foam or not

[mr_alberta]

Backgrounds are totally up to you. Some people put up the paper backgrounds you can buy at the pet stores whereas others (like me) like to paint the back of the tank. Some don't put on a background at all. This is all a personal thing.

As for the foam, I would use the rigid pink foam you can get at Home Depot or Rona that come in sheets. This will help distribute weight and even out the tank if the surface you put the tank on isn't 100% level.