# Black Paint for Background? (Glass Tank)



## jf7304 (Oct 26, 2015)

Hi,

I have a glass tank that I want to paint a solid black background onto, rather than purchasing a plastic one. The back glass of the tank is 1200 Sq. In. (48"W x 25"H). I am hoping to find paint that isn't too hard to remove in the future in case I don't like it or want to change it, and I want something that is just plain black that doesn't have too much of a grayish look under the LED lighting like I have seen in some tanks. Any ideas on what kind/brand of paint I should get, and how much? Thanks!


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

The gray look from LED light is probably going to happen with any paint. Glass is not perfectly smooth, so it bounces around a bit and does not all get absorbed by the black pigments in the paint. That's more noticeable with LED and with sunlight. I just picked up a used 40 long with black paint on the back and ends. It razor bladed off very easily, so there is something out there that almost peels off by itself. The seller bought it used himself and was not able to set up the tank, so I am not likely to find out but I'll try. No matter how well intended, painters somehow end up with paint drips under the plastic frame and even on it. Those do not come off without changing the appearance of the frame.

The Crystal Craze paints do come off easily, but I don't know how black a background you can produce with it. It is made by Jurgen Industries.


----------



## newcichlidiot (Jul 7, 2010)

Here is their website, http://jurgeninc.com/Crystal-Glass-Paints/ I was noticing they have this texture paint that is clear. But what if you take this texture paint apply it then spray it black, might be pretty cool.


----------



## jf7304 (Oct 26, 2015)

We decided we're going with a very dark blue instead of black now. Is it best to roll the paint on glass, or use spray paint? The tank is currently empty so I'll have no problem laying it down on it's front to paint the back.


----------



## newcichlidiot (Jul 7, 2010)

I would think spray would be easier, less to clean up. Just mask off everything as best you can due to overspray. I have only sprayed on never rolled, in my mind spraying was always going to be easier. My $0.02 worth. Have a great weekend.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Clean the tank glass very well. If the glass has scratches, they will probably be highlighted by the paint rather than concealed. Spraying should be done outside. Too many volatiles to spray inside where the fumes may do harm. Several layers of paint are a good idea. Run a bead of strippable caulk over the seams next to the the glass you will paint. Then mask with either paint method. The caulk can stay in place until when and if you remove the paint. DAP Seal 'n' Peel is an example of removable caulk. While you do need a paint brush to brush on paint, the strokes disappear from the viewing side, though you may see them looking from the back or if you miss and have a thin spot that is backlit.


----------



## Bd79 (Apr 11, 2011)

You can use Plasti-Dip for the background. It comes in various colors. It forms a rubbery coat that can be removed easily if you need to do that.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Bd79 said:


> You can use Plasti-Dip for the background. It comes in various colors. It forms a rubbery coat that can be removed easily if you need to do that.


I have used that for tool handles. It might have to be fairly thick because I notice on some tools, the black is more translucent than opaque.


----------



## jf7304 (Oct 26, 2015)

UPDATE - the background is painted and it turned out great. I already had the tank torn down & emptied, because I had to replace the top plastic frame on it... so it was easy to lay the tank on it's front out in the garage, tape everything off, and spray paint it. I used "Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Paint + Primer" (Gloss Navy Blue), and applied 4 even coats, approximately 5 minutes apart. It turned out awesome; I have never been more happy with a tank background. It is a nice, glossy deep blue that looks great in any lighting condition. It made my tank look like one of the acrylic ones you can purchase and the background comes dark blue from the factory. The only thing I advise is rinse the tank out multiple times after the paint dries, and wipe down the glass inside and out. It seems like no matter how well you think you have everything taped off, overspray still lightly coats everything and you wouldn't want that in your water! The tank is now up and running, with a fresh background and top rim. If I can figure out how you post pictures on here, I will.


----------



## jf7304 (Oct 26, 2015)




----------



## jf7304 (Oct 26, 2015)

Ok, so apparently I can't figure out how to post the picture. Tried creating and copying the link from Google photos, and even after compressing the picture down to like 48kb web page size, it still won't show up. Any ideas?


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

The paint that held up well but was very easy to remove from the glass was Krylon Fusion. My thanks to the person who sold me the tank and then researched to find out what it had been painted with.


----------



## SrsSarcasM (Jan 28, 2016)

For any future users I really like using Vinyl Wrap on the back of tanks. It is a bit tricky to use the first time but I've done it quite a few times and it is now trivial and really easy to remove if needed.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

SrsSarcasM said:


> For any future users I really like using Vinyl Wrap on the back of tanks. It is a bit tricky to use the first time but I've done it quite a few times and it is now trivial and really easy to remove if needed.


This sounds like a remarkably better idea than painting the tank. There are a number of aquarium clubs in my area and most have auctions. Not that buying an aquarium is an investment, but the tanks that have been painted I have observed over dozens of auctions, are hard for the auctioneer to sell for any price at all. Clean unpainted tanks hold their value better, but like new cars, as soon as they are yours, their resale value drops.The exception would be very small tanks like five gallons and smaller. A well painted and un-chipped black background seems not to devalue them, probably because they can be used for fish show entries.


----------

