Motoreefer99
New member
So I'm in the process of setting up my tank and was wondering should I paint the back of the tank or not??
Paint tank or not?
- Thread starter Motoreefer99
- Start date
thelawnwrangler
New member
I likes the looks of painted back wall- haven't done it bc I have an all in one with black acrylic back, but supposedly not hard.
cloak
New member
I prefer to use those vinyl backgrounds they sell at the LFS. They're real easy to apply and if you ever get tired of the black you can change to blue or vice versa. Also, if you ever decide to sell the tank the buyer will be able to decide which color they want as well. Definitely a plus IMO.
gotskillz11
Member
I've used limo tint before, looks great and easy to remove with soapy water solution.
scubadan206
Member
Use plasti-dip from the automotive world. Comes in many different colors and can be peeled off easily if you want to change it...
MondoBongo
Obligate Feeder Obsessed
that's actually genius. i didn't think to get any of this when i was doing my tank, and ended up using a semi-gloss acrylic to paint it.
it worked well enough, but it took about 3 coats to cover well.
to the OP: it is my preference to use something on the back of the tank. be it paint or other. my first tank i did not cover the back with anything and it always looked kind meg. you could see wires and plumbing, not what i wanted. but after i set it up, it was too late to change it without having to drain the while thing and move it out.
gone fishin
New member
I initially painted mine but over time coralline has covered the back anyway. But some folks don't like the coralline covering the back of the tank.
scooter31707
New member
Some people paint them, use window tint. I went to Michaels and brought a piece of black cardboard. I cut it to size and use doubled-sided tape to apply it. A grand total of $4. They come in black and blue.
wookiefever
New member
I have mine painted and I really like it. Just used krylon fusion and it comes off nicely with a razor blade.
all in all it costed me $10 and I don't have to worry about air bubbles or water.
Motoreefer99
New member
Painted it today with black krylon and it looks great!! Also it helps hide the overflows which is a bonus!!
leviburns89
New member
I used a high strength black enamel. About $6 for a spray can.
A solid background brings your point of focus to the rocks/inhabitants of the tank, vs the back of the tank.
Plus you don't want to look at all the wires from the various equipment.
A solid background brings your point of focus to the rocks/inhabitants of the tank, vs the back of the tank.
Plus you don't want to look at all the wires from the various equipment.
TimeConsumer
Active member
Just to mention painting the back of the tank reduces the mirror-effect that glass has on your lighting. In essence it reduces the amount of light available to the tank. See here: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/5/equipment
Essentially when light passes from the optically dense glass to the less optically dense air the result is the phenomenon of total internal reflection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_internal_reflection
So if higher par at the back of the tank is important to you I would not paint the background nor use tint. The taped-on vinyl backgrounds would still leave the air gap to allow for TIR.
Essentially when light passes from the optically dense glass to the less optically dense air the result is the phenomenon of total internal reflection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_internal_reflection
So if higher par at the back of the tank is important to you I would not paint the background nor use tint. The taped-on vinyl backgrounds would still leave the air gap to allow for TIR.
