Best paint for background?

[bond007069]

Best paint for background? Should i use flat or gloss, latex, oil or enamel.

I would like something that could be removed if it needed to be.
Thanks :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think any paint is going to be easy to remove. That would be allot of scraping with a razor blade.

I used flat latex paint, though I don't really think it matters. Just pic a color you like and paint away. Put three or four coats on it.

You could attach some felt or other type of material on the back if you want something that is easily removable.

Louey

 

[tenshi]

:idea: Just an Idea? :idea:
Sometimes when painters are going to spray paint the outside of a buiding and they don't want to worry about getting paint on the glass on the windows, they'll use this translucent paint-like stuff that they'll apply on the glass. It'll dry and leave a fill on the glass that you can later peel off. So what I'm thinking is if you apply this and then spray paint the color you can easyly remove the paint later. I don't know how well this would hold up though since I've never tried it. I don't even know what the translucent stuff is called, but I think I'll go down to the hardware store and try to find out today after work. Alright, so I'm looking for a reason to go to Home Depot!!

 

[Mihai]

I just put a piece of black paper (from an arts and crafts store) and stuck it there with scotch tape. It only has to stay there for 6months or so: after that my back will be covered in coralines. And you can take it off *very* easy .

 

[sawyerc]

There's a product that JoAnn fabric sells (or at least used to sell) called slicker. It's heavy, shiny, plastic "fabric" for making raincoats and it comes in black, blue, and deep purple. I've always used the black for the background of my reefs. It's got a nice shine, it's cheap, and it holds up to the saltwater. I think it might even be made from PVC. Of course they also sell it in bright yellow and orange if you wanted to go with a construction themed reef.

 

[sawyerc]

And PS, cool idea tenshi, way to think outside the figurative box.

 

[reefnewb1]

I used auto glass tint...It comes in many colors, can be removed (although the chemicals needed wouldn't be advised while the tank is up and running) And is not that expensive. :wink:

You can easily place multiple layers (like 5% charcoal and 35% bright blue) to come up with many differnet looks.

 

[Anonymous]

I have used tinted mylar film that I bought at Home Depot. It works fine, but I still like painting the back better.

 

[Rikko]

I just sprayed my tank with flat black Walmart-branded spray paint. Looks pretty fine, I have to say.
My girlfriend also *just* sprayed her tank using a spray-on gloss blue enamel. So far I think it looks quite good though we'll have to set it in its place with lighting to know. The gloss might be a little fugly.

Worried about scraping? (I work in a fish shop - I'm constantly scraping paint marker off glass) You can buy a little razor blade clip at Walmart for about a buck. It basically clamps onto a single-edge razor blade and gives you a great grip to scrape paint. Fully dried paint would probably come off a 20 gallon tank in a couple of minutes of scraping.

 

[z rock]

If you paint glass you can scrape oil or water base paint off a 125g in about 5min with a good 4" wide razor blade.The stuff comes off in sheets.

Most any color of paint you go with will look like a flat texture looking through the front of the tank.Rather you use flat or gloss.

After trying spray paint,roller,and different brushes I finally settled in on a brush on with one of those disposable foam brushes.There's just no sense breathing the spray paint and masking off everything,that stuff gets all over everything.

If you set a drop light inside the tank you can see where you missed and get good coverage in about two coats.

 

[Rob Top]

I used fabric. Attached a strip of velcro to it and the other half to the tank. Easy on and of when need be. I like Sawyerc "sliker idea and might even switch to it. But I would not painte it. To perminate, or pain in the ... to change.

 

[Bobzarry]

OK I have posted this before...but here goes: Purchase any comercial flat aquarium background your heart desires. Smear the back of the tank with a coating of vegetable oil. Place the cut to fit background on the back and squigy the air bubbles out using a credit card or spatula. The results is that the background looks painted on...and when and if you get tired of it you can just peel it off.


Bob

 

[Modo]

Painted mine with acrylic wall paint. I got glossy because it was the cheapest and that's what is recommend for walls that get alot of traffic and cleaning (though that doesn't really matter I guess).

I went to the paint swatches and picked out a color I liked and had them mix it up. Applied it with one of those mini disposable rollers. Three coats later and it looks fine now that I'm up and running.

If I hated it or want to change to a different color the acrylic will easily peel off with a razor or even a paint scraper.

 

[Anonymous]

I use an aquarium background. Blue on oneside and black on the other. I prefer the blue. It was about $5 and comes off real easy.