apart in frustration!

 

[QTOFFER]

I used vegetable oil too - olive, corn, canola; whatever you have. Slather a generous amount directly on the back glass with your hand, making sure to completely cover the entire surface. Then apply the plastic backing and smooth out the bubbles with a window squeegee.
Looks fantastic months after application.

I've heard that some people use mineral oil, baby oil, or vaseline too. I'd stay away from these and stick (no pun intended) with vegetable oil. I used vaseline the first time, and found that it caused the plastic backing to buckle and pucker. Then it dried out in places and looked awful. It was also a major pain to remove from the glass when I decided to redo the backing.

 

[MurfQ]

Thanks everybody! Didn't get to it at the time as I got kinda caught up in something else. A lady backed into the side of my car in a parking lot and much hassle ensued as I tried to be nice about it and let her pay for the repairs without going through insurance but then she decided that she wasn't entirely responsible since she didn't see me and I was there after all Oh well, it's all worked out now and of course her insurance is paying for the repairs to my car.

Anyhew, I did put the back on after using veggie oil. I didn't have a squeegee so I used an old CD case (thanks 7Enigma) and then to get the reallly small bubbles out I used an old gift card Worked like a charm! Was a bit of a pain to get at because of my tank being close to the wall, but it was worth it. I'm really pleased with the results.