tank backing

[eulalio flores]

so I have a visio tank Starfire and the back is clear and I want to be able to paint the back, black or blue what's the best thing to use for glass.I know aquarium stores use a special paint does anybody know that paint

 

[sleepydoc]

Most people use regular latex paint. It adheres well enough, but will scratch fairly easily. I'm not aware of any readily available paint that adheres any better. You can also use a plastic film.

 

[kegogut]

I use black tint on the back of my tanks. It works wonderfully and you can take it off very easily if you decided you didnt want it anymore. You can get it and lowes/home depot/auto zone etc. Get the blackest you can get and it will look great.

 

[banthonyb71]

when I first ever heard the option black or blue I thought black was the no brianer but once i had an established tank..I notice blue looked more natural. whichever color you use, i would recommend against painting the tank in favor of a backing. so if you ever need to remove, simply peel it off.

 

[sleepydoc]

Paint will actually come off quite easily with a razor blade. Latex paint doesn't adhere terribly well to glass, so it's a pretty quick job to scrape it off if you don't want it, but either option would work fine.

 

[mneville277]

I actually just installed a Blue Life vinyl aquarium background today - got the 30x72" roll for around $35. Trimming and installing took about 10 minutes, looks great, and no masking or waiting for paint to dry, or even having to move the tank.

I've painted tanks in the past - not anymore...

 

[kegogut]

I always like black better than blue because I thought blue washed out the colors of corals.

 

[Dundermifflin]

Whichever color you get make sure it's exterior flat. Home Depot or Lowes is perfectly fine. It will take at least a few coats. Do a light test after the second coat. Because you see it from the inside you want to make sure it goes on smooth and evenly (use a smooth roller). Make sure to clean the glass well. As far as color, black will give you more pop.

 

[hllywd]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the K brand plastic paint!

Seriously latex, the cheapest you can get is probably easiest, roll a coat or two with a short nap, or foam roller and you're done. Sheet vinyl, or window tint is the most durable which shouldn't be a big deal anyway, still pretty easy. Cheap spray paint, almost any kind will do, requires masking, ventilation, etc... and is more of a pain in my opinion.

If you want to get crazy, there is a thread somewhere on shadow boxes, great 3D effect!

 

[lelandgray]

My current tank has a dark blue plastic background that I taped tot he back side. The only downside is that I was impatient and somehow got the back of the glass wet when I installed the background, so you can see where the water dried and left a water stand between the glass and the background.

My next tank is a 125g I just picked up, and I'm thinking about plastidip on the back glass for it.

 

[smedlin]

My next tank is a 125g I just picked up, and I'm thinking about plastidip on the back glass for it.

Oooo.. do the back in Hydrographics. Depending on what you did, that could be a freaking cool background.