Background color choices

[Mir]

ooooo yes, this one is pretty!

[b125killer]

Green is a good color. there's a lot of colors on that chart took me for ever to look for one of the numbers. 

[Mugwump]

Soooooooo

[LizStreithorst]

Ain't that the truth.

[BillT]

I though this was going to be about tank background colors.
Some people think they can have an effect on the fish's feelings of security and how they do.

Which respect to design decisions, I would go for more subtle pastel-ish colors (easy on the eyes as Dennis said) that contrast well with the text (easier reading). Complementing other colors in the layout would also be nice.

Good maps are good examples of this.