Background color...paint?

[gfink]

I used black plastic on the back of my 10 gal. For my 29 I was thinking about using some black craft paint (acrylic?)or something similar. Has anyone tried this and had good luck? I am worried about seeing brush strokes, but I suppose that several coats could fix that.

 

[rich311k]

Many people paint the backs of their tanks. It should work just fine for you. The biggest drawback is it is much harder to change the background if you want to.

 

[gfink]

True, but a razor blade should scrap it off easily..if you could reach.

The problem I have with my black plastic film is that it is taped around the edges which you can see, and water drops have fallen between the film and glass causing it to stick differently in areas.

I'm going to look for some black poster board first. At least that will be rigid and not curl up like the film does.

 

[rich311k]

I use black poster board. So far so good. Yes, the paint will scrape off but it is not an easy operation.

 

[Purrbox]

For the plastic background you could try affixing it with vaseline. Just apply a thin layer and then use a credit card to smooth it down and remove the air bubbles. I've found this method makes the background much more vibrant and holds it down way better than tape.

 

[gfink]

good idea..but ewww.lol

 

[Hoovercat]

You can also use the same trick as window tint installers. Mix 2-3 drops of dish detergent in a spray bottle of water and spray down the glass you're installing to then use a credit card to squeegee your background down.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I prefer paint myself. Even using vegetable oil, if water gets down in there, you have visible water spots. But with paint, really think it out first as to what you want. You can go solid, or you can go with a spray like the one I did here.

 

[nitrous]

howd you accomplish that wolf? thats looks cool

 

[gfink]

I picked up some gloss black acrylic craft paint after work today. (All of my new parts are orderd now too to convert my 29 low light to high light. )

 

[Japola44]

howd you accomplish that wolf? thats looks cool

they sell stone colored spray paints, my assumption is that wolf used that.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Just go to the spray paint section at Lowes or Home Depot. I got mine at Lowes. Near the solid colors, there was a shelf with other spray paints like the one I used. There were others that are darker, and another that looks like hammered metal. Just try a few different stores, and you should find something you really like.

 

[Japola44]

i think i am goin to get poster board for my new 55gal and spray paint or just paint it so i have my own custom background w/o worrying about having to use a razor to scrape it off.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Another idea is if you go with the poster board, I'd recommend putting on a thin strip of aquarium sealant across the top. That way if you do accidently splash some water during maintenance or working on the filter, you won't get water spots between the posterboard and the glass.

 

[newfound77951]

I usually use mat board (can get at framing or craft stores), it is thicker than poster board, comes in a zillion colors and some subtle patterns, and is less likely to wrinkle if it gets wet. The "real" duct tape (shiny smooth, paper backed, actually used to seal heating ducts together) works great to attach it to the top and bottom of the tank. Cut it so that it fits in between the upper and lower trim strip and tape it in place. That way it would be pretty hard to get water in between the tank and the background. The only drawback to mat board is it is a little more expensive than posterboard or a can of spray paint.

 

[DeFeKt]

I use black poster board. So far so good. Yes, the paint will scrape off but it is not an easy operation.

dunno where that came from, but if you use acrylic you just need to scrape the corner and the rest will peel off by hand.