I have made a mess trying to paint back Using acrylic paint & roller

[heathers_hounds]

Well I obviously did not let paint dry enough in between coats.. Used a hair dryer and fan but when applying 2nd coat, first coat lifted.. I continued painting some last night but still couldn't get it even.. If I just keep applying paint and get it covered good, will the unevenness, spots where it completely came off, and paint lines show? Or should I jut clean it off and try again? This is what it looks like

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

Since you are painting on glass, the unevenness will smooth out on the side that is facing the wall, but the side that you will actually be viewing will still be patchy. I would recommend starting over again.

 

[heathers_hounds]

Thanks! I was afraid of that.. So I was using a smaller foam roller.. What type works best?

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

I've never painted the back of a tank, so I wouldn't know specifics. But, I have done paintings on old windows, so that's how I know about the unevenness. I would imagine the longest roller you could find, a good deal of pressure, and lots of time.

 

[Monkey Magic]

From my expirience painting houses and such you use heat to get rid of paint when you apply the heat paint blisters and you scrape it off. In saying this ive never painted a fishtank but my guess is they would be roughly the same if not more so as glass will retain heat much more than plaster. Let it dry naturally also when using fan forced air it sometimes has the tendancy to blow particles which get stuck on the paint while drying leaving an uneven bumpy surface

 

[heathers_hounds]

Ok thanks guys! I had just read on here someone did 3 coats and used blow dryer in between. My attempt was pathetic partly bc of impatience.. Read it won't look opaque until you fill with water. That's why I hoped maybe the ugliness of my paint job would disappear lol

 

[heathers_hounds]

Ok thanks guys! I had just read on here someone did 3 coats and used blow dryer in between. My attempt was pathetic partly bc of impatience.. Read it won't look opaque until you fill with water. That's why I hoped maybe the ugliness of my paint job would disappear lol

I totally get the whole heat and bumps thing though.. Just didn't think of it before hard

 

[phreeky]

It's all about patience IMO. Have never painted a fishtank but have painted plenty of other things. You need to apply coats that are not too thick and you need to let the coats dry reasonably well.

A foam roller should be OK, and too much pressure (and/or too much paint on the roller) can really leave a line at the side of the roller which you don't really want. Also make sure the roller doesn't have paint drying at the edges - if you wait for a coat to dry or take a break make sure you clean the roller completely.

 

[don_chuwish]

I agree, scrape it off with a razor blade & try again. We used acrylic craft paint (Martha Stewart branded) and it dried quickly enough without any encouragement, maybe 30-60 mins between coats. But yes, 3 coats. Most important is to get that glass really clean. After regular glass cleaner we also rubbed it down with alcohol. Our roller wasn't foam but just a cheap little $2 thing from Lowes, very shallow nap.

- D

 

[Gpsdrew]

I don't know much of anything about painting the backs of tanks but it seems like it would be a lot easier just to buy a blue background from a fish store and tape or glue it on the back. Is there a reason this wouldn't work?

 

[tiger terror]

I used a fast drying flat black enamel by valstar applied with a 6" foam roller..allowed 30 mins between each coat,4 coats & done..turned very even. Also painting was done with tank up & running..

 

[Convict2161]

IMHO you don't need to start over. Let what you have dry. And start fresh tomorrow. Use nice even strokes. Back and fourth and repeat. Start from the top and work your way down. Side to side. Watch for drips. I've messed up the backs of many tanks an you don't see it from the front. Just make sure to cover it totally. Just looks to me like you just have an uneven covered area. I'd hit it again. Don't waste the time and energy stripping it. JMO.

Good luck either path you take.

 

[heathers_hounds]

I don't know much of anything about painting the backs of tanks but it seems like it would be a lot easier just to buy a blue background from a fish store and tape or glue it on the back. Is there a reason this wouldn't work?

well for one it is much cheaper a couple bottles of paint for a few bucks each vs easily over $20 for backgrounds for larger tanks. easy to remove and change. I like the color options and the look it gives. The background never has stayed in place (using tape) for me in the past.

 

[heathers_hounds]

IMHO you don't need to start over. Let what you have dry. And start fresh tomorrow. Use nice even strokes. Back and fourth and repeat. Start from the top and work your way down. Side to side. Watch for drips. I've messed up the backs of many tanks an you don't see it from the front. Just make sure to cover it totally. Just looks to me like you just have an uneven covered area. I'd hit it again. Don't waste the time and energy stripping it. JMO.

Good luck either path you take.

there's hope! I will just paint over and see how it goes! been busy it's still as is in pic, lol. I just didn't want to waste more paint and time if it wouldn't look good. Thanks!

 

[prophesybh]

i would scrap off the other paint and start over, glossy surfaces are hard to get paint to adhere to them. than you could clean the glass with vinegar, let dry, than paint it with thin coats of paint, allowing 1 hour between coats. home depot sells an interior paint by Behr called Behr ultra. you can get it mixed in black and it costs about $14.00 a quart. i would use the flat enamel it will adhere to the glass alot easier.

 

[treym563]

If it's latex based you should be able to just peel the paint off, I just did that with my tank with no tools other than my finger nail to get it started. I use a 4" foam roller and put the first coat on light. Wait until it's dry to the touch, just use a fan (thats what I used) inbetween coats. Mine turned out perfect.

 

[powder blue tang]

I got my paint from home depot. i used the one for plastic. it sticks to any surface. spray a little first and let dry just to have a rough surface.