Diary of the 29G planted tank... New pics 4/28/07

[Lonewolfblue]

Well, here we go again, another tank, lol. I will be doing this from scratch, once again, so any newcomers will have the opportunity to see what goes into the beginnings of a planted tank. Just remember, planted tanks are not just a hobby, they are a lifestyle.....

So here we go. Step number 1 in starting your planted tank.

Spend Money.......





Taping the tank off...







Spraying on the background...














Boy, what a job that was. Glad I'm single, hehehe, or I'd be in deep doodoo, lol. When I finished, I noticed a big mistake. Black paint specks all over the walls, lol. Then I looked by the entertainment unit. Guess what? More black specks, lol. And on the entertainment system as well, lol. Was not a good day, lol.

Lesson #1: If you are going to paint the background on the tank, DO IT OUTSIDE!!! LOL

So I ended up doing a lot of cleaning afterwards. Got it all over the walls, entertainment platform, DVD player, Bass module, Stereo unit, Tape Deck, and more, lol. Spent over 2 hours cleaning, lol.

[Jchillin]

Nice job despite creating a mess. That technique for the background is pretty cool. One thing I learned about spray painting early on is to use a large piece of cardboard to shield overspray when you are on the edges, even when outdoors.

So, are you going to share where you picked up that nice decorative spray?

[Glenc]

You had me laughing!! You are indeed lucky your single, paint on the entertainment unit would mean a slow death for you in my house! The lifestyle quote is right on. Thanks for taking the time to document your progress, I will live vicariously through you as I would love to get another tank going but just do not have the space. I have two small boys and all areas of the house are crammed with other stuff!

[FreshwaterJeff]

Another epic LWB tank thread?

I'm ready

[rich311k]

Looks like you are off to another great start, Wolf. If I got paint all over like that I would be sleeping in the garage for weeks. Looking forward to the next update.

[Lonewolfblue]

Originally Posted by Jchillin

Nice job despite creating a mess. That technique for the background is pretty cool. One thing I learned about spray painting early on is to use a large piece of cardboard to shield overspray when you are on the edges, even when outdoors.

So, are you going to share where you picked up that nice decorative spray?

I got it at Lowe's. It's over with the spray paints. I had to get a 2nd can, as it was still pretty thin in areas, so I let it dry and put on another coat over the top. That's when I made the mess, lol.

[maxwell1295]

I have the exact same paint in the exact same color. I'm going to use it on one of my 10g tanks.

[Lonewolfblue]

Update:

Got first shipment today. Got my Ceramic Cylinders, my Hydor 201 Inline Heater, my Rena Filstar XP2 filter, Crushed Coral to put in my filter of the 75G (just a small handful to up my kh a little and up my CO2. The light was on backorder for a week, and also has been shipped, will get it next week. Tomorrow, will get another shipment in, my glass top, fish food, and a few other items. Will have more pics as I start setting things up and adding my Eco Complete. Just too tired tonight to do anything. LOL

[Musket]

great idea about painting the back of the tank... I was looking at this same paint about a year ago for some other project I had. Never though of using paint for the background... When I saw taping off the back, I thought, Oh, he's going to put a back drop film up....
Suppose it's not a good Idea to paint a tank that's already setup and got critters in it huh?? Drat!

[Lonewolfblue]

Unless you were really careful, wouldn't be too good an idea. The filter and all the wires, hoses, etc, depending on the setup, might make it a little difficult. You'd also have to seal the top.