Lets discuss backdrops

ibryson

ibryson

New member
I have a 6ft (180 gallon) aquarum I am setting up and am looking for ideas on backdrops. I want a clean solid color that helps make the colors in the tank pop. Right now I am experimenting with matte black poster board (same color as the overflows). I love the color but am having a difficult time getting it to stick cleanly to the back glass and you can see the seam where the poster boards overlap. Mostly, I'm just curious what you all did for your aquariums!
 
I painted the back (outside) black with Rust-Oleum oil based black. Smells terrible but works great, I used a cheap mini roller and did 2 or 3 coats.

If you ever want to remove you just take a razor blade to it

b207d6a9655d39ddd4a61273804fd0d6.jpg


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ryeguyy84 said:
I painted the back (outside) black with Rust-Oleum oil based black. Smells terrible but works great, I used a cheap mini roller and did 2 or 3 coats.

If you ever want to remove you just take a razor blade to it

b207d6a9655d39ddd4a61273804fd0d6.jpg


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Click to expand...

I may take this route, I just cant decide 100% on a color and once its set up I wont be able to get access to the back to repaint it. Have you by chance seen how matte black paint finishes on glass? If it looks good then I'd definitely consider painting it
 
No but go to home Depot and get a piece of glass or acrlyic and try it out. I think anything you put is going to be glossy since it's smooth on the glass.

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Rather than black, why not go with a mixture of pink and purple so that it appears you have a head start on coralline growth ;-)
 
I just used black Rustoleum spray paint. Any paint that you use will have a glossy appearance because of the glass. Another option that I have used before is to use a sheet of black ABS plastic inside the tank. This will give it a matte finish, however it makes cleaning the back wall very difficult.
 
I've used Dark Blue, a lighter Blue, and Black. I used whatever enamel in a can that was on sale. +1000 for the disposable foam roller. It will take a couple coats regardless of the color.

Although the tank that misled posted looks great now, I'm with Anemone, wondering how it will look covered in coralline. And it will be a PIA to keep clean unless you have easy access back there.
 
I have an "ocean" looking backdrop on my 40 gallon now. Looks nice, but I feel like it takes away from some of the colors in the tank. I was thinking a matte black backdrop would make the colors pop the most. I could be wrong though!
 
I've had aquariums 15 years, more than half of my life and every new tank gets a nice thick coat of black paint on the back. Deep blue looks ok if you are dedicated to keeping the back clean but you will never go wrong with black. Paper backers will warp and show salt creep/drips over time and look bad. Plastic backgrounds will also inevitably get salt drips/creep behind them. And don't get me started on the printed "reef" backgrounds... you might as well have a bubble treasure chest and a fake skull in the tank.


Before you start painting the back, clean the glass very well with alcohol. Paint doesn't like to stick to fingerprints and smudges. I prefer to start with a thin layer of spray paint and finish with several layers of black rustoleum paint rolled on. the spray paint serves as a tack coat to allow the rest of the paint to stick. Starting with a roller can be frustrating because the paint wont want to stick to the glass very well and it may take 7+ coats. Of course you can spray the whole thing but I'd be sure to allow plenty of time between coats. Sheen of the paint doesn't matter much, it will all have the same "wet black" look once on the glass.
 
reefinmike said:
I've had aquariums 15 years, more than half of my life and every new tank gets a nice thick coat of black paint on the back. Deep blue looks ok if you are dedicated to keeping the back clean but you will never go wrong with black. Paper backers will warp and show salt creep/drips over time and look bad. Plastic backgrounds will also inevitably get salt drips/creep behind them. And don't get me started on the printed "reef" backgrounds... you might as well have a bubble treasure chest and a fake skull in the tank.


Before you start painting the back, clean the glass very well with alcohol. Paint doesn't like to stick to fingerprints and smudges. I prefer to start with a thin layer of spray paint and finish with several layers of black rustoleum paint rolled on. the spray paint serves as a tack coat to allow the rest of the paint to stick. Starting with a roller can be frustrating because the paint wont want to stick to the glass very well and it may take 7+ coats. Of course you can spray the whole thing but I'd be sure to allow plenty of time between coats. Sheen of the paint doesn't matter much, it will all have the same "wet black" look once on the glass.
Click to expand...
You just sold me. I was holding out hope that someday I might be able to make it a peninsula......

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Assuming your tank is glass, you can always razor blade the paint off. if its thick latex paint, you can sometimes peel it all off in one sheet. If you might use it as a peninsula tank be sure to tape off the trim and sides of the tank before painting. I never bother and just slather that paint on.. never gonna see the back trim.
 
The best thing I ever did was spray mirror paint onto the outside of my fuge glass then painted black over that. The inside is a mirror and the outside is completely black so the light is contained. Just wish I went with black acrlyic for the divider.

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Mine was done like wallpaper. Pasted fully and smoothed with a wallpaper knife.
 
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