Background Color With Black Substrate

I decided recently to add a background to my tank. I've had it in my head this entire time that I was just going to do a solid black background, but then it dawned on me that that's probably not a good choice since my substrate is black sand. Just seems like that'll be too much darkness, maybe? What would be a good background color with black substrate?

 

My 40 b is black sand and black background. I like it!

 

I have black substrate, and I'm creating an infinity effect background using LED's Easy way to add light, and have an interesting addition to the tank.

 

my substrate is black, too. I have a background ever so elegantly called "wall, cords and tubing"

jokes aside, yes I do have zilch of a background, but i've been thinking about what to use. as for solid colors I think you could pull off black. otherwise I also really like the look of rocky aquarium backgrounds. not actual rocks, I mean the patterns that look like rocks. I also think the lighting thing is a really cool idea

 

I wasn't sold on a black background for my tank, so I taped up some black construction paper to try it out, next to blue construction paper for comparison. The blue was nice, but the way the plants and fish popped against the black was great! You could do a rough approximation of lots of background types with construction paper... tear some grey shapes for rocks against a green background and hang it to see if a busier look works for you. Good luck!

 

View attachment 534148 My 40 b is black sand and black background. I like it!

Nice tank! The black background goes really well.

I have black substrate, and I'm creating an infinity effect background using LED's Easy way to add light, and have an interesting addition to the tank.

That sounds pretty cool

my substrate is black, too. I have a background ever so elegantly called "wall, cords and tubing"

jokes aside, yes I do have zilch of a background, but i've been thinking about what to use. as for solid colors I think you could pull off black. otherwise I also really like the look of rocky aquarium backgrounds. not actual rocks, I mean the patterns that look like rocks. I also think the lighting thing is a really cool idea

Lol. I currently have the "wall, cords and tubing" background as well. Figured it was time to make things look a little nicer. I did look at some rock like backgrounds, and considered maybe doing one. I'm mostly debating between either the black or maybe a blue background.

I wasn't sold on a black background for my tank, so I taped up some black construction paper to try it out, next to blue construction paper for comparison. The blue was nice, but the way the plants and fish popped against the black was great! You could do a rough approximation of lots of background types with construction paper... tear some grey shapes for rocks against a green background and hang it to see if a busier look works for you. Good luck!

Thanks for the tip!