Paint for tanks

[MatsP]

What type of paint is recommended for the back of the tank? I would have thought that common "Kitchen and Bathroom" water-based may work fine, but others have probably done this before and know what's good and bad.

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Mats

[Richard B]

I'm sure i've asked my LFS this before & it's just a standard bathroom emulsion.

[Bas Pels]

Assuming you paint the outside, all paints suffice. Mine are done witrh at least 5 different brands, and as son as they are hardened, the paint sticks perfectly

I would not trust any paint for the inside. Remember, paint is some colorant dissolved with a glue in a certain medium. No information is known about the colorant, which could very well be based on cadmium and phosphor, or contain traces of these - stuff I rather keep out of my tank

[MatsP]

Assuming you paint the outside, all paints suffice. Mine are done witrh at least 5 different brands, and as son as they are hardened, the paint sticks perfectly

I would not trust any paint for the inside. Remember, paint is some colorant dissolved with a glue in a certain medium. No information is known about the colorant, which could very well be based on cadmium and phosphor, or contain traces of these - stuff I rather keep out of my tank

Sure, I was going to paint the outside of the tank. Inside I would only do if I knew what the constituents are, and that's VERY hard for commercial paint. Even if you go to the manufacturer, they probably only tell you what it MAY contain (which is all of the above and more).

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Mats

[andyj]

I've used black 'exterior gloss' on the backs of all my tanks. Needs a couple of coats, as the paint tends to leave 'holes' in it with just 1 coat, which you can just cover with the 2nd coat.

I used exterior gloss as I thought it would have better water resistance properties than any other 'off the shelf' types of paint.

[Bas Pels]

I put the surface to be painted flat, and use perhaps more paint than needed.

However in one covering the surfaces always remain painted - for years, my oldest painted tank was bought in 1988

[CanadaPleco]

Most people I know use trimclad. Dont know if its available over there, but it is an all purpose paint. Lay it on thick with a roller and a few coats will be needed. I prefer this paint, if you want to get it off after it is pretty easy to peel with a razor blade.

[MatsP]

Candapleco, do you mean Tremclad? As that is what Google suggests that it should be. It looks like it is a generic term for all sorts of paints (a bit like Hammerite or Dulux in the UK).

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Mats

[L number Banana]

Hi Mats,
Tremclad is a brand name but it's sort of like Kleenex - everyone uses it here meaning 'outdoor rust covering tough paint.." It was the first paint that could be put right over rust - I can still hear the commercial jingle.

I've used emamel spray paint. Put the tank in a garbage bag and leave the back side open with taped the edges. Take outside, two coats and voila! Need a razor blade to get it off. Clean the surface with rubbing alcohol first.

[Jools]

I use international brand quick drying floor paint for two reasons. One, it doesn't chip even after years on and two, it's really sticky. This means it's a pain to paint, but you can do the job in two coats. My fishroom tanks are all done with this stuff - jet black, all sides except the front, it's a job best done naked on the lawn mind you. If you are going to paint the tanks inside the house, you need really old clothes and miles of dustsheets - the stuff is lethal to work with.

http://www.international-paints.co.uk/

Jools

PS Paint the outside.
PPS If you want green bathroom paint, I have 10 litres of the stuff left over from when I measured the (custom mixed) paint I need for the guest toilet and feet and bought in yards. Will swap a 5l tin for a pint at the catconv!

[L number Banana]

it's a job best done naked on the lawn mind you.

Is that with or without the funny hat previously mentioned?

[MatsP]

Is that with or without the funny hat previously mentioned?

That would depend on whether the painting is done whilst doing a water change or not, I suspect.

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Mats

[Richard B]

it's a job best done naked on the lawn mind you.

As i live in a flat, the only option is going to the local park - im think i'll give this option a miss.....

[apistomaster]

I used Krylon acrylic spray paint on the back of all my tanks. Very durable stuff and a can covers a large surface area. Slate Blue. It is more subtle than swimming pool turquoise.
I have used black but black soaks up all the light although it makes a good background for Cardinal Tetras.

[MatsP]

Thanks for all the advice. Having used spray-paints previously, I did buy some of that in the hope that it would apply well - it didn't go on very easily. It may be the brand/type of paint, I'm not quite sure (my dad used to work for the factory that made Dupont Krylon spray paint for the Swedish/Scandinavian market many years ago).

I ended up using the International Floor Paint as Jools recommended, and aside from it sticking to a few other places than the tank, it's worked out quite well. I went with a Navy blue colour, which works out quite nicely. Two coats are needed, and 6 hours between coats is a bit of a problem when there is only so much sunshine and dry weather, but I've done four tanks now, and started one more, and final two tanks to do.

Tip: Make absolutely sure that the sides of the tank are free of finger-prints and such - particularly, prints from "silicon hands" can prevent paint from sticking more than anything else I know of. After two tanks of "hard to get the paint to stick" I bought a small bottle of "silicon remover", which also is an excellent degreaser. Acetone, Xylene or some other "good solvent" will work fine, just a question of what is avaialble and where you can get hold of it.

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Mats

[Barbie]

For a different look, you can also use Fleck Stone spray paint. It it a little more hassle to put on, but gives the tank more depth, not to mention it's more forgiving if you accidentally scratch a spot here or there. I tend to use the sand and neutral tones, but there is a wide range of different brands.



Mask the plastic trim, do a very thin coat, wait 15 minutes between additional coats, then allow to dry for 12 hours, or so. Then spray on a coat of high gloss durable paint and it holds up really well. It's an effect you just can't describe easily, but definitely well worth it.

Barbie

[MatsP]

Barbie, that looks really nice. In the end, however, after having used "PlastiKote" spray paint on one tank, I went with Jools' suggestion of International Floor Paint. It sticks very well, and two coats does the job - although it takes 6 hours between coats.

You can see the result [sort of] in the pictures in this thread - the second tank shot is slightly darker due to using the darker blue floor paint - it looks much better in real life than in the snapshot I took:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =4&t=25551

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Mats

[Birger]

For a different look, you can also use Fleck Stone spray paint.

That is an interesting look I have not seen before...could tune it to specific aquascapes as well, many possibilities.

Birger