painting a tank

[rookie reefer]

how or what kind of paint do you use to paint the back of an acrylic tank.

[aquawolf]

Krylon has a new paint that is Fusion for Plastic. I have not used it, but have used regular Fusion on glass with very good results so I would definitely look into the one for plastic.

[hng]

Choose your color carefully, cause Krylon will "fuse" with the acrylic and that will become a permanent bond. Like Aquawolf said, use the Krylon Fusion if you can find it (I got mine at walmart). For some reason, I find the "flat" paint works better than the "glossy". Also, be sure you do a real good job masking off the rest of the tank. If stray paint gets on the acrylic on the sides or inside, it will be very difficult to remove.

[Jnicho]

Originally Posted by hng

Choose your color carefully, cause Krylon will "fuse" with the acrylic and that will become a permanent bond. Like Aquawolf said, use the Krylon Fusion if you can find it (I got mine at walmart). For some reason, I find the "flat" paint works better than the "glossy". Also, be sure you do a real good job masking off the rest of the tank. If stray paint gets on the acrylic on the sides or inside, it will be very difficult to remove.

Yup...what he said.

[Jared J]

I actually just painted the back of my tank with the 'Make It Stone' paint from Krylon, stuck like glue. After the stone paint dries you just use their matte clearcoat and you're set. They have a color called Mediterranean Reef and looks really cool from inside the tank.

[rookie reefer]

Originally Posted by Jared J

I actually just painted the back of my tank with the 'Make It Stone' paint from Krylon, stuck like glue. After the stone paint dries you just use their matte clearcoat and you're set. They have a color called Mediterranean Reef and looks really cool from inside the tank.

where did you get the Mediterranean Reef paint

[superwizbang]

Black really makes a great background for your inhabitants. If you plan to have a reef tank, the black provides a perfect contrast for your corals. This is to say, until the coralline takes over. After about 2 years, it really will not matter what color you choose if you are not a religious scraper of the back of the tank. Personally, I like coralline on the back. With that said, I used the Krylon, brush-on acrylic with a roller for my 260 (and 90 before it). I went with a semi after going with flat last time. The benefit of a semi is that a flat shows drip marks easily. It is also easier to wipe clean if needed. Neither are easy to scratch if you use multiple coats and let it dry apporpriately (on glass). A textured paint will be more difficult to wipe clean with a normal cloth. I would prefer a smooth surface for this reason.

-Ken

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by rookie reefer

where did you get the Mediterranean Reef paint

They sell it at Lowe's, Home Depot, WalMart, etc. Pretty much anywhere they sell spray paint.

[Loverotties]

Krylon is good.

[Jared J]

This is the back of my tank with the Krylon stone paint.