black back? why?

[laust]

i have read and seen pictures of alot of people painting the back glass black. i was wondering what purpose that serves.
mine sits infront of a window at work (indirect light) which is good because i cant afford real lights yet (stock fisherprice light) everybody seems pretty cool in there. but i want to do things right, and if i'm missing a step... it would be good to know.

 

[treybomb]

the black or blue background brings out the color of the aquarium so much more than no background.. you can really tell the difference

 

[mcneal1958]

if you do not want to paint it you can use black cloth, I used black backing that is used on the back of carpet. That way I can change it. Have a Blessed Day

 

[1journeyman]

The background is just to keep you from seeing through the tank to whatever is there. I also feel the fish find it comforting to have at least a side of the tank free from distractions.
People paint the tank because it is easy and you don't have to worry about salt creep getting between the background and the glass.

 

[mudplayerx]

The black background makes the tank look bigger, it hides your equipment (almost all aquarium equipment is black), and as was said, it makes the natural colors of your corals and fish stand out.