Spray Painting Tank

[Viperboy]

Ok so I forget who did this and how it was done so im asking this question cause i saw it at the LFS the other day and i thought it looked pretty good. They had their backs and sides of their tanks spray painted with a dark blue color. I would like to do black to my tanks on the back and sides and i think it would look pretty sharp. Is there any certain way to do this? tape of the parts you dont want paint on? do it outside? and what spray paint can i use? any type? ........ and if i wanna do it on my 29gal that already has fish and water in it and is cycled is there an easy way to do it?

TIA

Ray

 

[rich311k]

This thread should help you out.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=78469

 

[Lonewolfblue]

That was my tank, hehehe.....

Here's my recommendations to add. Use wider tape. Cover anything you don't want to get hit with overspray. Cover the top of the tank. I had to scrape a bunch of small paint specs off the inside front glass. And if you can, do it outside, lol. My walls still have black specks all over the place, lol.

Another pic I have is my 75G Planted tank. Same paint, just different color.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=70764&start=0

Edit:
It's best to do it with no fish, but if you cover it up well enough so not too much fumes get in the tank, you should be fine. If you can remove anything from the back of the tank, hang the filter on the frontt if possible, or remove it, take hald the water out, you should be able to slide the tank and stand out from the wall, and tape it up and spray. Also, have a fan blowing the fumes away from the tank.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I've also helped spray one other tank as well, and have experience with it. I will never go back to backgrounds now that I've done this. I have a black background on my 55G, and now has bubbles in it. Looked great at first, but after time, it develops air pockets. Never again.

 

[DeFeKt]

or you could use a roller with a water based acrylic and not tape anything.
if you don't like it, it will simply peel off

 

[Viperboy]

That stone creations looks really cool and it looks like the paint the LFS used on theirs .... kind of rough looking .... where did u get that at LBW and how much .... and luckily my 29gal is just sitting on a table in our basement right now so i have access to the back of it ... and i think if i move everything like you said i could tape it off and put stuff around it and spray paint just where it is (as long as my mom doesnt mind ... but our basement isnt finished so its not too nice ne ways). I am gonna do it to my new 10gals too so do you think one can would be enough ... and did u do more than one coat? ... also looking at it i think i would just do the back and not the sides cause that looks a little better wouldnt u think?
TIA

Ray

 

[Thebluyak]

i used the metal works paint on my 55 gallon, its in the DIY section, probalby about 3 weeks ago.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

That stone creations looks really cool and it looks like the paint the LFS used on theirs .... kind of rough looking .... where did u get that at LBW and how much .... and luckily my 29gal is just sitting on a table in our basement right now so i have access to the back of it ... and i think if i move everything like you said i could tape it off and put stuff around it and spray paint just where it is (as long as my mom doesnt mind ... but our basement isnt finished so its not too nice ne ways). I am gonna do it to my new 10gals too so do you think one can would be enough ... and did u do more than one coat? ... also looking at it i think i would just do the back and not the sides cause that looks a little better wouldnt u think?
TIA

Ray

I got it at Lowe's. I think it was like 8.95 for a can. It's in the section with all the spray paints, next to the regular paint. You'll need to do at least 2 coats, maybe 3. and spray from the recommended distance, or a little further. Being close range on glass will not stick, and the pressure from the can will cause a hole in the middle, pushing the paint out towards the sides. The 2nd coat will apply better than the first because it's being applied to paint and not glass. And lastly, don't touch it when wet. I tried it to try and spread some when wet. Sticks well to your finger and not the glass, lol.

Yes, the back of the tank will be rough, but the inside on the glass looks awsome.

My 29G took 2 cans. With 1 can, I still had spots where it looked thin, and light passed through. I'd say 1 can on a 10G and 2 on a 29G. My 75G took 2 cans, as it's a lighter color, thus making it harder to see thin spots. If you went with a lighter color, then 1 might be enough. But a darker color, definitely 2.

Now for the water based acrylic paint, if you accidently spill water like when doing filter maintenance, won't it dissolve some of the paint or the wet spots start looking like runs through the paint?

 

[jimjon]

do you people not use the textured backgrounds you can buy from Jewel?

i just fitted one to a tank, looks great

 

[severum mama]

I have backgrounds taped on some of my tanks and one of them is painted solid black. I can never get the background completely against the glass so I like my painted background better. It looks brighter, if you know what I mean, which sounds kinda dumb when you're talking about black but it's the best way I can put it. I already have fish in all my taped-background tanks, otherwise I would paint them too, but I'd have to move them away from my walls to get behind them, and that's not happening until the big move.

When I painted the back of my tank, I just used some paint and a brush I found at work. It took 3 coats before I couldn't see streaks in it anymore.

 

[Viperboy]

Yikes a little more expensive than i was hoping for but i still think ill do it ... so ill need about 4 cans for my 29gal and 2 10gals ... i really like the way the black looks so i think ill just do it on the backs.
I did look at the peel on backgrounds or whatever and have never really liked em that much then i saw LBW's thread and saw the thing about spray painting the back and saw it at the LFS too and just realized i had to do it .... plus i love spray painting stuff
thanks all

Ray

 

[Lonewolfblue]

For a 29G and 2 10's, would probably be 4 cans, yes. Could try to stretch 3 and see if it works. Then get a 4th if you need it.

 

[ManiacMagoo]

I did my 55gal yesterday. I went with alittle different look and used Krylon ultra flat black on it. 1 can was enough to cover my 55gal with 4 coats and have alittle left over. I painted my tank in the appartment but I use a comforter trip[le folded and taped to hell to protect my fish. I covered the stand and the walls with sheets to protect from over spray and layed a towel down on the floor. Neighbors said I was crazy but if your careful you wont get overspray everywhere. I had a tape on background for 6 years on it and no matter how I tried to put it on, it look like crap. I think it cost me maybe $9 in paint and tape for the whole deal and a much better looking background.

 

[TomK2]

I went to the harware store and picked out the only spraypaint that specifically said it was for glass. Then I used newspaper to cover everything else within range of the spraypaint:

It was krylon home decor paint, I believe. I really liked LoneWolf's technique.

 

[malkore]

FYI, plain latex paint works well too, as does craft paint.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It was krylon home decor paint, I believe. I really liked LoneWolf's technique.

Even the splatter on the walls and entertainment system? hehehe......

I think the next tank I do, if I ever get the money, I'm going to use a styrofoam shaped rock background covered with quickcrete, for a more natural looking background. there's a DIY link in the forum somewhere on how to do it. Looks pretty simple too.

 

[malkore]

those faux stone backgrounds are way cool lonewolf. if you do it just be careful when you glue it to the back wall. make sure you don't create spots where air will be perma-sealed in. in other words, just do verticle strips of silicone to glue it, rather than circles.