Aquarium background

[johnnycamp5]

Looking for an aquarium background in either black or blue. Can anyone recommend something decent?
Need 60”x30”

 

[JumboShrimp]

Do you happen to live close to a LfS that sells a lot of freshwater fish? Usually the flip side of those 'rock/plant' backgrounds are either blue or black.

 

[X-37B]

Looking for an aquarium background in either black or blue. Can anyone recommend something decent?
Need 60”x30”

A can of black spay paint is what I have done many times.
On my current ext 50 I painted the side black.
It won't matter much as coralline grows and colors up the wall.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Oh, somehow I wasn't thinking you meant paint. I used Rustoleum Flat Black, 3 thin coats (dry between each) with a small sponge roller from Lowe's.

 

[Fish Fan]

Spray paint and Rustolium with a small foam roller are indeed good options. I've painted many tanks over the years.

However, on my most recent build I tried vinyl wrapping the tank, and I don't think I'll ever paint a tank again. The vinyl looks great, it's inexpensive, easy to apply, easy to remove if you want to, and there's no mess, no clean up, no worry about runs or drips. Oh, and no dry time.

For a tank that large, you would obviously need a large enough piece of vinyl. You can ask at local shops that print signs, they have the vinyl or it can be ordered online.

Here's a quick how-to video that may help:

 

[twentyleagues]

You can get black vinyl from amazon. Paint works well just not as easy to get off.

 

[johnnycamp5]

Thanks folks

It’s for one long side of a new acrylic aquarium.
I’d rather use a vinyl or skin that I could remove versus paint

 

[johnnycamp5]

Like a peninsula aquarium

 

[MoshJosh]

I prefer to paint the back (and bottom if it will be a bare bottom tank) with spray paint. If you want to paint but want something a bit less permanent Plasti-dip spray paint works well enough but can be peeled off fairly easily. Alternatively I have used hardware store window/glass door tint.

Excuse how dirty they are but tank on left is spray painted and the one one the right is window tinted:

 

[Fish Fan]

Thanks folks

It’s for one long side of a new acrylic aquarium.
I’d rather use a vinyl or skin that I could remove versus paint

Yep, vinyl is your friend here, especially on an acrylic if you may want to remove it one day.

 

[Fish Fan]

I prefer to paint the back (and bottom if it will be a bare bottom tank) with spray paint.

I have often painted the underside of the bottom of tanks with Rustolium Textured spray paint. If you look closely, you'd swear the tank has sand in it. I've done this on a lot of freshwater breeder type tanks. The paint comes in a variety of tints, and one is very appropriately named "Caribbean Sand".
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ol...-Sand-Protective-Spray-Paint-239121/100674049

 

[johnnycamp5]

Yep, vinyl is your friend here, especially on an acrylic if you may want to remove it one day.

Nice.
Vinyl or plasti-dip

We’re talking outside surface of tank here right guys?

 

[Fish Fan]

Nice.
Vinyl or plasti-dip

We’re talking outside surface of tank here right guys?

I've never personally used Plasti-dip on a tank, but I believe people do. I was talking about vinyl wrap material. And yes, the outside of the tank is where all of these materials should go.

 

[salty joe]

I've put deep wrinkles in paper and taped it to the back of the tank for the appearance of added depth.

 

[foamboy]

I go to the arts and craft section and get some acrylic paint. Use a small foam roller and paint it several coats. It’ll razor blade right off if you ever decide you don’t like it or want to change colors. Just tape your edges so you don’t have to be as careful.

 

[Fish Fan]

I go to the arts and craft section and get some acrylic paint. Use a small foam roller and paint it several coats. It’ll razor blade right off if you ever decide you don’t like it or want to change colors. Just tape your edges so you don’t have to be as careful.

Freiend, try vinyl wrapping a tank, you'll never go back to paint

 

[twentyleagues]

Freiend, try vinyl wrapping a tank, you'll never go back to paint

I'll agree. But if you are artistic and keep the back glass clean (who does that?) I have seen some pretty sweet paint jobs on the back of tanks. I watched a guy on youtube use spray paint a couple like 4 different colors and do a really cool gradient effect with sunlight shinning down. Looked really nice when the tank was all set up, really added depth to it.

 

[Fish Fan]

I'll agree. But if you are artistic and keep the back glass clean (who does that?) I have seen some pretty sweet paint jobs on the back of tanks. I watched a guy on youtube use spray paint a couple like 4 different colors and do a really cool gradient effect with sunlight shinning down. Looked really nice when the tank was all set up, really added depth to it.

That would be both very cool and FAR beyond my artistic skill set

 

[johnnycamp5]

I go to the arts and craft section and get some acrylic paint. Use a small foam roller and paint it several coats. It’ll razor blade right off if you ever decide you don’t like it or want to change colors. Just tape your edges so you don’t have to be as careful.

The tank is Acrylic and I’d like to be able to remove whatever I’m using in case I decide to set it up as a peninsula one day

 

[UncommonSense]

I thought it would be an awesome idea to have a mirror made to install on the exterior of the back glass of my 180g FW for more visual depth (silicone-d on, only a bead along short edges, then exterior bead along top to prevent water ingress)…

It turns out it just means I have to clean my back glass too!