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Hi Again Everyone,

One more ?? about my new tank. I wanted a dark blue background on my freshwater tank. I am not thrilled withthe idea of the plastic backgrounds in the stores or online, so I was thinking of spray painting the back panel of my tank the desired color.

Am I crazy or is that a good idea?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

amackattack

A lot of people paint the back/sides of their tanks. Just be positive it is the shade of blue you want, as it can be hard to get off later.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Perfectly fine I use normal acrylic housepaint. When I want to take it off (sometimes it can be handy to turn tanks around if the front gets scratched, and sometimes you want to be able to see through) I just put it on the lawn and hose it down, and lay wet cloth over it. The paint just bubbles off

I was originally worried acrylic paint would bubble and peel with the occasional tank water splash, but it is surprisingly resilient. If it gets VERY wet it can soften, but if you are careful not to touch it, it just dries back the way it was.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Instead of the back of the tank, I paint a piece of cardboard. Easy to change colors without all the work and mess. It won't give you a high gloss look though if that's what you're looking for.

Very cool. Thanks for the info. When brushing the paint on, can you see the brush marks on the back side of the glass?

amackattack

I have painted tank backs previously.
The best paint to buy is a quality flat black paint. If you only want a small amount buy the sample tin.

Dont use a brush. You can also buy a mini roller and tray package extremely cheap.

To cover it completely it could require 3-4 coats of paint.
A very strong warning the paint might look and feel dry but it is not it is what is called "Touch dry" put one coat on each day and put it in a place where it will dry between coatings.

Also get the finest glass or wet & dry paper you can get and lightly rub down between each coat. This actually roughens the surface a little so that the next coat of paint can adhere to it properly. Steel wool can be used but it is not a good.

Dont forget to wash the roller out using warm soapy water.
When you have finished painting the tank, you will not be able to reuse the roller for any other colour than black.

To see if you can see through the back when it is painted put a strong light behind the tank and if you can see streaky marks more paint will be required. The paint does not have a long life once it is opened so you might as well use it all up.

Between each coats reseal the lid tight and turn it upside down this will stop air getting into the container and putting a skin on the paint. To be on the safe side put the paint container inside another container.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith



Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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I don't see brush marks, no.

The brush marks are caused by unevenness in the paint, so since the glass is a very flat surface it gets rid of that. All you might see is thinner areas of paint, so just make sure you put it on thick enough first time around. I use a strong torch to check for thin spots while the paint is still wet.

Be careful with rollers and little air bubbles. I did one with a roller and while the application was nice and even and easy, the texture of popped bubbles as visible. I'm sure it is my lousy technique, but keep it in mind

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Decisions, decisions...

Guess I get to go to the paint store next week and find a color and a cheap piece of glass to test it on. I will let you all know what I decide and will post a pic here if I can.

Thanks,

amackattack

amac attack

There are many types of rollers just make sure you get one suitable for the water based paint and know how to use it correctly. Pressing heavy can cause bubbles so will too much paint in the roller.

Why bother testing it if you do not like it it just lifts off with a blade scraper. The paint cannot penetrate glass like it does on timber or internal house walls.


Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Good point there Keith, no need to waste the time when it can be undone so easily.

Thanks for the techincal tips as well.

amackattack

Update,

I wound up using spray paint, and it looks great. I figured since I had the paint I should try, if it did not work, I could always scrape it and start over - no need. Any inconsistencies blended in when a little more paint was added. It was very easy and like I said looks great in the tank.

Thanks for all the advice