What paint should I use for the back of my tank

Eddie79

New member
I purchased rust oleum latex flat black for the back of my tank and it basically looks like charcoal grey (maybe even lighter).

I want the back wall to be jet black. Also, I would like to put it on with a roller or a brush if possible.

Can someone please tell me a good brand, preferably latex, to purchase and if it should be gloss, semi gloss, or flat?

Thank you!
 
It will change to black as it dries. I use the same but gloss instead of flat. I prefer to use disposable foam rollers. Plan on 3 coats to get even coverage
 
If you haven't already painted the tank, another option to get a black back is to purchase black vinyl adhesive. I use the removable type, and it works extremely well. It comes in matte or gloss.
 
Use blue colored acrylic sheet and hang from back of tank. Will make tank look deeper.

Actually many public aquariums do this, but they hang it on the inside of the tank. These sheets are periodically removed and cleaned. I recently went on a tour of a public aquarium and was told that visitors don't like seeing algae, which is the reason for these "fake" back walls.
 
black paint of any finish will look the same. the glass is glossy and it will always look glossy no matter if you use flat or satin or anything else.

The black paint you used should look dark after a few more coats, and once the tank has lights over it.
 
^^ Genius. Does the back glass still get algae or dirt?

Yes -- actually the tanks I saw had back walls that were covered with coralline (I was in the room behind the tanks). What's nice is that since no one sees the back, there's no scraping needed!
 
I used black out tint/film from Lowe's. It was 19 bucks for the film and water solution and a simple tool. I like it because I can remove it should I not like it in the future, but currently, I love the black background and overflow. I would have gone with paint if I was sure I would keep it. Krylon paint is good if you are unsure of what brand.

For the overflow, I used glass then covered all sides with black plexiglass.
 
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