painting outside of tank?

[Deitta]

I am looking into getting a used tank from craigslist. Most have the wood grain plastic edging, I would prefer black due to decor.
What paint would be suggested to paint the outside edges black for a salt water tank?

[evercl92]

krylon fusion is my fave

[Zagz]

I have used regular house paint myself. I recently did a marble finish on the back of my 135. I did it in reverse so that the "marbles" would show through. Some people find it easier to roll it on rather than spray it, due to overspray concerns.

[Ziggy953]

Pretty much any acrylic Spray paint will work as long as the glass is clean. Spraying has a much better finish look to it. Just make sure to cover the top of the tank so no paint gets inside.

[DannWunderlich]

peakablue!! haha

[thekeyofb]

Are you talking about painting the wood/plastic trim around the tank or the glass itself? If you're talking about painting the glass, may i make a better suggestion? I actually used 5% window tint on the glass. It is very dark and looks great. If you're talking about painting the trim, any latex based paint would work.

[CaptainAhab]

Ooooo.. that stuff is UV resistant isn't it.. I have one side panel that gets some indirect sunlight, causes me some issues... Maybe I tint that side up

[thekeyofb]

Yes it is UV resistant. That's the reason I chose to use it. I used it on the back and sides of my aquarium. Not only does it look better than painting the glass, but it serves a great purpose. If your tank is exposed to some sunlight, then this will certainly help with alqae problems....at least that's my thought.

[CaptainAhab]

Sometimes I just want to scream. It clicked when I read it..

[thekeyofb]

i hope it works out for you. it has for me so far......

[land locked]

It has been a while since the original post but I would like to recommend another step. Since I understand you to say you are painting the trim. I would prime it first with a spray paint bonder. This will help hold the paint on if you need to get a little more aggressive with salt creep removal. I used a drop cloth (plastic) to cover the rest of the tank while I sprayed and had no problem with over spray. I did tape it down though.

[DallasFish]

I went to Pep Boys and got some engine black spraypaint. I sprayed three coats on the back outside of my 55g. It looks very good as a background.

[veetors]

Originally Posted by Zagz

I have used regular house paint myself. I recently did a marble finish on the back of my 135. I did it in reverse so that the "marbles" would show through. Some people find it easier to roll it on rather than spray it, due to overspray concerns.

Have you had any problems with the regular house paint? I would like to paint the back of my tank but the problem is that it is already in use and the only way I think I would be able to paint it is with a good ol fasioned paint roller...