Painting a background

[AquaShark]

Im hoping to snag a great deal on a 40 breeder and would rather not spend tons of money on the expensive store backgrounds. A painted black background looks great in my opinion. Anyone have any tips on how to do it or what brand or anything? Thanks!

 

[MarMan]

FLAT Black is OK but not what I thought it would be.

On YouTube there is a clip of guy who painted his Flat Black and it looked awesome. But when I painted my 100 gallon flat black it did not POP like I thought. I am not sure if gloss would be better but flat looks dull. I used oil based latex paint on the outside back and sides from Home Depot. I only bought a pint and rollers and it was enough for three coats.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

It doesn't matter if you get flat or glossy paint because once its on the tank and you are viewing it through the glass, it all looks glossy. The easiest way is to tape off the top, sides, front, bottom and trim with tape and paper then use spray paint. It's quicker and easier to get even coverage. Almost any paint with a roller will work fine also. Helps to wait until its completely dry between coats or the roller and new paint can lift the first layer if its still tacky. Obviously you don't want to get any paint on the inside of the tank. Make sure the tank is dust and water mark free before painting. If you paint over them they will be locked in between the glass and paint leaving an ugly mark.

 

[AquaShark]

Is there any brands or type of paint that works better or lasts longer? I would hate to set it all up only to have paint chipping off a few months later.

 

[t4runnr]

I used plastidip. It's a spray on plastic that you can peel off if you don't want it anymore. I used one can to paint a few coats on. Just be sure to so it in a room with good ventilation, preferably a garage.

 

[Cactuspixie]

I painted mine with a washable acrylic using a roller.
When I break down one of my 3' tanks I'm going to take it outside and have a crack at a two-tone spray job.

 

[nickhendrix007]

Just pure and simple black, blue, or whatever latex paint. It i easily scraped of with a razor. Outside walls not inside, mind you. This method is proven and tested by many

 

[AquaShark]

I used plastidip. It's a spray on plastic that you can peel off if you don't want it anymore. I used one can to paint a few coats on. Just be sure to so it in a room with good ventilation, preferably a garage.

The plastidip sounds interesting. Does it look like a normal black background?

 

[t4runnr]

The plastidip sounds interesting. Does it look like a normal black background?

You can see it in my profile photo album.

 

[Lepomis]

The cheapest can of black spray paint is the way to go. No worries about drips, brush strokes, etc... and dries quickly. Gloss, flat, etc.. makes no difference as that is the effect you see on the surface of the paint (mainly) you are viewing the paint from the underside so very little if any difference from my experience.

 

[AquaShark]

Thank you all for your help. Im going to look at the price of plastidip and if its not too expensive I will get that. I like knowing that I could remove it if I wanted.

 

[Noob Aquarist]

I used Krylon branded flat black. Looks great!