Acrylic Paint?

[(S)kittles]

So the tree stump decorations that are going to go in the new tank when it's all set up are a little faded and I was wondering if I could use acrylic paint to brighten them up a bit.

I read around the internet a bit and even emailed the company but I trust this community over anything else when it comes to fish.

The decor will be going in a 135g Oscar tank.

 

[(S)kittles]

Bump

 

[Pharaoh]

Should be OK once it is fully cured.

 

[CTU2fan]

I always wondered about paint, only I'm looking to paint the inside back of my tank (it's acrylic). It's a rather bright shade of sky blue, and I'd like to paint it black but I don't want to poison my fish.

 

[(S)kittles]

When we got the 135g the backside of it (not the inside) was painted black and I spent a few ours scraping it off with a shop razor.

I've been reading around and everyone has been saying that acrylic latex paint has not caused any problems. They only recommendation is to let it cure for a few days.

The company (Golden Paints) did email me back saying that they couldn't tell me if it was safe or not. He said "better safe than sorry."

People have been using acrylic latex in saltwater and freshwater with no problems other than Chinese algae eaters and some kind of coral really liking to peel it off (and possibly eat it) and they haven't been harmed by it.

 

[Noto]

The acrylic vehicle is perfectly safe once cured. The issue is the pigments in it. Artist's acrylics usually list their pigments, house and craft paints do not. Cadmium, cobalt, and manganese pigments may be somewhat toxic if ingested but should be safe if your fish do not chew on the paint. There are still lead and arsenic pigments out there too, be sure to avoid these.

 

[CTU2fan]

Hmm I may try it then, I'd really prefer a black back but the acrylic on the back of my tank is blue (not painted, the sheet is/was blue).

 

[(S)kittles]

I was planning on using an artist's medium so I'll be sure to look at the ingredients and let it cure for a few days. The tank needs a week to cycle anyway.

Thanks for all the ideas!