What type of paint is safe for use inside tanks?

[Richies^Ghost]

I'm painting DIY overflows, or would like to if I can work out the type of paint I need.

I've been told that water based paints will come off, oil based paints will be toxic, acrylic based paints might be okay, and covering the whole thing with epoxy after I've painted would be best.

Can anyone give me some advice?

 

[Richies^Ghost]

I hear "Krylon fusion for plastic" is good, though I'm having a hard time sourcing it in Australia - especially so given it requires a courier to ship it, as aerosols can't be sent in the mail.

 

[Richies^Ghost]

Turns out that food dye + sand = coloured sand. I'm going to use crystal coat epoxy to ensure it sticks to the pipes, then another coat to ensure it doesn't come off or leech colour into the water. Apparently crystal coat dries clear and shows detail well, which sounds alright.

As a side note, I don't know how long the food dye technique lasts if the sand were left in the aquarium, or if it would come off the sand and start colouring the glass - I think it would be non-toxic though, so it would be worth a try in a test tank. This might be an excellent DIY answer to all those "where do I get black sand from?" type questions