10 Best Goldfish Tank Backgrounds in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

A few decades ago, aquarium backgrounds came in pretty much the same boring style with similar color schemes. Today, we have tons more options than we did before, and there’s a perfect background for everyone’s personal taste and aquarium design.

These reviews cover the 10 best backgrounds for your goldfish tank, no matter the size or décor. Choosing a background should be based on your preferences, but you want to spend your money on a high-quality product that is made to last. We want to help you find the best background for your aquarium without wasting your money on poor-quality products.

A Quick Look at the Winners in 2024

The 10 Best Goldfish Tank Backgrounds

1. Vepotek Double-Sided Fish Aquarium Background – Best Overall

The best overall goldfish tank background is the Vepotek Double-Sided Fish Aquarium Background, which is available in five sizes and three double-sided styles. It’s made from three layers of durable, waterproof film, so it’s made to last.

The triple layer printing technique creates exceptionally vibrant colors and adds dimension to the pictures, giving a 3D effect. It’s made to be trimmed to fit your tank, making it a great option for customization for unusual tank sizes and shapes.

This background does require special adhesive to attach it to your tank, and this adhesive solution is sold separately. Although it’s available in five sizes, all the sizes are 23.6 inches in height, so these backgrounds won’t work for tall tanks.

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2. HITOP Double Sides Aquarium Background Pictures – Best Value

The best goldfish tank background for the money is the HITOP Double Sides Aquarium Background Pictures, which includes three double-sided backgrounds with every purchase. Whether you’re looking for an underwater scene, a stone wall look, or dinosaurs for a tank in a child’s bedroom, there’s something here for your needs.

The images on these backgrounds are high definition, featuring vivid colors that are fade resistant. Each set of backgrounds should fit a standard 29-gallon tank perfectly and can be cut to fit smaller tanks.

These are only available in one size, making them a poor option for tanks larger than 29 gallons. Each background repeats itself halfway through, so each picture is two identical images side by side, which may be noticeable to someone looking closely. These require some form of adhesive or tape to be attached to the tank, which is not included.

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3. Universal Rocks Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background – Premium Choice

For a more expensive product that meets high quality standards, the Universal Rocks Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background is a top choice. This background features textured faux rock that is made to be attached inside of your aquarium. It’s fish safe and won’t alter your water parameters.

The flexibility of the background allows you to form it to fit your tank, and it can be cut to fit if needed. It’s sturdy but thin and lightweight, taking up less than 1 inch of tank width.

This product does come at a premium price, although the quality makes it worth the cost for many people. It can be difficult to install this in a tank that already has water in it. Clips, silicone, or aquarium-safe adhesive can be used to attach it to the glass, but the tank may need to be drained to install this background.

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4. donau Blue/Black Glossy Fish Tank Decorative Backdrop

The donau Blue/Black Glossy Fish Tank Decorative Backdrop is a good background option if you have simpler tastes. This double-sided background features a deep black on one side and cobalt blue on the other. It’s available in 10 sizes, so these backgrounds will fit most tanks.

The material is thick and sturdy, and it can be cut to fit your tank if needed. The black background enhances the vibrancy of your tank décor, while the cobalt background can help to bring out the bright colors in your fish.

Some people find that these are not cut fully straight, so care must be taken when trimming to your tank. The manufacturer recommends you attach this background using tape, which is not included. The glass should be cleaned well prior to application because this background can enhance water drip marks and scuffs.

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5. ELEBOX Fish Tank River Bed & Lake Background

The ELEBOX Fish Tank River Bed & Lake Background features vibrant images on both sides that feature a 3D effect. The vivid colors will enhance the overall appearance of your fish and your tank. It’s made from fade-resistant PVC, and it’s waterproof and glare-free. It can be trimmed to fit your tank, and it includes eight stickers that can be attached to the corners of the background to adhere it to the tank.

This background is cut from a repeating roll, so it’s possible you will receive a partial duplication of the image depending on where the background you receive was cut from the roll. It’s only available in one size, so it may need to be trimmed and may not work for larger tanks.

The images may be slightly blurry or lower quality than some other options, but it is not usually noticeable once installed.

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6. donau Rock Ocean Double Sides Fish Tank Landscape Backdrop

The donau Rock ocean Double Sides Fish Tank Landscape Backdrop is available in nine sizes. It features a different image on both sides of the background. The backgrounds are natural and will enhance your tank, with the ocean scene side bringing bright blue to your tank. Made from sturdy PVC that is waterproof. The images are high quality and crisp.

This background can be installed with tape, which is not included. Some water drip marks and scuffs may be noticeable, especially against the darker background. There is only one set of images available in this background set, so it may not be a good choice for everyone.

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7. Zerodi Aquarium Poster Seafloor Water Grass Background

The Zerodi Aquarium Poster Seafloor Water Grass Background is a self-adhesive background made from waterproof, fade-resistant PVC. It’s available in five sizes and features an attractive, vibrant image of contrasting black and bright greens. It’s durable and made to last a long time but is easy to remove from the tank if needed. It can be trimmed to fit.

This background is only available in one image and is single-sided. Although this can be removed easily, the adhesive may leave a sticky residue behind that may be difficult to remove. It also may be difficult to properly install without air bubbles underneath, which may be visible from the front.

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8. Filfeel PVC Adhesive Sun and Desert Style Decoration

If you’re looking for a unique background, the Filfeel PVC Adhesive Sun and Desert Style Decoration background may be up your alley. This self-adhesive background is available in nine sizes. It features a sunny desert scene, which could make for a fun, different aesthetic for your goldfish tank. It’s made from waterproof, high-quality PVC and is easy to clean.

This background may arrive wrinkled, which can make installation difficult. Installation without bubbles may be difficult, even if it doesn’t arrive wrinkled. The picture is less crisp than some other options, although this should not be very noticeable once behind an aquarium of water. It is likely to leave behind some adhesive if removed.

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9. Hakeeta Forest Tank Aquarium Poster

The Hakeeta Forest Tank Aquarium Poster is another interesting and unusual option that features a bright green forest scene. The image blends in well in an aquarium and brightens things up. It’s self-adhesive and available in five sizes. It’s made from sturdy, waterproof PVC that’s easy to clean and durable.

This may be difficult to install without bubbles underneath, especially if arrives wrinkled. For the larger sizes, this is the same image as the smaller sizes, but it has been blown up, so it gets blurry in larger options. The adhesive is strong but will leave residue behind on your tank if the background is removed.

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10. Sporn Static Cling Tropical Aquarium Background

The Sporn Static Cling Tropical Aquarium Background uses static to attach to your tank, so it won’t leave any adhesive residue behind and there are no stickers or tape. It’s easy to apply and the image adds color and depth to your goldfish tank. It’s easy to cut to fit your aquarium size if needed.

The image on this background isn’t as vivid and sharp as some of the other images available. This background is only available in one single-sided image in two sizes. Since this applies with static cling, some people find that they need to tape down the corners because they begin to curl over time. It may tear if you use a tool to attempt to smooth it out when installing it.

Buyer’s Guide

What Makes a Good Goldfish Tank Background?

Choosing the right background for your goldfish’s tank revolves mostly around your personal preferences. However, you want to look for a product that is made to be waterproof or water resistant. Multiple layers and high-quality materials are made to last, while thinner or lower quality products may tear up quickly. You’ll also want to find a product that has the type of colors you’re looking for, whether it’s black or vibrant.

You’ll also want to find a product that won’t be a huge pain to install, but also that can be removed easily if needed. You may want to change the background as your home or tastes change, and backgrounds can become damaged, no matter how high quality they are. A user-friendly background that allows for changes without damage to the tank will make your life and tank maintenance easier.

Background Attachment Options

Adhesive

This is a type of glue or sticky product that is usually in a spray, liquid, or gel form. You apply it directly to the glass and then slowly apply the background over the sticky areas, usually smoothing things out as you go. This type of installation usually lasts a long time but may be difficult to remove.

Self-Adhesive

This attachment option is a type of adhesive that comes on the product itself, allowing you to stick the background directly to your tank without risking getting adhesive in the wrong place. This option may need to be used in conjunction with another type of adhesive or tape if the edges begin to curl up with time.

Tape

Any type of tape can be used to attach a background to your aquarium. Clear tape will be the easiest to disguise, though. Some people find this method of attaching a background to be difficult because it doesn’t evenly stick the product to the glass and can be difficult to disguise.

Static

Static cling is easy to achieve with certain materials and using static to adhere a background to your tank can be an effective, user-friendly installation method. However, static is prone to come loose, especially if scraped against or stuck against another static-friendly object. Some people need to use another method in conjunction with static cling to get the best installation.

Conclusion

For your goldfish tank, the best overall background is the Vepotek Double-Sided Fish Aquarium Background, which is available in multiple sizes and scenes. The best value product is the HITOP Double Sides Aquarium Background Pictures, which includes six backgrounds on three sheets for your tank. If you’re looking for a premium product, you won’t be disappointed with the stone look of the Universal Rocks Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background. These reviews only scratch the surface of backgrounds for your goldfish tank, though. There are thousands of options available to you, but these are the top products.

• See Also: How to Apply an Aquarium Background (5 Easy Methods)

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Featured Photo Credit: JuanCarlosPalauDiaz, Pixabay