Back glass dilemma

[emkelly09]

Hello,

I have a 65g RR aquarium and its been set up for about 2 years now. However, I moved it upstairs to my new room and completely once again forgot to paint the back of the tank black. I had no idea how good the black looked until I joined RC and saw all these amazing tanks. I went out and got the black aquarium back that they sell in my LFS but I can't stand the way it shines when the light hits it. Is there another solution of what I could use to have a "flat" black look on the back of my tank?

Thank you in advance,

Emkelly09

 

[snulma1]

You could look for window tinting material. I'm not sure if it will shine like the fish background, but its an option

 

[SpencerG]

If you have enough room between the tank and the wall, maybe you could use a small roller and roll on some good flat black enamel paint. I've read where some folks on here rolled rather than sprayed their back glass, with good results. Besides, you won't get all the mess from spraying.

 

[cilyjr]

or just the black plastic rolled stuff they sell at the lfs. cut it and slide it behind the tank. you will most likely have to tape the corners to the plastic braces to the tank but that's an option

 

[Frogmanx82]

Black poster board should be thick enough and a nice flat black if painting isn't convenient.

 

[syrinx]

Rolling actually can do a better job than spraying- and you have a wider range of paint styles and choices. If the tank is up and running- be sure to turn off skimmer until fumes are gone.

 

[dublo8]

Yes the rolling works very well and it's a better coverage than spraying. From the front side there is 0 noticable difference between the 2. With spray paint, you usually have to do more than one coat to get it all covered.

The black film from the lfs sux. I used it for a while even with the liquid they sell to adhere it to the glass. After a while the stuff dries up and the film will eventually peel away. You will also get salt spray/drips down the film and that doesn't look good at all.

 

[emkelly09]

Thank you all for your inputs! I was curious about rolling because that is what I initially planned, but of course my brother said no because it would run. :hmm5: Seems to be enough positive feedback on here to go for it.

 

[Korrine]

Thank you all for your inputs! I was curious about rolling because that is what I initially planned, but of course my brother said no because it would run. :hmm5: Seems to be enough positive feedback on here to go for it.

The flat black enamel that I used wasn't runny. It was actually kind of thick. I painted 4 tanks with it. Did it as helping a local public fish setup, but I'm going to roll my next tank as well! Will never spray paint again. Rolling is much easier Oh, and get a smaller roller. Not the normal size. I think this made it easier to control.

ps. I hate the "tape to the back" backgrounds. They always seem to end up coming undone at some point and then you have to fix them...

 

[emkelly09]

Yes the tape on backgrounds are such a pain! I will be sure to scout out a smaller roller, thank you for the advice. Will this still be okay even if my tank is up and running as we speak? Can I roll it on while the water is in it?

 

[Felixc395]

I never even heard of problems with the tape on backgrounds until I read this thread. If you paint the background on with paint, is there any way to ever get it off???

 

[Servillius]

Thank you all for your inputs! I was curious about rolling because that is what I initially planned, but of course my brother said no because it would run. :hmm5: Seems to be enough positive feedback on here to go for it.

I trust that folks here have had good experiences with rolling, but I'm still dubious. A set up tank would have to be rolled vertical, at a bad angle, and with ongoing salt spray. Before you risk rolling, have you considered getting a peal and stick sticker back from a sign store? I' fairly sure you can get them to cut you something exactly the size of your tank and in a range of colors. I've never tried it, but given your limited options, it may be worth the research.

 

[am3gross]

i used limo tint for mine.... no paint fumes to worry about and i am sure if i wanted it off it would be easier then trying to remove the paint.... hth!

 

[Korrine]

I never even heard of problems with the tape on backgrounds until I read this thread. If you paint the background on with paint, is there any way to ever get it off???

Scrape it! I'm going to do this on one of my tanks. I bought it second hand and it has a blue background. I prefer black since I feel it makes the colors pop more.

I trust that folks here have had good experiences with rolling, but I'm still dubious. A set up tank would have to be rolled vertical, at a bad angle, and with ongoing salt spray. Before you risk rolling, have you considered getting a peal and stick sticker back from a sign store? I' fairly sure you can get them to cut you something exactly the size of your tank and in a range of colors. I've never tried it, but given your limited options, it may be worth the research.

Here's how I did it.
First, the tanks I painted with a roller all had water and livestock of some sort in them. They were just fine One was even full of corals. Roll horizontal, it's easier. With black I only needed one coat. Roll your roller in the paint, do one horizontal strip and then roll it back and fourth a time or two to cover any small spots. Then move on to the next row.

 

[mcrist]

I used a roller on my last tank and I had no problems with runs. The paint was just some craft paint from Wal-Mart; it was really cheap and available in lots of shades of blue.

 

[emkelly09]

thanks a lot every, I will be rolling by tomorrow :spin1: