painting house full of tanks?

[severum mama]

Hey, I'm painting my house this week and it's going to look awesome, but before I get started I want to hear from others who might have some experience with this sort of thing. There are 4 tanks in the areas that I am painting and I want to make sure that the fumes won't harm any of my fish. The bad news is, I'm going to have to move all these tanks to paint behind them, so I will definitely be wearing gloves to paint so I don't put paint-covered hands into the water. I'm sure someone out there has done this before, and I'd love to hear any advice about how it should be done.

 

[rich311k]

When I painted, I moved the tanks to the basement. I figured since I had to move them anyway, I might as well get them completely out of the way.

 

[Jchillin]

I'm glad you asked that question. I just completed a full house painting job. You don't have to move the tanks if you get the right equipment and have room under your stand(s).

Get yourself an extension pole and attach one of those nice thin rollers on it. You should be able to cover a majority of the area behind the tanks. Open the stand and you will be able to complete the job.

I also used this device to get behind the entertainment unit and my computer desk.

Oh, in regard to protecting the tanks, I used old sheets to cover the tanks rather than drop cloths (plastic is too light and canvas/denim is too heavy IMO.

Of course, I had my head taken off because I used the sheets and will have to serve pennance until September. LOL.

 

[BillD]

Those thin foam rollers are great. They are also the best thing for painting colonial doors, being much faster than a brush and giving a better finish. Keep in mind that even latex paint has solvent fumes, so ventilation is important.

 

[Musket]

Turn the air and/or bubblers and filters off while painting so the fumes are not taken into the tanks. Cover with beach towels, sheets, blankets etc. Airate the house while painting, for your own sake not just the fish. Once finished and the house is aired out start your filters and air. This is what I did and had no incidents. I only moved the tank as far away from the wall so I could get behind it with my arms, not my whole body. Good Luck.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

I did the exact same thing as Musket and had no problems either.