Painting Aquarium — Paint Sides and Bottom? What Color?

[nickkohrn]

I’m in the process of taping off my aquarium to get it prepared for paint. I plan to paint the back and bottom, but I’m also considering paining the sides as well. I’m not worried about the beauty of it because it’s a frag tank. I’d like the focus to be on the corals when I look into the tank, so I thought that painting the back and sides would help with that.

Would you paint the sides in addition to the back and bottom? If so, then what color? I am debating between black and white. Black paint would put the focus on the corals, whereas white would likely reflect light and provide better PAR in all angles.

What are your thoughts?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I think black would be easier, The one that looks better is up to the rest of the furniture imo. Definitely following to see the end results!

 

[StatelineReefer]

I would not paint the sides unless it were an in-wall, and even then, maybe just enclose it. When doing maintenance there's just too many times I need to look through the side glass to get at everything. Bottom and back I would paint blue or white only if my lighting weren't up to "Par".

 

[Peace River]

I have used black, white, blue, and green. I most commonly use blue and black. I like blue because pests and other critters show up better than on black.

 

[andrewkw]

For a display I prefer blue. For a frag tank I prefer white.

 

[Billdogg]

I wouldn't paint the sides either, and for the same reasons. In fact, I'm starting the scrape off of the sides on my QT for that very reason - a need to see in to observe.

I've used several shades of blue, and black for mine. I prefer black. IMHO, it helps the corals really pop when you look at them. White will show ever speck of growth on the glass. White for the bottom is, however , intriguing. It would reflect the light back up and help to eliminate shadows, but it could also making looking down into the tank a bit painful (without sunglasses, anyway! )

jm.02

 

[AdamW0611]

I painted the back of mine black, wouldn't do the sides. I didn't paint the bottom either although I've heard people paint it tan. I almost did that, bit didn't wanna spend the money on more paint and supplies.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Practically speaking, black will absorb the light & white will reflect it increasing par.

 

[nickkohrn]

I’ll forego painting the sides since having them unobstructed will help with maintenance and observation.

I do have a six-bulb ATI SunPower that will be going over the tank, which is a 40-gallon breeder. I doubt that I need the PAR, but I though that the reflectivity of the light bouncing upward would help keep the bottoms of the corals lit and healthy.

 

[oreo54]

Painting back and sides will cut PAR levels..

Dr. James Fatheree who wrote the Tridacnid Clam book did a research study on lighting and found that painting or sticking anything to the glass actually causes notable light loss...reason is that the glass reflects light back into the tank, not just from the inside surface of the glass, but also from the outside surface of the glass...I recommend taking a black (or blue) piece of plexiglass, or even the cheap lexan they sell at the Depot, painted the color of choice and put it behind the tank, not in contact with the glass....

I know this is a strange concept but having contact with the glass (especially painting it) can rob up to 20% of the total light reflected by the glass....Realize that the reflection of the glass is why we have that intense light in the tank, but not in the Living Room....

Same effect if you "wet" the tank glass and apply a background..
You destroy the air gap that facilitates the outside glass back reflection..

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Painting back and sides will cut PAR levels..


Same effect if you "wet" the tank glass and apply a background..
You destroy the air gap that facilitates the outside glass back reflection..

Very interesting

 

[oreo54]

Very interesting

Equipment Review: Getting the Most from Your T-5 Lights: A Look at Reflectors and More

It is imperative that you use reflectors with T-5 bulbs, and individual reflectors do a better job of sending light into a tank than a single reflector. Bulb temperature and even an aquarium's background has a measurable effect on lighting performance.

www.advancedaquarist.com

parchart

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Equipment Review: Getting the Most from Your T-5 Lights: A Look at Reflectors and More

It is imperative that you use reflectors with T-5 bulbs, and individual reflectors do a better job of sending light into a tank than a single reflector. Bulb temperature and even an aquarium's background has a measurable effect on lighting performance.

www.advancedaquarist.com

parchart

Good read thanx. But I'd still be curious on the effect if white paint was used, as white itself reflects all spectrums of visable light ?

 

[L0stmykeys]

white, blue great colors but poor execution in reality. personal experience i used frosted vinyl on the display tank with some led behind to change the color extremely happy with that. black for the frag tank looks clean and can't complain. white for my sump which if it was more of a display than it is i would call it a failure great for the fuge area but visually looks poor. you won't be able to get clean lines around trim areas and there will be a harsh noticeable contrast against the black trim and white background to include any support brace running under the tank it just doesn't look well thought out. it almost seems to amplify the imperfections on the assembly of the tank as where black blurs it out and it goes unnoticed. i cant speak about the blue but i would imagine it to be very similar to the white just not as amplified.

 

[C2cexoticfiahandcorals]

I’ve used some tint on the tank mainly to cover an overflow car tint works well

 

[oreo54]

Good read thanx. But I'd still be curious on the effect if white paint was used, as white itself reflects all spectrums of visable light ?

Yea.. me too..
Also the effect on bottom painting where the light angles a, in general, sig. different than sides..
Thing is.. really don't know of people using white for display..
Mirrored maybe..
Most common is blue or black afaict..

As to the o/p..

I am debating between black and white. Black paint would put the focus on the corals, whereas white would likely reflect light and provide better PAR in all angles.

Black on back/ sides kills PAR .. White??

 

[andrewkw]

Painting the bottom white is not about increasing par, at least not for me. It’s about having a clean bottom, as soon as coraline or other algae starts I can scrape it off. I can see anything that falls off frags and I can photograph with a white background.

 

[OutLawX77]

"Dr. James Fatheree who wrote the Tridacnid Clam book did a research study on lighting and found that painting or sticking anything to the glass actually causes notable light loss...reason is that the glass reflects light back into the tank, not just from the inside surface of the glass, but also from the outside surface of the glass...I recommend taking a black (or blue) piece of plexiglass, or even the cheap lexan they sell at the Depot, painted the color of choice and put it behind the tank, not in contact with the glass....

I know this is a strange concept but having contact with the glass (especially painting it) can rob up to 20% of the total light reflected by the glass....Realize that the reflection of the glass is why we have that intense light in the tank, but not in the Living Room....

Same effect if you "wet" the tank glass and apply a background..
You destroy the air gap that facilitates the outside glass back reflection.."

Just reading this PAR loss, due to painting of the Back glass wall. Interesting
Loss of par? I never looked at it that way. So If white is good to reflect the Par
and black adsorbs Par
Just Thinking out loud here (Dangerous I know). Then a chrome Paint might reflect more light(PAR) back to the back side of the Tank then say a white paint?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Just reading this PAR loss, due to painting of the Back glass wall. Interesting
Loss of par? I never looked at it that way. So If white is good to reflect the Par
and black adsorbs Par
Just Thinking out loud here (Dangerous I know). Then a chrome Paint might reflect more light(PAR) back to the back side of the Tank then say a white paint?

Only white can (potentially) reflect 100% of visible light.

 

[theatrus]

I ended up color matching some purple coraline algae color for my new build. Why contrast when you can blend in?