Getting the house painted...

[nzpv03]

HI everyone...I haven't posted in a long long time cuz of school starting up, but I was home for the weekend and my sister just told me that our house is going to be getting painted including my room which is housing my freshwater tank...how should I go about tackling this? There is no way I can MOVE it...I have no clue what i should do...any suggestions? thanks!!

[godzilla]

can YOU paint behind it? maybe tell them to leave it alone and leave you some paint? Or, if you cant get back there at all, just dont paint that spot. since the tank covers it, nobody will see it....

[Zagz]

LOL, I've been there. What size tank? If need be, paint as far behind it as a roller will reach and no one should see the rest. If the tank is small enough you can put the fish in a rubbermaid container and drain the tank, keeping the substrate and filters wet and move the tank long enough to paint behind it.

[tropicfishman]

I agree with zagz on this one, moving the tank is best for your perdicament

[Zagz]

I have actually moved a 75 gal in order to paint. My 125 would be another story though. But the 75 gal was relatively easy to move and 2 clean rubbermaid containers with airstones kept the fish healthy and happy until the wall was dry enough to put the tank back. With latex paint that was about 6 hours.

[nzpv03]

I'm less worried about moving it...that shouldnt be hard...but more about them being exposed to anything...should i just cover the tank until it dries?? thanks for all your replies btw

[Zagz]

Does your tank have a hood? Glass? If you are moving it they will be in containers and you can keep the containers covered. With latex paints, unless paint was to drop into the tank, the fumes would not do anything if you have either glass tops or a hood.

[nzpv03]

Sweet! then I'm safe! I have a hood and it's glass.... honestly I've been putting it off for like a few months b/c I was afraid the fumes would harm my buddies! thank you all

[NeonJulie]

I am also in the process of paining a bathroom, where my tank is. (I'm adding decorative paint along the top, the rest of the walls have been completed, so I don't need to worry about moving it.)

I was concerned about getting it done in time before the fish arrive. They are water/latex based paints I believe. The tank is an Eclipse 12 with a plastic hood. I do have an air pump and bubbler though. Do you think in this case, it would also not affect them?

(I've heard that if anything, it would probably atomize into ammonia anyway?)