painting back of tank

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R

rob1984

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
May 9, 2012
1,418
1
38
ontario canada
so im thinking of painting the back of my tank black, hate when the fish splash and water goes between paper background and tank and has the wet look then dries and have the white water stains everywhere.

tank is filled and being used as I type, so wonder about smell and everything. have seen craft paint at dollarstore wondering if anyone has used it before, or everyone has used to paint there tanks ?
 
If its empty I use spray paint.

When its Full I've used black acrylic latex paint which is just basic house wall paint. I prep the glass by wiping it with alcohol. A couple coats does the trick. The acrylic latex is easier to remove than spray paint if you decide to

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If you can fit a roller back there, use an acrylic exterior matte paint (I used rustolium brand) and a roller brush, both from a hardware store. I've done half a dozen tanks and they all look great, with no water spots from splashes. It takes about 3 coats for full coverage. Make sure everything is completely dry before applying another coat since it will peel off otherwise.
I'd make sure a fan is moving air outside the room, just to help thin out the slight fumes, but that might not be necessary.

It scrapes off with the glass fairly easily with a blade if you want to change colors in the future.
 
The big LFS (marine warehouse) I used to work at always spraypainted them with rustoleum when they were dry. Is your tank large? could the fish spend the night in a rubbermaid bin?
 
Tank is being used and is full right now fish could be in rubbermaid container but rather not if I didn't have to lol..... Yes tank is large 72" long and 24" tall
 
well I was thinking dollar store craft paint as it cheap and prolly only cost me a few dollars to paint the tank :) im all bout being cheap lol window tint would only be done on a tank that isn't setup this one is and up and running .....
 
flat black tremclad rust paint work ? or do I need a semi gloss ? how much will cover my tank ? 237ml, 946ml, 1183ml, 3.78litre container ? 946 or the 1183ml should cover it correct ?
 
rob1984 said:
well I was thinking dollar store craft paint as it cheap and prolly only cost me a few dollars to paint the tank :) im all bout being cheap lol window tint would only be done on a tank that isn't setup this one is and up and running .....
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Window tint is an adhesive vinyl you can apply to the back of the tank, no need to be emptied. In that case you can use any automotive vinyl to wrap a tank any color you want but if you haven't used vinyl before it requires a specific way to install to make it perfect with no air bubbles.

I use plastic squeegee with a baby soap, water, isopropyl alc application mix.

Best part is vinyl is 100% easy to remove and replace.
 
I think I'm going to give plastidip a shot on my tank. Has anyone else done this?
 
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