Painting The Tank?

[rachellacy]

Hola --
My husband and I have not been involved with Salt Water Aquariums long. . .just about a year. We started out with a 20G and now have a 55G. I have a question that may seem a bit silly. I've noticed several forum posts (here and on some other sites) where people have suggested painting the back/sides either black or blue. Is this just for aesthetic purposes or does it serve some purpose? I know our lfs do this, but I had always just assumed it was for "show."
Thanks!!!! ~~ Rachel

 

[acrylic51]

I think it serves different purposes.....1 is to provide a background to hide anything hanging on the back of the tank and to avoid seeing the bare wall behind the tank.....2 Blue or black seem to make taking pics of the tank a bit easier....some have said black is an easier background to work with and brings out the coloration of fish better.....