Mirror Background

[Guest]

Has anyone used or considered using a mirror as a backdrop on their tank? Im wondering if it would add depth or do the opposite.

Edit:
oops, I think I may have put this in the wrong forum

But, 10 min's, an old mirror and a glass cutter, installed this mirror on the back of my 5 gal Q-tank. You get different views depending on where you look at it from. It makes the bottom seem twice as large and adds depth. Looks like twice as many fish too. Looks like there is no background. Maybe the real artistic type could paint plants or something on the mirror

 

[Guest]

Just for interests sake and something fun to do, I painted palm trees on the mirror to break up the mirrorness. Palm trees and grass are all I can draw(besides Beavis and Butthead). Actualy, it looks pretty cool and is something different, besides run of the mill store bought backgrounds. Someone with 'real' artistic skills or stencils could do wonders with something like this and on a small 5 gal like this one, it is nice.

 

[justrelax]

Looks pretty cool! Very creative. I do like how it adds depth to the tank, too.

 

[malkore]

the effect of the painted on trees is interesting.

as long as your fish don't act spooked by the mirror'd background it should be fine.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

Looks good...except now the fish will all be at the back of the tank chasing their reflections.

 

[WaterPond]

wow, i might consider doing this now

 

[Guest]

Lol, the danios basicaly ignore themselves in the reflection, but I have added plants and the small 5 gal tank just seems to be larger, even tho it is only an illusion. The tree's create another illusion of fish swimming behind them in the depths of the tank. Since I last posted in this thread, I have dug out my old silk screening kit and I am going to redo the design on the mirror with something more sofisticated than my rudimentory palm tree art work. If the small tank works out, I am considering a larger version for the 55 gal, with a silk screen design background, but with help from a real artist first.

I might have to run a test first with a small mirror to see if any of these fish would try to fight themselves in their reflection;

Black Skirt Tetra's
Clown Loaches
Dojo Loaches
Cory Cats
Lamp Eye Tetra's

But these are all schooling community fish and should get along with themselves(I hope).

 

[boxxmann]

great idea-might try it on my 20 gal fw tank

 

[O ALX O]

I gave away a 20 gal tank that had a mirror for the back glass. I also had fish that were afraid of their own reflection and would always be hiding from themselves. LOL!

 

[sudz]

I can just imagine if that was a 5 gal Betta tank. That poor Betta would be puffed out for the rest of its life!