Which painted background do you like best

Subject: Which painted background do you like best Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:37 am

I did some test panels before i paint my big tanks. I like the metallic turquoise/black but am afraid it will overpower the fish and make people look at the background instead of the fish LOL. Tell me what you think.

Here is side by side of the two metallic panels with flash:

Here is the turquoise with flash:

Here is the black:

here is the puple black solid:

_________________
Cichlid keeper for 23 years.
Tanks:
135 ,75, 72 bow,70 tall,33 breeder,29,10 hospital
Fish:Tangs:
Frontosa (burundi and F1 mpimbwe), brichardi,
Fish Malawi:
venustus,red empress,malawi eye biter,blue dolphin,red fin borleyi,various peacocks, various mbuna (including yellow tail acei, yellow lab,elongatus,maingano,red zebra, kenyi)

Juvie Joined : 12 Feb 2008 Posts : 228

if people spend more time looking at the background then the fish you need to find new people to hang out with, after a few months the back of the tank will have algae growing on it so it wont be noticable anyway so i think anything you put on there would be cool, i paint the backs of my tanks i used to just go with black but now i use 5 or 6 colors start with light colors then go with darker ones and i think it looks cool.

Subject: Re: Which painted background do you like best Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:50 am

IMO I think that the colored backgrounds will just make it look like your fish will blend in with it. Mitch has a really great background on his. Or if you can, I have seen people use sand looking spray paint and they do it in different colors with layers, and it gives a sandy effect on the background. I say go with black for now, as long as you get a light colored substrate, then your fish will stand out nicely Smile

Subject: Re: Which painted background do you like best Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:40 pm

Egg Joined : 20 Apr 2008 Posts : 27

just for your information, it was being disputed wildly a while ago about backgrounds, the main studies that were done conceded that while blue backgrounds were ok, it was felt a soft green was the better colour due to the fact green represents shallow water, black and blue were considered to represent deep water ( deep water in the lake is where predators frequent )
obviously this may only apply to wild caught fish, but must be passed through genes at some point

Subject: Re: Which painted background do you like best Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:25 am

I think your information is right on the money richard. I nave a natural soft green cora lbackround on my 90 gal and mostly juvie mbuna and I get alot of comments about the colors in my fish. At first I contributed to the NLS. I think the NLS contributes to the beautiful colors but I also now think my backround has something to do with it. Very Happy

Subject: Re: Which painted background do you like best Mon May 05, 2008 3:16 pm

Well richard maybe that explains why the fronts get a more intense color when behind a dark background. They are a deep water predator, most are netted several hundred feet down and it can take up to a week or longer to bring them to the surface safely. I went with a custom mix. Half and half flat black and the darkest purple paint i could find. It gives it a blue/black appearance. I really like it and the fish are amazing, their colors are really popping right now. Im just waiting for the last coat to dry before i add my filters back on the back and then i can take some pics and show everyone.
_________________
Cichlid keeper for 23 years.
Tanks:
135 ,75, 72 bow,70 tall,33 breeder,29,10 hospital
Fish:Tangs:
Frontosa (burundi and F1 mpimbwe), brichardi,
Fish Malawi:
venustus,red empress,malawi eye biter,blue dolphin,red fin borleyi,various peacocks, various mbuna (including yellow tail acei, yellow lab,elongatus,maingano,red zebra, kenyi)

Subject: Re: Which painted background do you like best Mon May 05, 2008 3:18 pm

Forgot to add my fish look like fry again in that huge 7 foot 265 gallon tank. I can hardly see them they are lost in it lol. Should grow really good now .
_________________
Cichlid keeper for 23 years.
Tanks:
135 ,75, 72 bow,70 tall,33 breeder,29,10 hospital
Fish:Tangs:
Frontosa (burundi and F1 mpimbwe), brichardi,
Fish Malawi:
venustus,red empress,malawi eye biter,blue dolphin,red fin borleyi,various peacocks, various mbuna (including yellow tail acei, yellow lab,elongatus,maingano,red zebra, kenyi)