Aquarium backgrounds
Here’s how to install your background to the aquarium
You have the choice between foil backgrounds and décor backgrounds which are attached at the inside of the aquarium. The foil backgrounds need to be glued from the outside, best with a special background adhesive ( JBL FIXOL ) and can be removed at any time. The background adhesive has the effect that the foil avoids reflections in the glass and appears more vivid and colour-intensive. The simplest method is to lay the aquarium on its front pane so that the back pane is on top. Then apply the background adhesive to the outside of the rear pane, position the foil on it and smooth with the enclosed scraper or a sponge the air bubbles. An adhesive tape and a fabric tape around the foil prevents it from slipping.
Monochrome backgrounds: Background foils can also be plain blue or black without colourful underwater motifs. This seems rather monotonous at first glance, but looks quite impressive behind the aquarium later on, as a blue film can suggest a spatial water depth to the rear. Before buying a background, think about how you want the decoration to look later and then choose a background to match it.
For Malawi-Tanganyika Lake aquariums, a background foil with stone motifs is a good idea, but: The type of stones has to match the stones you use for the decoration! It’s also possible to build a background BEHIND the aquarium, which would visually extend your decoration towards the back. This type of background is definitely one of the most impressive, but it is also quite complicated to build and requires space behind your aquarium.
For decor backgrounds INSIDE the aquarium it is important that the water volume BEHIND the background doesn’t “foul” but does get moved. A small pump is sufficient for that.
Treating the water, starting an aquarium and attaching the aquarium background
In the second part of the video you will see how to attach your photo background to the aquarium properly