Background...

Can I use a black aquarium background for a leo tank?

I don't see why not. Are you putting it on the outside?

The only thing I'd worry about would be the leo seeing its reflection and stressing because it thinks theres another leo around. Usually a lighter flat (not shiny) color or a print will help prevent that. I simply printed some myself for my terrarium and they turned out real nice. You can see pix of it in thread titled 20 long terrarium I built.

Yes you can.

smsararas2 wrote:I don't see why not. Are you putting it on the outside?

That's the only way I know to put backgrounds on

Me too.....lol.....but it takes all kids of people to make up this world so I thought I would ask....lol

Yep
I haven't bought a background for Banana's tank yet.. so I use black bin liners around the glass it does the same job haha

What about using vinyl slate tile? I think that's what I'm gonna do for mine, Starting my project tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Just some advice on the tile...

It can be really hard to heat to a high enough temperature sometimes. So be careful. I found the most success with those stick on linoleum that can be found at almost any hardware store (in America, can't speak for anywhere else). As an added benefit they're cheaper than any slate tile I've come across. Bought mine for 69 cents a piece (12 inches by 12 inches).

And so this comment isn't too off topic, the black background should be fine. I've used one with no problems.

I would stay away from black even if it is matte since the glass is glossy which will still act as a mirror. I had my thermostat next to my tank which is basically a black box and he kept trying to play with his reflection. This was on a baby so an adult male would definitely be stressed out by this. Plus black is boring so a little creativity here goes a long way. Like other have stated printing a background will look good and will cost less than the laminated strips you can buy at pet stores. I wouldn't use vinyl tile for the background since it wont stick properly. I have it on the bottom of my tank and the adhesive barely stuck on a perfectly clean surface. Over time it will eventually start to peel off of a vertical surface. You could go the extra step and maybe use silicone which might bond better than what is on the tiles.