20 Gal with mirror back, any info please?

[erickles]

I will be acquiring a 20 gal tank and it has a mirror back which is part of the tank as in not a stick on backing. Does anyone know if this is a freaky thing for the fish and if anyone has successfully managed to scrape it off. I don't know how good it looks either. I know terraniums can have a mirror backing like this, perhaps it was not meant for fish at all. Do you have such a tank? What are the benefits to a mirror backing?

 

[FroggyFox]

some fish (like bettas) would NOT work in a tank with a mirror background because they try to attack fish who look like them...but other fish I think wouldn't care one way or the other. some of my fish "play" with their reflections in the glass already...even though its not a mirror its still reflective in the right light. I think you wouldn't have any reason to try and scrape it off...as long as you're not planning on putting a betta in the tank

 

[revfred]

Actually they are quite attractive. They are pretty good for looking for fish that tend not to come out very often. I think they add depth ... front to back... in the tank. If you tend to have algae growth... you willl have to keep it clean to look attractive. I definitely would keep it. Re: Bettas ... they tend to lose interest after awhile if the mirror is a constant presence.

 

[ashleigh]

They lose interest pretty quickly actually. My hexagon has a mirrored back and I've had lots of bettas in there through the years- I got this tank when I was eight. the shape and the mirrored back are not my favorite, but I think removing the backing woudl be a LOT more trouble than it is worth.

 

[erickles]

Thank you, it's interesting to hear your thoughts and I am looking forward to getting the tank. I was planning on a betta and I have a 10G I could put him into if he really had a hard time! I think I will leave the backing afterall.