Godoftheseas
New member
i wanted to paint the back of my tank black but im not sure what kind of paint to use or how to apply it.
any suggestions
thanks alot
mikt
any suggestions
thanks alot
mikt
Painting the tank
- Thread starter Godoftheseas
- Start date
hawaiian_boi
undercover reefer
KRYLON FUSION
Muleball39
New member
I used 2% black window tinting and it looks awesome! It can be found at Wal-Mart for $12 and is really easy to put on.
kellymm7149
New member
last tank i tried to spray it on but it ended up with a lot of runs and thin and heavy spots this time i used an acrylic enamel and a small foam roller make sure the glass is clean i used a little bit of lacquer thinner and put on 3 coats its pretty hard to scratch it even with my finger nail i got my paint from Lowe's i went with a medium blue it looks awesome with the light ripples from my halides
kellymm7149
New member
now if i can just keep the back clean
windsor-aquatic
New member
I would strongly advise against the use of an oil-based paint. I have seen about 7 tanks over the last 30 years where the silicone had inexplicably started to lift along the back seams. The only thing these tanks had in common was the fact that the rear glass of all of them had been painted with an oil-based paint. Some years ago, as an experiment, I made a tank and about an hour or so after it was completed I painted the back glass with gloss paint. The following morning I could peel the silicone off the rear seam, just like un-zipping a banana. I then spent the best part of a week removing the paint on every one of the tanks in my fishroom, and re-painting them with a water-based paint.
Godoftheseas
New member
right now i am thinking that the windows tint would be the easiest and since it seals it self i wont have the salt water getting in between like the tape on one. I was thinking two though of using the fade tint. Please post a pic when you do it on your tank.
thanks
mike
p.s any more tips still appreciated
thanks
mike
p.s any more tips still appreciated
darthteddy
New member
Just get spray paint. It doesnt really mater what kind you get as long as it is not just for acylic. As long as you dont try it all at once and you tape everything off well there will be no runs. I put about 15 coats of Cobalt Blue on mine as well as 10 or so coats of clear coat. That waterproofs it and makes it very harde to get dirty. Also clean the glass with alcohol before hand.
kellymm7149
New member
the acrylic enamel is not oil based so it was also very easy on the clean up part also no fumes and with a foam roller you don't even have to mask off any thing just pay a little attention when you get to the side as to not to let the roller force the paint onto the side panels just my opinion but like i said i tried the spraying and i think rolling it out was a better choice hope it turns out well for you post a pic when its done Kelly mm
Mike.B
New member
Just remember go slow, lots and lots of coats, it takes forever to get it solid. If you try and go fast you'll make it run, so just take your time, its not unusual that it takes anywhere from 15-30 coats because glass/acrylic is so smooth so the paint has a harder time sticking.
Hands down...the best B/G for a tank is vinyl.
Hands down...the best B/G for a tank is vinyl.
I prefer 3M vinyl. Intermediate grade is fine for this application. Applies similar to window tint and would probably outlast any other media, especially paint. I'd also suggest sapphire blue(cobalt), lt. navy, or black as possible colors.
Here is sapphire
Hands down...the best B/G for a tank is vinyl.
I prefer 3M vinyl. Intermediate grade is fine for this application. Applies similar to window tint and would probably outlast any other media, especially paint. I'd also suggest sapphire blue(cobalt), lt. navy, or black as possible colors.
Here is sapphire
