Picking up first tank today...

[bishop_gid]

...and my wife (and I do also... can't blame her for everything, right?) wants to put a blue backing on it... which I'm fine with... We want to use the sheeting (is that the correct word) that they sell in the stores so if we ever wanted to we could switch it to another color...
Anyways, to make a long story short (too late), how do I apply it? Are there any specific ways that give good results... someone someplace (can't remember where) mentioned "baby oil and a credit card"... sounds like the recipe to something completely different, but I understand the credit card for getting out air bubbles... but the baby oil?
Anyone have any advice for putting this stuff on? Maybe without the baby oil?

 

[rygoodm6]

not sure if its like window tinting but but i do window tinting and the best way to do it is water and baby soap. the take the credit card and use it to get the soap and bubles out. the soad will dry off and it will stick perfict...gives a great wayy to move it to get the right position

 

[cain420]

i bought a background for mine and i am not going to use it! looks better just clear! IMO you could just tape it to the back and not stick it to it.. that way u dont have to scrub the hell out of the back of the tank if u remove it!

 

[alyssia]

I just taped mine

 

[alyssia]

oh yeah, if you plan on letting coralline cover your back glass eventually you won't be able to see the background anyway... :joy:

 

[1journeyman]

Backgrounds are a good thing. They give your tank a dark back drop to better see your colors. They also provide your fish a dark "safe" haven when they are stressed.
Be sure to tape the background really well. Otherwise salt creep can get between your tank and background.

 

[mrdc]

I leanred that backgrounds helped stress especially on a QT tank since there isn't many places to hide. Mine has 1 rock and a sleeve of PVC. Do make it tight to avoid getting salt creep between your galss and background cover. I get salt creep on the outside of my cover so I must have it tight enough.

 

[bishop_gid]

Thanks everyone... I've tinted windows before, and I've put on vinyl graphics before... so if it's anything like that, I should be ok...
I'll just have to see when I get it.. won't I... now why won't this day END???!?!?

 

[jdragunas]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Be sure to tape the background really well. Otherwise salt creep can get between your tank and background.
yeah, i learned about that the hard way... i still have salt creep between my background and glass, and it drives me crazy. AND, there's no way to get to it because my tank is only like 3" from a wall.... grrrr!

 

[mbootag]

Hey I just went to a local plastic supplier Tap Plastics and they cut me a piece of 1/4 cobalt blue acrlic for 19.00. I just taped the top ledge so I can remove it and clean it when I want and it looks great and it does not give you that wrinkle effect. You can also change the colors any time you want I might put a black back ground later anyway just my two cents worth.

 

[cain420]

Originally Posted by jdragunas
yeah, i learned about that the hard way... i still have salt creep between my background and glass, and it drives me crazy. AND, there's no way to get to it because my tank is only like 3" from a wall.... grrrr!
my tank is 5" from the wall! thats one of the first things i read b4 i set it up lol

 

[jdragunas]

lol, unfortunately i didn't know about this website when i started my tank, and i read 'saltwater fish for dummies'... 'nough said...

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by jdragunas
yeah, i learned about that the hard way... i still have salt creep between my background and glass, and it drives me crazy. AND, there's no way to get to it because my tank is only like 3" from a wall.... grrrr!
Me too... I'm going to write a book someday called "Painful mistakes I made setting up my Saltwater Aquarium and how You can Avoid Them". Sure the title is a bit long but...

 

[jdragunas]

lmao, that's a great book!!! can i be a co-author??? I've made plenty of mistakes in my time...