Painting the back of your tank...

[Lostmind]

Any special paint required? Anybody got any tricks I need to know before I go an do this?

I'll post up some pics of my new tank and plumbing setup in a bit... 120 gallon tank, 75 gallon sump, closed loop with scwd and two spray bars, siphon overflow box with R Stockmans overflow pipe design to reduce noise,e tc etc. My first tank, made a few mistakes (couldnt find a drilled tank for a decent price, I may have to add a second overflow box)...

when I bought my tank the guy added a rio 3100 in for $80, thought it was a steal, now I am not so happy with it... but I did pick up a second pump for the closed loop - custom sea life... modified my stand to be taller and stronger and best of all the stand is still level...

ANyways, I am rambling - back to the paint! Anything special about painting the back wall of your tank - other then painting the OUTSIDE wall and not inside the tank (chemical leeching (leaching?) I fear)...

Thanks!

 

[axia55]

I just got done spray painting the back of my new tank black. I have done it with 5 other tanks with no problems and it looks great. I just get the cheapest cans I can find.

 

[liquid]

Pretty much paint it and you're done.

BTW...Hi axia55 and

Shane

 

[jawbox]

3 light coats of Rusto flat black and mine looks great!
Good idea to mask off where you don't want paint. duh!

 

[Lostmind]

Thanks guys!

I'll pick up some paint tomorrow when I go back to Rona to buy a sprinkler to try this out again:

http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/diysprinkler.htm

I gave it a shot today and the sprinkler wouldnt rotate after I modded it... at $10 a pop tho, I'll give it another shot tomorrow

Thanks guys!

 

[johns120]

recently spray painted a 7 gallon minibow with dark blue spray paint-taped anything that i did not want to get wet. Last night painted a 75 with the same interior wall paint that was just used in my livingroom-dont know how it will stand up to saltwater exposure-time will tell. Since the painted blue tank is in front of the blue wall, it looks like the tank has no rear wall-this will change though once alage starts growing.

 

[4angel]

I brush painted the back of my tank with blue rustolium oil base. I have found this to work for me in the past. I use a 3" wide brush and keep a light on over the tank. The oil seems to blend and seal the brush marks.
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og kush plant

 

[Micky]

I have recently seen a few tanks with a mirror backing, looks very cool, not sure where to get it though... Best of luck...

 

[4angel]

I never thought of a mirror backing must look cool any one have pics?
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Mercedes Benz W201

 

[Anonymous]

I usually get that 'stone finish' spraypaint. I've got a black&white flecked paint on the back of my 75, and haven't decided what type I'll put on the 125 I'm getting ready to set up soon. Might just go for a nice pale sandstone. Although the darker colors look better with a reef.

 

[terbe]

When I had my 150 back in the mid 80's I used the silver reflective window tinting film that they use on autos. It gave it the mirror effect without the hassel of trying to fit an actual mirror on the back. It gave the tank some added depth, but it did take a while for the fish to adapt, they were acting a little skittish for a few days. I had one grouper that never did get used to it, and kept attacking the image of himself. This was a fish only tank, I always wanted to set up a reef tank this way so I could see what was happening behind the corals and rock. Unfortunately I got out of the hobby before I ever had a chance to try it. Now that I'm am in the pre staging process of getting back into this hobby, I am trying to decide if this is something I will try again.

Tom

 

[DustinDorton]

The easiest way to paint the tank would be spray paint, if you can deal with the over spray. If you want to leave the tank in the house while you paint use a roller. A 1" sponge roller works really good for painting glass. You still need to do several coats, but it doesnt take long.

 

[Mogo]

I brush on stuff called melamine paint by Varathane. Dries to a hard plastic type finish which is very durable. I'm not a fan of aerosol use indoors since my wife decided to spray paint a chair in the basement 8O and gave my furnace filter a lovely shiny green coat.