# Tank painting...inside?



## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

Anybody know of a paint safe to use _inside_ a tank? The tank I want to set up, is one from PetSmart when they were remodeling and selling the old ones (though the new ones look exactly the same, now I’m kind of wondering why they even sold the others...eep?) The background is blue, which I suppose is okay since it’s my favorite color. But, I sort of wanted to change it to black, or maybe even gray - since I’ve heard fish naturally try to be more colorful if they’ve got a dark environment. This fact is mostly for breeding, but display fish could probably ‘change’ brighter too, I think.
At first, I figured it was painted on the outside, like tanks are supposed to be, and I could just scrape it off and replace it. Then I got to inspecting them, and I realized the whole slab of plastic (plexiglass? ...whatever) is blue, straight through. Like I said, I can leave it like that... but I’d prefer to change it.

Maybe somehow get the paints that aquarium decoration companies use? Or at least the varnish they use, to put over the paint, and maybe do that? There’s also a dragon figurine I’d like to put in a tank, I want to switch colors with (it’s brown and gold now, I want light blue and silver)... but I don’t want any toxins seeping into the water. I’m positive lead-based paint is bad...but what other chemicals to avoid, specifically?

Any help, for a very picky decorator, appreciated


----------



## soccermouth (Jan 19, 2005)

I'm not sure there's any paint that would work well in that situation. I used to be a professional painter and i've never heard of anything that would work well in that situation and not be toxic. I'd go to a local paintstore and see if they have any ideas. Don't go to a chain store either go to some people with actual knowledge.


----------



## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

Anything non toxic will be hard to find and then so expensive that it will prove cheaper to throw away the tank and buy a new one.


----------



## flynngriff (Jan 19, 2005)

I don't think it would be wise to try painting the inside of a tank.

On the other hand, here are a few possibilities you might consider if you're set on this

The back of the tank is made from colored plexiglass, right? Why don't you see if you can find plexiglass in the color you want, and then use silicone to attach it to the inside back of your aquarium.

You could also try painting a piece of clear plexiglass, and then covering the painted side completely with silicone, using a straight edge to make it smooth and uniform. Then you could then put it on the inside of the tank over the colored plexiglass. That way, the paint would be sandwiched in between two layers of plexiglass and if you're been very, _very _careful, the silicone will seal the paint away from the water. 

Those are the only ways I'd even consider it. Depending on the size of the tank, you might be better off just buying a new one.

Good luck!

-Flynn


----------



## Fishdude (Feb 20, 2005)

im no expert, not even close i am actually just now setting up my first aquarium. but in the case of the background if you just want it darker, you could buy some plain black aquarium background (sold by the foot) and put it outside over the back of the aquarium and it would darken it.


----------



## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

The advice about just buying a new one is good... except I spent $175 and got two 50 gallon tanks, and three 20 gallon ones... if I were to go buy new ones, I'd spend waayy over $500 (more like $1,000 if I got good quality tanks).
I've been doing some Google searches, and it seems Epoxy paint might work. Or paint the inside, and cover it with epoxy (and/or silicone?). Or swimming pool paint, but I'm sure they only sell that in bulk, and to businesses.
The idea of painting an extra slab of plexiglass and gluing it in, might work too...but I also wanted to paint my dragon statue, and I could cover that in Epoxy when I got done. So that's what I might do. 
Replacing the back of the tanks _might_ work, if I was careful enough not to break/crack any other part while doing it.


----------



## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

There are marine pants that you could use.


----------



## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

*Interior decorating!*



Fishdude @ Mon Feb 21 said:


> im no expert, not even close i am actually just now setting up my first aquarium.  but in the case of the background if you just want it darker, you could buy some plain black aquarium background (sold by the foot) and put it outside over the back of the aquarium and it would darken it.


Usually you can, IF the tank has a glass/clear back... this is my problem, the back is blue plastic, not see-through. I almost wondered about putting a backing _inside_ the tank, then got to thinking that would be too messy, and get algae stuck (maybe even little fish?) if I didn't secure it against the back well enough. Not to mention I don't like most of the designs of backings anyway (I told ya I was picky!). 
Right now, I have just plain black construction paper over my 10gal, until I can either find a cloth pattern I like, or just draw my own and stick it there. I want something with stars, or 'diamond' pattern.


-- There are marine pants that you could use.

Yeah, but I'm not a big plant fan... the whole thing is gonna be done in shades of darker grays and blues (mostly gray, with a few blue things like the dragon and a couple silk plants - if I can ever _find_ colored silk plants). Right now, I got a bundle of Hornwort and Java Fern, which I'll keep. But that's about the only green I want in there.


----------



## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Marine pants come in any color normal pants come in anymore.


----------



## flynngriff (Jan 19, 2005)

I think you meant to say marine _paints_, fish_doc...


----------



## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

flynngriff @ Mon Feb 21 said:


> I think you meant to say marine _paints_, fish_doc...


  Golf pants come in many colors to. :lol:


----------



## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

LOL
Maybe I need to _read_ posts, rather than skim. I thought he was talking about pLants. Anyhoo...I might go with the paint (as non-toxic as I can get), covered in Epoxy or Silicone. Isn't silicone the stuff they use to put glass tanks together? My tank has the stuff all in the corners..not really globs of it, but pretty thick. I figure if I put just one or two brushed-on coats, it won't be so 'cloudy' as it is against the glass.

This, of course, is after I find enough room to put my tank... so it won't be for another week, at least - more like a month! Then I can get my Pictus! YAY!

...then again, I could just put off painting for a long time, set up my 50 gallon and leave it blue (since I planned on that anyway), and get the Bala sharks I've been wanting... heh


----------



## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

paints, plants, pants. Maybe I need to read my own posts before I hit send. A spell check would not have caught that error.


----------



## flynngriff (Jan 19, 2005)

This part that set me to laughing was that you kept it up! Once would have just been a typo...


----------



## hawkjm73 (Jan 18, 2005)

I think the silicon would mess up the way your paint would look. You could, however, spread the silicon thin, then press some black sand into it. That would look really cool.


----------



## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

> This part that set me to laughing was that you kept it up


Anyone can do somthing once. To have the ability to do it multiple times is when it becomes talent.


----------

