Why paint your aquarium?

[jc-reef]

we also had james at one of clubs monthly meeting and he started that painted can and will decrease light into the tank, so in my case ive just left the tank alone and painted the wall behind the tank midnight blue for the look of depth........mike

What type of finish did he use? (i.e. High Gloss vs Flat) I would imagine that you would get more 'reflection' with a high gloss finish vs one with a flat finish.

Im sure once your back wall gets covered in coraline, it wouldnt matter either way...of course unless you are one to scrape it off.

 

[jimmyj7090]

The issue is not reflection or absorbtion of the light. It's the effect where the interface between the glass and the air causes a reflection. When the back of a tank is painted, OR a background is adhered (including plastic backings that become stuck to the glass when they get dampness between them and the glass) that reflection is lost. When paint covers the back glass, the glass and air don't meet, and thus you lose the reflection you would otherwise get.

For example, look down the length of clean glass inside a tank full of water, looking the long way from one end. You will see a mirror effect. Now let micro algae grow on that same glass for a few days, or look at a similar tank with a backing or painted back. There will be less or no mirror effect.

 

[j5hughes]

Plus it hide anything that could be behind the tank, & imo it looks better.

 

[Ding2daDong]

So when you have lights and powerheads in the tank you don't see all the cords. I also like the look of black, makes you focus on other things in the tank.

hth

-Matthew

 

[evsalty]

Has anyone actually taken a par meter and tested how much extra par you get or loose with one vs the other? IMHO I can't see it being enough to make or break a corals growth.

How many people have corals behind their rock work anyway? The reflected light is only going to come out from the back glass so far. It is not like that light is going to bounce off the back glass and hit the front glass so why even worry about reflection. If you are that worried about reflection then use a mirrored finish.

 

[Jstdv8]

one less wall you have to clean

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Many people have rock in the middle of their tank these days, with room all around it. So corals are all over the tank....unlike old days when almost everyone had a "wall" of rock on the back pane.

I have no idea how much it changes the PAR.

 

[jimmyj7090]

I think we would have to track down Mr. Harker to get the actual numbers. That said, IIRC yes it was not a massive difference, but it was quite clear from the graphs he presented that there was a difference.

On corals in the back of a tank, well there are a lot of ways to set up a reef tank. If nothing else, keep those corals happy and after a while you'll have enough that that landscape in the back starts to seem quite useful, and the effect of depth can be very cool

 

[Scubagal8]

any down side to paint the back of your tank?

any down side to paint the back of your tank?

Hi. I have a 125 gallon - the classic 72" long rectangle tank with two overflows. I am leaning toward painting the back of the tank but would love to know if there is any downside to painting it? The tank is so large that once I get it in place, I'll never be able to move it, so I want to make a good choice.
thanks for your time and any suggestions you may have.
Lori

 

[Member No. 1]

Hi. I have a 125 gallon - the classic 72" long rectangle tank with two overflows. I am leaning toward painting the back of the tank but would love to know if there is any downside to painting it? The tank is so large that once I get it in place, I'll never be able to move it, so I want to make a good choice.
thanks for your time and any suggestions you may have.
Lori

Downside:
1. Prep and proper paint.
2. If it starts to chip or peel.
3. If after a period of time, you don't like it.

I would use some sort of vinyl or other water proof backing. Easier to apply, easier to change.
Also after a while, the back glass will get covered with coralline algae anyway.

 

[Sk8r]

I'd go for well-applied sticky scenery: it's a LOT easier to remove. Or just wait for maturity, because pink coralline algae is very likely to take over the back glass unless you fight it. Having a wedge tank, myself, with no background but a lot of scraping. I get a beautiful reflection of the reef on either side, but I don't know what reflection an oblong tank might offer. One thing to point out: if you can't reach that rear panel from the outside, you are either hand-cleaning it with a razor, or letting the coraline grow unchecked. So whatever you do on the rear panel is likely to be obscured by growth.