Any opinions on a slightly reflective background?

[SaltCreep]

I know that mirror back tanks are NFG (no freakin' good) for most marine fish, but what about a slighlty reflective background?

I set up all the stuff from my old 55 in a new 75 in my new house. It all made it and looks ok....but the new house is COLD...and I now have to pay for heat so I dont want to crank the temps in the whole house just for the fish.


In an effort to avoid getting a heater I slapped some foam board insulation under the tank and used some on the back as well.
It didnt look too bad back there and it is reflecting alot of light back in, so I was considering keeping it there.

The stuff is a little metallic and slighly mirror like on one side.

So far the only fish that appears be interested in fighting his own fuzzy reflection is the percula, and I can't be sure he's not just swimming in that area because he likes the current.


There's a flame angel , hippo and yellow tangs, percula, flame hawk, yellow goby thing, and a strawberry psuedo in this 75.

As you may be able to see, the stuff is kind of like the dull side of aluminum foil....it doesn't look good in this picture......hmmm....maybe I wont keep it.

 

[rjdudek]

I would say leave it there, BUT cover the back glass with one of the black or blue backgrounds. Oceanvisions makes a great adhesive background, but you need at least 6" to get it placed correctly.

 

[Michael Mota]

Get the heater, that tank will get too cold

 

[Bobbofin]

loose the bio-balls, nitrate factory

 

[smcnally]

What kind of heat do you have in your place? I have electric heat, and believe it or not, my bill goes down in the winter bacause my tank helps heat my condo.

 

[naturebatslast]

The foam board will only retain a small amount of the tanks heat. I lived in a very cold apartment and I found insulating my sump (from the bottom, back and sides) and using more submersible heaters than I needed worked in retaining some of the heat. If it did happen to get really cold, a single heater wouldn't have to work overtime to underheat the tank. For your set up I would suggest 2 larger heaters or 3 small ones.
The reflective back, IMO, I don't think will help. My fish seem to like a choice of hanging out in a lit or shady cave. With a reflective back, it seems that there's a lot more light back there. Personally, I like dark backgrounds, and to me it, with rock, seems to give some visual depth to a box of water.
The bio balls aren't too popular here mainly due their production of nitrate.
The tank looks good!