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View Full Version : what to color the back of tank?


msaleem
06/12/2011, 10:58 PM
guys, im setting up my new tank (90) and just found out that the back is clear.. so how do i color my backside of the tank?
any help would be grateful :)

jinks
06/12/2011, 11:04 PM
you can buy a background or spray paint it.

Jerry W
06/12/2011, 11:20 PM
you can buy a background or spray paint it.

Yup.
Backrounds are sold in different colors. A lot of folks go with black or deep blue, which is easy on the eyes. You can paint glass as well, but if you ever want to change the color, then you need to remove the old paint.

msaleem
06/12/2011, 11:59 PM
i think im just better off painting it. anyone know of any paint for glass?

jr_casteel1999
06/13/2011, 01:02 AM
i painted mine black with reg latex paint from lowes. just used a roller on it. it did take about 2 days of applying 4 or 5 coats letting it completely dry in between. but looks great and does not flake off but also if i wanted to change the color or get it off a razor blade would make it easy work.

PCFisher66
06/13/2011, 06:55 AM
Just about any paint will work on the outside of the tank, a couple coats should do the trick. If you are unsure of the color you want, buy one of the colored back ground, pait over it, tape it to the back, look at it, and repeat until you find one you like, then paint the tank with the color you like. Of course this is all done BEFORE you fill the tank.

Tod

Mr.Tan
06/13/2011, 08:11 AM
Im always a fan of black, it isn't very obtrusive and it shows everything off better since your eyes are distracted to looking at a bright color of the background

Lynnmw1208
06/13/2011, 08:14 AM
If you don't want the mess of spray paint, I used Behr ultra premium paint. that stuff sticks nice. :) I used black to make colors pop

bobears03
06/13/2011, 08:45 AM
Krylon Fusion spraypaint. Quick, easy, cheap.

crobattt
06/13/2011, 08:51 AM
Mine's red :D

Phsycodelic81
06/13/2011, 01:13 PM
I like a black background it makes the colors pop but a white background has the advantage of being reflective so you can get a little more light to your corals

malac0da13
06/13/2011, 01:23 PM
+1 to the black paint. When I set up my 90 I tried using one of those plastic background things and got rid of it in a week because I couldn't stand fixing it all the time. So I ripped it off eventually and went bare. When I set up my new tank painted back and bottom black and love it...
http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/munkysthrowpoop/1307911819050.jpg

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

cside
06/13/2011, 01:25 PM
black pond foam?

msaleem
06/13/2011, 02:40 PM
+1 to the black paint. When I set up my 90 I tried using one of those plastic background things and got rid of it in a week because I couldn't stand fixing it all the time. So I ripped it off eventually and went bare. When I set up my new tank painted back and bottom black and love it...
http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/munkysthrowpoop/1307911819050.jpg

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

thats actually pretty nice.. ill paint it then..
spray would be all over the place because i cant take it outside anymore, it would have been easier to spray it.. :(

lordofthereef
06/13/2011, 04:09 PM
Krylon fusion is great. I am of the opinion that one should paint an acrylic sheet (or something similar) and place it behind the tank. Makes for much easier removal, should you ever want to, down the road. It works just as well spraying it right on the back of the tank though, however it is much less cumbersome to just paint and acrylic sheet, especially on larger tanks.

aleonn
06/13/2011, 04:46 PM
I've always heard good things about Krylon fusion. I used to have the plastic background (didn't like the salt creep, and constantly having to retape), as well as the self-adhesive vinyl (salt creep eventually builds underneath).

The most common colors I've seen so far are black and royal blue. Blue gives a feeling of more depth imo.

duncantse
06/13/2011, 06:46 PM
IMO, I love the vinyl wallpaper. The trick to getting the colors on the wallpaper to pop out and stick is to apply a thin coat of oil on the paper.

Herk
06/13/2011, 06:53 PM
Krylon Fusion spraypaint. Quick, easy, cheap.

I agree with bobears Krylon sparypaint. I used flat black and am pleased

JMartin104
06/13/2011, 07:13 PM
One of the reasons I chose to paint was because a board or background would be subject to salt "creep". I did not want to clean that up. I spray painted using black - the same color as my overflow.

Baldguy
06/13/2011, 07:36 PM
I used Valspar latex enamel from Lowes. Got the one half pint size which covered the back of my 120g with some left over. Got a small roller kit and only applied one coat. Looks fine. I was worried about the smell but it passed the wife test when she got home. Was told you could peel the paint off with the help of a razor blade. I use a magfloat on the back with no problem. Oh yea, used the flat black.

iamwrasseman
06/13/2011, 07:44 PM
if you want ease instead of mutiple coats of paint then use the vynil sticker type background . its ssooooooo easy ,twenty minutes and your done plus its so much more durable than paint is .

donwilson
06/13/2011, 07:51 PM
i painted mine black with reg latex paint from lowes. just used a roller on it. it did take about 2 days of applying 4 or 5 coats letting it completely dry in between. but looks great and does not flake off but also if i wanted to change the color or get it off a razor blade would make it easy work.

+1 for latex paint, it takes multiple coats, but it looks fantastic from inside the tank.

Phsycodelic81
06/13/2011, 11:08 PM
you can also use dark window tint

msaleem
06/13/2011, 11:38 PM
I used Valspar latex enamel from Lowes. Got the one half pint size which covered the back of my 120g with some left over. Got a small roller kit and only applied one coat. Looks fine. I was worried about the smell but it passed the wife test when she got home. Was told you could peel the paint off with the help of a razor blade. I use a magfloat on the back with no problem. Oh yea, used the flat black.

this is exactly what i did. i bought the same paint and painted it today.
thank you guys!

javajaws
06/14/2011, 12:09 PM
I like vinyl with the adhesive on one side (like sign makers use for vinyl lettering). Cut it to size, mist some water on the glass, peel the backing off the vinyl then set it on to the glass. Use a squeegee to roll the air bubbles out. As you squeegee the air and water out the vinyl will slowly stick into place. After a day of drying you should be good to go and you'll end up with a perfectly applied piece of vinyl with no bubbles or anything. From the other side of the glass it'll look perfectly black or blue or whatever color you used.

pmark
06/14/2011, 04:57 PM
Where can I find this vinyl?

mike5051
06/14/2011, 07:47 PM
I used a black backgound from petsmart that is sold by the foot. I'm confused about the backgrounds though. I don't clean the back of the tank and I wouldn't know what the background was and my tank is only 5 months old. Do ya'll clean the backs of your tanks?.

Baldguy
06/14/2011, 08:21 PM
this is exactly what i did. i bought the same paint and painted it today.
thank you guys!

Glad that helped. ;)