How to glue a background film to the back wall of an aquarium

An aquarium’s background can totally change the appearance of your tank by adding depth and style. A background film applied to the rear wall of an aquarium is an easy DIY project that can significantly alter how people view your tank.

Whether you want a bright, colorful display or a natural underwater scene, applying the background film correctly guarantees that it will look polished and seamless. Although it’s a quick project, there are a few tricks up your sleeve to ensure perfection.

We’ll guide you through the procedure in this post, explaining how to apply the film so that your aquarium looks its best from all sides and with no bubbles or creases.

What is the background for

Any aquarium store will sell an eye-catching decorative element like aquarium backgrounds.

It carries out a number of crucial tasks:

• It hides the wall behind the aquarium from view, which “interrupts” the seascape. When “diamonds” and “stripes” are visible through the thickness of the water, the reservoir looks unnatural.
• It hides electrical wires, sockets, parts of the equipment that are behind the aquarium.
• A properly selected panorama creates a sense of perspective inside the water tank, visually expanding the space.
• Absorbs light glare, thanks to which the inhabitants of the reservoir feel in an environment close to natural conditions.
• A beautiful background makes the aquarium landscape rich and saturated, without taking away space from the fish.

If the background blends in with the aquatic setting and is executed with durability and neatness, then all these features will function as intended. It’s best to stay with a marine theme that features fish, corals, and aquatic plants. It seems sense to go with a single color if the aquarium is overly full of plants and other decorations.

An easy way to improve the aesthetic appeal of your aquarium and provide your fish with a more vibrant and natural environment is to attach a background film to the back wall. You can achieve a professional-looking result that makes your aquarium come to life by carefully cleaning the glass, applying the film smoothly, and avoiding air bubbles.

Advantages of background film

There are multiple fixed background options available, either outside or inside the aquarium. These two kinds are occasionally mixed together. An installed background has certain restrictions. Its reliefs must not occupy the majority of the fish’s space, and it must be chemically neutral to the aquatic environment.

Background film is the most accessible technique for novice aquarists. It is not submerged in water and is part of the external variety of aquarium backgrounds. The following are its benefits:

• Low price, which does not affect the stunning effect of this decor option.
• A huge selection of pictures that can be found in the store.
• Installation is quick and easy, without assistants, without the use of special tools.
• The film on the back wall saves space in a small aquarium, which cannot be cluttered with decor and plants.
• This interior solution is easy to change from time to time. Thus, the water landscape will also change.
• The film material glued to the back side does not come into contact with the aquatic environment. Does not harm fish and is a durable material.

A small aquarium is easier to adhere the film background to. There won’t be many noticeable unsmoothed bubbles even if there are a few. Extra caution needs to be used when deciding to decorate large containers with this kind of decor. Otherwise, there would be no attempt to furnish the house’s interior for living among fish.

Three versions of the movie can be purchased:

• With an adhesive solution applied to the back side under a protective layer. At first glance, it seems that gluing a mouse film is easiest. However, it is not all of it that not everyone turns out to.
• Ordinary film, with a smooth clean surface on both sides. To attach it to the back wall of the glass tank, it is necessary to use adhesive solutions or attach it to adhesive tape.
• Film that has a paper base on the back. Experienced aquarists advise to separate the paper immediately, otherwise it will not be possible to leve the rear background on the glass surface.

The majority of the time, you are dealing with a regular film that is adhered to glass with the aid of tools.

How to glue the background on the aquarium glycerin

The film on the back wall at home can be fixed in a few different ways. Based on past experiences, regular medical glycerin works best for this purpose. It is completely non-toxic and colorless. It doesn’t leave unsightly stains like soap solution does.

Necessary material and tool

You must get the following supplies and equipment ready in order to adhere the film to the aquarium:

• a bottle of glycerin;
• background film;
• 5-10 napkins;
• a stationery knife;
• silicone spatula.

Take note: An old plastic card can be used in place of a spatula with success. You can use a sturdy piece of cardboard that you already have at home.

Stages of work

You must remove all aquatic life from the aquarium, drain the water, wash, clean, and dry it before attaching the background to the rear wall. The film size needs to be set to the back window’s measurements minus three to five millimeters. Not only will the film’s appearance suffer if its edges protrude, but it will also peel off faster. The excess needs to be removed right away before the film is adhered. Trying to do this evenly on the spot won’t work.

Then, we move forward as follows:

• Place the aquarium on a flat surface (table, floor) with the back wall up. It is necessary to make sure that the surface is clean, without dust dust and villi. It is better to play it safe and clean it with a glass cleaner.
• Apply glycerin in drops evenly onto the glass surface. 50 ml of the product is enough to glue the wall of a 50-liter aquarium. Do not use brushes, as they can leave lint.
• Carefully stick the film on top, gently pressing it to the surface.
• Now you need to slowly rake the glycerin to the center of the film using a silicone spatula.
• After the glycerin has been collected in one place, begin to distribute it evenly over the surface. You need to move the spatula in all directions, from the center to the edges of the aquarium.
• Glycerin protruding on the edge should be immediately removed with a napkin. To prevent the spatula from getting dirty with glycerin, you can wrap it in a napkin.
• After the work is done, you need to carefully inspect the surface again for folds and bubbles.

The film can be applied in 15 to 20 minutes. Glycerin hardly ever bubbles, in contrast to water or soap solution. Thus, the aquarist’s only task is to remove any excess glycerin from the edges and straighten out all of the folds. Glycerin film adheres very firmly. It can be taken out and changed with another one if needed.

Video on how to glue a background using tape

Regular tape can be used to glue the film to the aquarium. To learn how to complete this task correctly, watch the next video.

A quick and easy way to improve the appearance of your fish tank is to adhere a background film to the rear wall of your aquarium. It produces a lovely background that can draw attention to your fish and plants and give your aquarium a more lively, organic appearance.

You can steer clear of frequent pitfalls like air bubbles and uneven application by carefully following the steps. Your background film will adhere smoothly and stay in place if you take your time and use the proper tools to clean the glass thoroughly.

Your aquarium will become a beautiful focal point in your room and a more pleasurable place for your aquatic animals with a little perseverance and attention to detail.

Video on the topic

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How to glue a background to an aquarium! Using glycerin or Vaseline oil.