Help me find the world's coolest 10-gallon aquarium background
February 14, 2022 2:48 PM Subscribe
[TLDR: I need a pretty picture and am flexible] The new cutting edge of aquarium background art: [spoken floridly:] Understated yet grandiose. Clean yet complex. Colorful yet hinting toward monochromatic? Startlingly beautiful and soothing, but definitely not an underwater scene. All these adjectives are purely optional. Please help me discover it so I can print it out and stick it to the back of my 10 gallon planted tank (or buy it, if someone is already doing good art like this). Can you help me find some unexpected but perfect art for my tank?
I'm really open to almost anything -- I'll know it when I see it. The commercial offerings of "aquarium background" are not that interesting. Would a depiction of the underwater world really make the shrimp happier? Wouldn't they like something from the Met or the Louvre or Etsy?
Probably not interested in monster trucks or undersea/underwater scenes.
The only real requirement is that it must be a) great looking if cropped into the size/shape of the back of the aquarium (10" high x 20" wide), and b) two dimensional (I am not looking for a 3-D thing to put inside the tank, but something flat to attach to the outside).
Not interested in something that challenges me emotionally (so, no gore, no politics, etc.)
---- riff on things I like, for inspiration, but you can skip this ----
I've liked things with a lot of solid/textured areas rather than a high-contrast small pattern -- see the links below -- but it doesn't have to be abstract. I want the fine leaves of the plants and the small Amano shrimp to be very visible in front of the art.
I think I'd like something with at least some areas of lighter color, but it doesn't have to be super bright. The aquarium is small, so something overly dark might not work well.
Some richness or complexity in the overall colors/textures would be appreciated; I'm not looking for a Far Side cartoon, and probably not a monochromatic woodblock print.
Photography, computer art, oil paintings, watercolors (hah), scrapbooking art, yarn art, medieval art, sumi-e-like scrolls with a bit of color -- whatever you've got. Landscapes (I was looking at photos of "The Wave" from Arizona for a while, but the colors didn't quite work, and nothing would look right cropped to the shape needed), space photos, still lifes, macro / microscope images, sculptures -- all are welcome, but:
It needs to _work with_ the aquarium shape, colors, textures.
Colors I like tend to be in the arts and crafts family (warm and rich), but I'm open to anything gorgeous.
---- end of riff ----
In exchange, I will share with you this one artist I found that I liked -- but don't let it constrain your suggestions:
Autumn Field
Distant Land
Spring Mountain
I also flirted with photos of "The Wave" in Arizona, but decided to hope for something more interesting and with colors more in harmony with the plants and my room.
reiterating: it doesn't have to be a landscape -- that's just what I thought of first.
Thanks in advance! I hope this is a fun question, but it's also a serious issue/need in my life right now.
I'm really open to almost anything -- I'll know it when I see it. The commercial offerings of "aquarium background" are not that interesting. Would a depiction of the underwater world really make the shrimp happier? Wouldn't they like something from the Met or the Louvre or Etsy?
Probably not interested in monster trucks or undersea/underwater scenes.
The only real requirement is that it must be a) great looking if cropped into the size/shape of the back of the aquarium (10" high x 20" wide), and b) two dimensional (I am not looking for a 3-D thing to put inside the tank, but something flat to attach to the outside).
Not interested in something that challenges me emotionally (so, no gore, no politics, etc.)
---- riff on things I like, for inspiration, but you can skip this ----
I've liked things with a lot of solid/textured areas rather than a high-contrast small pattern -- see the links below -- but it doesn't have to be abstract. I want the fine leaves of the plants and the small Amano shrimp to be very visible in front of the art.
I think I'd like something with at least some areas of lighter color, but it doesn't have to be super bright. The aquarium is small, so something overly dark might not work well.
Some richness or complexity in the overall colors/textures would be appreciated; I'm not looking for a Far Side cartoon, and probably not a monochromatic woodblock print.
Photography, computer art, oil paintings, watercolors (hah), scrapbooking art, yarn art, medieval art, sumi-e-like scrolls with a bit of color -- whatever you've got. Landscapes (I was looking at photos of "The Wave" from Arizona for a while, but the colors didn't quite work, and nothing would look right cropped to the shape needed), space photos, still lifes, macro / microscope images, sculptures -- all are welcome, but:
It needs to _work with_ the aquarium shape, colors, textures.
Colors I like tend to be in the arts and crafts family (warm and rich), but I'm open to anything gorgeous.
---- end of riff ----
In exchange, I will share with you this one artist I found that I liked -- but don't let it constrain your suggestions:
Autumn Field
Distant Land
Spring Mountain
I also flirted with photos of "The Wave" in Arizona, but decided to hope for something more interesting and with colors more in harmony with the plants and my room.
reiterating: it doesn't have to be a landscape -- that's just what I thought of first.
Thanks in advance! I hope this is a fun question, but it's also a serious issue/need in my life right now.
There are lots of desktop wallpaper images that would probably work. Most will not be in the 2:1 ratio of your aquarium (most are 16:9) but with a little cropping or stretching, they should work fine. There are a bunch on this site; I think something like this or this would make an interesting background. Those aren't high-res, but as you'll be viewing them through layers of glass and water, it'll probably be fine.
(also, c'mon, no pics forcat fish tax?)
posted by xedrik at 3:53 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
(also, c'mon, no pics for
posted by xedrik at 3:53 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
* Photographer Wild Gina takes incredible landscape and still life photos - she has a way of capturing so much emotion in her shots. Some that caught my eye for your purpose are Sunset at Gates Pass and Peonies - freestyle.
* Maus Haus has a similar abstracty landscape vibe to SpaceFrogDesigns
* Similar vibes from Tom Haugomat.
* Or perhaps Accidentally West Anderson.
I follow a few photographers that live in my area that probably wouldn't be as interesting to you, but you might look into NC photographers that capture what you love about living there?
PS. this is such a fun idea!
posted by blueberrypuffin at 4:06 PM on February 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
* Maus Haus has a similar abstracty landscape vibe to SpaceFrogDesigns
* Similar vibes from Tom Haugomat.
* Or perhaps Accidentally West Anderson.
I follow a few photographers that live in my area that probably wouldn't be as interesting to you, but you might look into NC photographers that capture what you love about living there?
PS. this is such a fun idea!
posted by blueberrypuffin at 4:06 PM on February 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
also agree with xedrik that an aspect ratio to look out for would be helpful! I'm assuming your tank is landscape rather than portrait...? NEVERMIND i just re-read your post haha my bad
posted by blueberrypuffin at 4:08 PM on February 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by blueberrypuffin at 4:08 PM on February 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Blueberry -- I'm OK with NC, but there are plenty of beautiful places in the world, and I'd love to see something different -- please feel free to link to your beloved local photogs!
Aspect ratio: with = 2 x height, BUT the lower portion will be hidden behind plants and ~1" of substrate (and aquarium edging), so wider is good/fine.
posted by amtho at 4:20 PM on February 14, 2022
Aspect ratio: with = 2 x height, BUT the lower portion will be hidden behind plants and ~1" of substrate (and aquarium edging), so wider is good/fine.
posted by amtho at 4:20 PM on February 14, 2022
Response by poster: I promise to give everyone a favorite. I'm excited to see you ideas!
(Will try to pay shrimp tax later, but honestly, it doesn't look that great right now. One of the shrimp apparently molted, so you can imagine a ghostly front-half-of-a-shrimp shape lodged in the front.)
posted by amtho at 4:21 PM on February 14, 2022
(Will try to pay shrimp tax later, but honestly, it doesn't look that great right now. One of the shrimp apparently molted, so you can imagine a ghostly front-half-of-a-shrimp shape lodged in the front.)
posted by amtho at 4:21 PM on February 14, 2022
I just use straight black on my 10 gallon aquarium, which is obviously not what you're looking for, but I like the depth it provides to the foreground decor.
Which leads to my weird idea: A spacescape, like an Earthrise on the moon or a colorful Jupiter against the stars. Still some black but a lot of other color and variety too.
posted by mark k at 4:43 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Which leads to my weird idea: A spacescape, like an Earthrise on the moon or a colorful Jupiter against the stars. Still some black but a lot of other color and variety too.
posted by mark k at 4:43 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: mark k: any specific images? Artists? All I can think of are a) my Dad's old OMNI magazines (no access now), or b) trolling the sci-fi section of a Barnes and Noble -- neither option seems legal. Where can I find these images?
posted by amtho at 4:47 PM on February 14, 2022
posted by amtho at 4:47 PM on February 14, 2022
A poster of any art you love that's bigger than your tank. Take to a place like Kinkos and get it laminated (to protect against water damage and tape). Cut to tank size. Tape to back of tank. Infinitely cooler and more customizable than anything you'll find. I'd buy a print off Etsy.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:50 PM on February 14, 2022
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:50 PM on February 14, 2022
Oh also check landscape abstract art on society6.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:52 PM on February 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:52 PM on February 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
A bunch of these Apollo panoramas would do if cropped and printed out. Click on the thumbnails to take you to a page where you can click to get the full sized images.
I use them a lot for desktop backgrounds and I think the'd work well in a fish tank. The surface would blend into the substrate and a good chunk of the images are just black so your fish would stand out very well.
posted by bondcliff at 5:01 PM on February 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I use them a lot for desktop backgrounds and I think the'd work well in a fish tank. The surface would blend into the substrate and a good chunk of the images are just black so your fish would stand out very well.
posted by bondcliff at 5:01 PM on February 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
My brother used to prop various LP (vinyl) record covers up against the back of his fish tank. He'd just lean them on the outside of the back of the tank (in other words, the album covers were never wet), and would switch them up as the mood struck him. LP covers are square, so it was never a perfect fit, but some of the different album art he set there were pretty striking in the background of a tank. Just a thought.
Other ideas: printouts of nebulas, or the planet Saturn, the moon, or other astronomical images would be cool. Perhaps some Japanese woodcut art scenes of nature, snow scenes, forest scenes, etc. You can likely find large jpgs of any of these things online and print them on a color printer. Don't worry about perfect hi-res art as the water, plants, glass and fish will lightly obscure whatever you put there.
posted by SoberHighland at 5:22 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Other ideas: printouts of nebulas, or the planet Saturn, the moon, or other astronomical images would be cool. Perhaps some Japanese woodcut art scenes of nature, snow scenes, forest scenes, etc. You can likely find large jpgs of any of these things online and print them on a color printer. Don't worry about perfect hi-res art as the water, plants, glass and fish will lightly obscure whatever you put there.
posted by SoberHighland at 5:22 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
I would be amused by fish swimming around the Trinity College Library Long Room.
posted by jenquat at 5:51 PM on February 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by jenquat at 5:51 PM on February 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
Salvador Dali landscapes come to mind.
posted by ovvl at 6:08 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 6:08 PM on February 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
This might sound weird at first but I have always loved the background art in Looney Tunes and I think some of them would look extremely cool in an aquarium. This Instagram account has a lot of good ones!
posted by a.steele at 6:24 PM on February 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by a.steele at 6:24 PM on February 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
Perhaps an image from Yann Arthus-Bertrand's From Above project?
posted by guessthis at 7:55 AM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by guessthis at 7:55 AM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Not exactly what you are asking for, but have you considered a colored LED background?
You can also find many cheap DIY tutorials.
posted by roaring beast at 1:44 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
You can also find many cheap DIY tutorials.
posted by roaring beast at 1:44 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
mark k: any specific images? Artists? All I can think of are a) my Dad's old OMNI magazines (no access now), or b) trolling the sci-fi section of a Barnes and Noble -- neither option seems legal. Where can I find these images?
Not sure how you're planning to get the prints. Anything from NASA should be copyright free IIUC, so you can grab something, crop it and get it printed at a shop. Here's the sort of thing I was picturing for Jupiter or an Earthrise.
Lots of commercial examples too; this is a whole genre. Searching with keywords on Art.com or the like will give a ton of options too. Including renderings or pastiches that take more artistic license and might work better.
posted by mark k at 2:05 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Not sure how you're planning to get the prints. Anything from NASA should be copyright free IIUC, so you can grab something, crop it and get it printed at a shop. Here's the sort of thing I was picturing for Jupiter or an Earthrise.
Lots of commercial examples too; this is a whole genre. Searching with keywords on Art.com or the like will give a ton of options too. Including renderings or pastiches that take more artistic license and might work better.
posted by mark k at 2:05 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Starry starry night?
posted by Jacen at 5:14 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Jacen at 5:14 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Check out Unsplash.com for high-resolution images that are free to use for nearly all non-commercial and commercial purposes (see their license for details). You can find landscapes, famous locations, abstract art, patterns, and lots more.
posted by bones to dark emeralds at 6:02 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by bones to dark emeralds at 6:02 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Oyéah at 3:42 PM on February 14, 2022 [1 favorite]