# Are my fish safe from painting the lid?



## humantrafik (May 29, 2011)

Hi, 

I have just purchased a new 60 litre freshwater tank to convert existing fish into new tank. The new tank has a plastic silver coloured lid which I have sprayed black inside and out with with an all purpose spray paint. I later discovered the small print on the can advising harmful to aquactic life. I can understand the spraying directly on the fish would be harmful but what I am concerned with is the light going to heat up the new paint and cause the water to have toxins that will damage the fish? The can said it can hold temprtures of up to 90 degrees but really could do with some advice before I even think about transfering the fish. 

I am on a record with having my fish for more than a year would be upset if I lost them. 

Many thanks


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You could try adding a clear coat of something safe to hold the toxins in. Krylon fusion is supposed to be reasonably fish safe, and so are many clear epoxies. Solvents should be gone from a fully 'cured' coating, but even trace amounts of some heavy metals used for color can be really bad for fish. That's why 'food safe' pottery is ok but 'decorative' Mexican pottery is a no-no.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

yeah simply coat it with something "fish safe" if there is such a thing.......could be expensive though.....oh yeah and another tip, to anyone reading this, don't spray anything aerosol in a room containing fish


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## chronoboy (Jan 17, 2011)

well what you might have to worrie about is that most paints wont bond with plastic, wich in turn brings me to what i have been doing the last week on my car, i have been redoing the interior on my SXT/SRT4 project car and ive done alot of reading in the past on painting vinyls and plastic, and my plastic and vinyl i have painted up on my car turned out nice and bonded good, you have to take somthing sharp and scrap hard at anything i have done to get any paint off and it dont chipp it just scratches.

So this is how i did my fish tank i taped off anything that wasnt going to get paint and shot a light mist of krylon fusion for plastic on it, then you ahve to let it dry for a few hours, it say's 15 min but if you want a good bond wait a few hours between each coat, and just remember only light fine even coats each time, it will take 4-6 coats before there is no origanal color showing through, then let it dry for 24 hours, when dry start shooting it with clear coat then let dry for a hour or so "i'd do three coats of clear".

I know it sounds like alot of work and time but in a few years when your paint is still chip free and looking good you will be glad you did it the right way, oh ya remember be easy on what you paint for about a week to let it tottally enamel up, i waited a week before i even set the tank up after painting, same with my car waited a week before i put the interior back in.


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## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

If you do try a clear over what you have already painted make sure it is compatible. Some paints will lift paint right off with the wrong clear. It basically melts your undercoat like you put thinner on it. I think the paint you already applied would be fine how it is as long as its not going to be submerged or constantly getting wet and having water drip off it into your tank. The warning is probably so people don't try and paint decorations with it. Just keep it dry if that's possible. I'm just giving my opinion however. I would hate to see any fish die over my advice.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

True enough. The odds are that it'll be fine, BUT if you were to go ahead and give it another coat or two of Krylon Fusion paint, ( clearcoat or just regular colored paint ) your worries would be over for good. That stuff is completely waterprooof and inert once fully cured.


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## Homer (Sep 6, 2010)

go to walmart buy krylon fusion. its made for plastics and is fish safe.


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