DIY Wood Background Aquarium

Creating a custom background for your aquarium can make it more interesting and give it a more natural look. Adding a background to your tank can also reduce algae growth, because the background will block some of the sunlight that would otherwise encourage troublesome algae to grow. With a little bit of creativity and some hard work, you can create a wooden aquarium background you can be proud of.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Plywood
  • Saw
  • Paint
  • Paintbrushes and sponges
  • Plastic plants
  • Wood glue
  • Clear packing tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the length and height of your aquarium. Cut a piece of plywood to the same length and height.

    • 2

      Use sponges and paintbrushes to put a base color on the wood. Using a neutral color like green, blue or brown will give the background a more natural look.

    • 3

      Paint any additional details on to the background. Painting a couple of fish, rocks and plants on to the background will give it a more varied appearance and make it stand out.

    • 4

      Give the background a three-dimensional look by gluing a number of plastic plants onto the surface of the wood. This will create the illusion of depth for those looking in the tank and accent the plants already in the aquarium.

    • 5

      Hold the finished background against the back of the aquarium and secure one corner with a piece of clear packing tape. Place another piece of packing tape at the top corner on the other side. Place additional tape on the bottom corners of the background, and in the middle if extra support is needed.