How to Put a Background on a Fish Tank

Backgrounds for fish aquariums help lend an aquatic feel to the aquarium and disguise the wall behind the tank. You can use a background in a solid color, such as blue or green, to resemble tropical water color. There are also backgrounds with aquatic life like plants and fish printed on them to make the aquarium seem larger and lend to the tropical feel. Some backgrounds are sold to fit the exact dimensions of fish tanks, while others are sold in sheets that must be cut to the correct size.

Things You'll Need

Window cleaner
Paper towels
Tape measure
Background
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors or X-Acto knife
Newspaper
Cotton ball
Mineral oil or baby oil
Plastic card

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the back of the fish tank with window cleaner and paper towels to ensure a clean surface for easy adhesion.
- 2
  Measure the height and width of the back of the fish tank.
- 3
  Mark the dimensions of the fish tank onto the background using a ruler or other straight edge and pencil.
- 4
  Cut the background out with a pair of scissors or place it on a cutting board and cut it out with an X-Acto knife. If the background was purchased in the correct size, you won't have to worry about measuring or cutting it.
- 5
  Lay the background picture side up on newspaper.
- 6
  Apply mineral oil to a cotton ball and rub a light layer of mineral oil to the entire surface of the background.
- 7
  Line the background up with the back of the fish tank so that the top edge fits underneath the aquarium trim piece. Smooth the background on by hand. It helps to start from one corner and work your way to the opposite side of the tank.
- 8
  Rub the back side of the background with a plastic card, such as a grocery store savings card, to smooth out any air bubbles. Slowly push the air bubbles out to the sides of the background and wipe up any excess mineral oil from the edges with a paper towel.