paint for back of tank?
- Thread starter mph84
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So much nicer than black.
I'd have to disagree. The paint that was on the back of the tank when I got it was starting to bubble up and peel off. I "believe" that there are paints that adhere better than others. The Krylon Fusion is advertised to adhere to glass w/o primer. May just be advertising but who knows. I'm sure there are plenty that will work though.
Bubbling means water got behind the paint. If you clean the glass right, paint will stick. Either way though, use what you want....but in my years of fish keeping, I've never had regular paint go bad on me. And blue is really nice looking on a tank too!
you're probably right there. I know that cleaning properly is half the battle. Anyways thanks for the advice guys. And I'm with ya on the blue background! I'm really a fan of coralline on the back glass but I typically get impatient waiting on it, and I don't like black in the meantime.
I was at Wally World (Walmart) recently and in the school section they had some thick poster board for like 1.50. Bought a black piece and it looks great. Since it is thick it is not wavy like the thin pieces are. About the thickness of a cardboard box. 1 piece covered the back of my 60g. Even if you had to use 2 it should look fine.
There is a Youtube Video of a guy painting his tank. He used some craft paint from "Michael's" iirc. Then he used a smaller roller and rolled it on. I think he put more than one coat, but don't quote me on that. I would think rolling on paint would be the best plan of action...and I say that because...if your tank is full of water and you happen to scratch the glass for whatever reason, or water bubbles it up. How are you going to get a good flow of paint from a spray can with the tank backed up against a wall?
If you use a roller, you could probably roll paint back over the area that was scratched without moving your tank. Or at the very least...slide it out a couple of inches if possible.
Just my $.02, and I will be rolling paint on when I get ready to put mine in place. If it holds up better than spraying it on...I'm all for that.
If you use a roller, you could probably roll paint back over the area that was scratched without moving your tank. Or at the very least...slide it out a couple of inches if possible.
Just my $.02, and I will be rolling paint on when I get ready to put mine in place. If it holds up better than spraying it on...I'm all for that.
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If you don't want to spray, you can use Rustoleum oil based paint in a can. I used a mini roller and rolled on 2 coats. No peeling or scratching off after 7 years and I am around the back of my tank all the time (in wall setup with a fish room behind)
I use to do that with my fresh water tanks waaaaaaaay back in the day. I'd spray paint it black and then go over it with a blue at the bottom and gradate it up. Made a nice effect, and if I wanted to change it....I'd just respray whatever I wanted :up:
Mike, sounds like you have your mind made-up for spray, so this isn't for you, but for anyone else who is reading along, who might be on the fence.
The poster-board idea is good for a while, but the first time you or a fish splashes water over the back, it's done (ask me how I know this)</em>. The only "paper-type" backgrounds that will endure are the coated ones you can buy in your LFSs. A lot of folks will tape these on, but there's another, cleaner way to do it. Try not to giggle...take some K-Y Jelly and squeeze a generous amount all over the back of your tank. Now apply the coated background and squeegee it smooth. Allow it to dry for a bit and it will stick there on it's own, without tape hanging around the edge of your tank. It forms somewhat of a seal and will not allow water to get between the glass and the background.
On thing to keep in mind, you can't just slide the tank out, like a couch or something to redo it, so you really need think through this.
The poster-board idea is good for a while, but the first time you or a fish splashes water over the back, it's done (ask me how I know this)</em>. The only "paper-type" backgrounds that will endure are the coated ones you can buy in your LFSs. A lot of folks will tape these on, but there's another, cleaner way to do it. Try not to giggle...take some K-Y Jelly and squeeze a generous amount all over the back of your tank. Now apply the coated background and squeegee it smooth. Allow it to dry for a bit and it will stick there on it's own, without tape hanging around the edge of your tank. It forms somewhat of a seal and will not allow water to get between the glass and the background.
On thing to keep in mind, you can't just slide the tank out, like a couch or something to redo it, so you really need think through this.
