FishyMamma
Aquarium Advice Freak
Newbies might appreciate these tips:
1. When picking out a background for your tank, think ahead to how it will be aquascaped. This sounds obvious, but I've seen tanks with a pic of water and rocks or a very brown stream bed behind lots of greenery (real, plastic, or silk) OR the opposite - lush green backgrounds with minimalist aquariums. Generally, one would want them to blend gently with each other.
2. Consider an all-black background (some even paint the backs of their tanks black) if the colors of the fish are what you want to highlight. I, personally, go back and forth between black and a background with greenery. I tend to switch it out every year or so. It's an inexpensive way to get a whole new feel for the tank and doesn't upset the fish or mess with the water parameters.
3. If you go to buy a background, measure your tank at home carefully. A few extra inches in width can be helpful. Running short looks awful and basically requires a whole new purchase.
4. Lay the background on a table or floor with THE SIDE YOU WANT FACING YOU! (You're not wrapping gifts.). Then apply Seaview (an oily product that you can buy when you get your background.) Alternatively, I've heard of using cooking oil of some kind. I just used pure olive oil cooking spray. It was less messy than the above products. Time will tell how it performs. Spread the Seaview/oil/cooking spray out all over with a paper towel.
5. Apply carefully to the back of the aquarium (ON THE OUTTSIDE) starting at the top using a stiff credit card to press on, avoiding air bubbles as much as possible. Use this card to squish air bubbles to the side. Redo as necessary. Do a good job or the bubbles will make you nuts later when it's harder to fix them (your tank gas water and equipment on it).
6. Most importantly, APPLY THE BACKGROUND FIRST! Add sub-strate and water after. Moving a tank after it is full is hard!
Sent via Carrier Goldfish
1. When picking out a background for your tank, think ahead to how it will be aquascaped. This sounds obvious, but I've seen tanks with a pic of water and rocks or a very brown stream bed behind lots of greenery (real, plastic, or silk) OR the opposite - lush green backgrounds with minimalist aquariums. Generally, one would want them to blend gently with each other.
2. Consider an all-black background (some even paint the backs of their tanks black) if the colors of the fish are what you want to highlight. I, personally, go back and forth between black and a background with greenery. I tend to switch it out every year or so. It's an inexpensive way to get a whole new feel for the tank and doesn't upset the fish or mess with the water parameters.
3. If you go to buy a background, measure your tank at home carefully. A few extra inches in width can be helpful. Running short looks awful and basically requires a whole new purchase.
4. Lay the background on a table or floor with THE SIDE YOU WANT FACING YOU! (You're not wrapping gifts.). Then apply Seaview (an oily product that you can buy when you get your background.) Alternatively, I've heard of using cooking oil of some kind. I just used pure olive oil cooking spray. It was less messy than the above products. Time will tell how it performs. Spread the Seaview/oil/cooking spray out all over with a paper towel.
5. Apply carefully to the back of the aquarium (ON THE OUTTSIDE) starting at the top using a stiff credit card to press on, avoiding air bubbles as much as possible. Use this card to squish air bubbles to the side. Redo as necessary. Do a good job or the bubbles will make you nuts later when it's harder to fix them (your tank gas water and equipment on it).
6. Most importantly, APPLY THE BACKGROUND FIRST! Add sub-strate and water after. Moving a tank after it is full is hard!
Sent via Carrier Goldfish
