Where to find and what kind of paint for my tank background?

[dzovi]

I want to paint the back of my tank either black or blue but I'm not sure where to get the paint nor which color would look better. Does anyone know where to pick up the paint and the potential benefits and negative attributes of either color. Thanks for your time.

 

[Reefugee]

Go to Walmart and get Krylon Fusion for Plastic. If you read the label, it states that it will work for glass as well. Some of the other spray paint does not specify glass, but might still work. You will need to spray on several coats. If you have an over flow, I would recommend that you don't paint over that area. It's really hand when a fish jumps in, and you can actually see the back if needed. Also - don't forget to tape over the side so that you don't get any overspray.

I prefer black because of the stronger contrast with the LR, corals, and fish. I also debated dark blue. Any color is fine, but it's all a personal preference. You could pick pink if you want.

 

[dzovi]

Thanks for your help. I was wondering if the black absorbed a lot of the light from the tank and made it look too dark. Do you have a photo on hand that I could see the final result? Thanks for the help.

 

[shilo_1]

I use the $.94 can of spray paint from walmart - never had trouble with it. I found the best way was to lay the tank gently on the front, so the back glass was flat. If you try to spray the back while the tank is sitting upright, it seems to run sometimes.

I personally like the blue, although its a personal choice...both colors can look great !

 

[dzovi]

Is the paint supposed to be a flat paint or a gloss? Just a question.

 

[Reefugee]

I don't think it matters if it's flat or gloss. remember that on the inside, it's going to look "gloss" no matter what. I personally went for gloss because I thought it would be easier to wipe off any mess that may be on the dry paint.

Unlike Shilo - I left my tank upright when I sprayed it. With a 120G, I didn't want to risk breaking it by tipping it over. But with a small tank, that wouldn't be a real issue. Also - just use multiple light coat, and it is less likely to run.

The $0.94 can of spray paint probably would work as well. My feeling was that the difference between $0.94 and $3.50 (I think) wasn't big enough for me to risk it. That's why I went ahead and bought paint that said it would adhere to glass.

here's an image from about a year ago.

Minh

 

[dzovi]

Looks great. Thank you for all the help.

 

[Reefugee]

Dzovi - if you go with blue, I would recommend dark blue. I had a tank with a light blue background, and things didn't look quite as nice against it.

 

[Nu2SW]

Minh I love your tank.... it is so nice....

Probably looks better in person.


And just like minh said, use multiple coats and dont spray heavy. It runs because you are putting too much on at one time.

Keep it about 10 inches away and lightly spray the surface.