# What color background/name of a safe paint



## duzzy (Feb 9, 2008)

Hi there, 

I am after some suggestions of background colors to suit an amazon-ish themed tank and the name of a safe paint that I can paint inside my overflow box that will not affect fish/plants and water quality.

Regards Darren


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## Nexed (Aug 7, 2008)

Black is always good for amazon/natural type aquariums.
Theres a paint called krylon that i heard ppl use for painting tanks.

Black bg really brings out the colors of the plants!


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## duzzy (Feb 9, 2008)

Thanks Nexed....


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## ruger45 (Feb 28, 2007)

Most of the tanks with black backrounds look really nice. Thats the direction I'm leaning towards.


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

I have been using black, cheap , spraypaint on the outside back of tanks for decades. Do not allow paint to get on the inside of the aquarium.

I do not know why you want to paint the inside of your overflow but my advice is...do not do it. Any paint on the inside will eventually come off and or cause chemistry problems in the water. That being said I have heard that some marine paints, after they dry, seem to work best. But as always... discretion is the better part of valor.

Once the back glass, and various pipes and hoses, get covered with Algae the color will not matter anyway.


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

*danger!*

There is no paint that is safe for any place that is in contact with your tank's water!

When you say that you want to paint the inside of your overflow box that sounds like a red flag.

All paints contain various amounts of possibly harmful chemicals. Even if there aren't any, ordinary paints are not designed for underwater use. The ones that are, have really toxic things in them to prevent growth on the surface.

OK if you are painting the outside of your tank (no contact with water) almost any paint suitable for inside your home will be OK.


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

I always used cheap black spray paint outisde of the tank. But I like white as well, however amaozon tanks would suit better with black IMO.

Can the spray paints come off with thinner, lets say you deceded to change the bg color?


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

Any paint that sticks is OK. Just do not get it inside the tank. Regular liquid paint that goes on with a brush is OK to. One can of cheap spray paint seems easiest to me as there is no cleanup afterward just gather up the newspaper and tape as soon as the paint is dry.

If there is a need to remove the paint a razor blade pops it off neatly and quickly and along with some vacuming and sweeping the job is done.


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## duzzy (Feb 9, 2008)

black looks great, I need a way to clor my weir/overflow though...


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## chagovatoloco (Nov 17, 2007)

Maybe you can cover it with rocks or wood.


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## duzzy (Feb 9, 2008)

I can somewhat cover with wood and plants but it still needs to be black


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

People have been enthusiastic about Krylon "Fusion" (as I recall) for painting things that will be in the tank. I haven't used it, so I have no experience with it. Perhaps one of the enthusiasts will respond?


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## Sounguru (Aug 2, 2008)

Krylon Fusion can be used inside a tank and has with no problems. It actually bonds to plastic becoming a part of it so if you use it on plastic no scraping it off.

Spray 2+ coats let dry for at least 24 hours you should have no problems... I have it on many things on the inside of quite a few of my tanks.


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## speakerguy (Sep 1, 2007)

Krylon Fusion is what all the reefkeepers use. I have used it to paint the back of one aquarium and it came out quite nicely. I plan on painting the back of what will become my first planted tank in a few weeks.


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## duzzy (Feb 9, 2008)

Thanks good news so i could happily use it on the inside of my weir/overflow without contamination


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## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

I do love to state the obvious... so to those people who said there were no "safe" paints to be used, I must say there are thousands of aquarium-safe products that are painted. I've had a fake rock in and out of tanks for over twenty years and there is no problem with its paint... just had to put that in there.


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

speakerguy said:


> Krylon Fusion is what all the reefkeepers use. I have used it to paint the back of one aquarium and it came out quite nicely. I plan on painting the back of what will become my first planted tank in a few weeks.


I don't think this is such a good idea!

I wrote to the Krylon people about this problem as follows:

Is there any product that you recommend for inside an aquarium? 
The tank is empty and dry and I'd like to paint part of the inside. After the paint has dried I'd fill it with water, fish and plants.

Do you have suggestions for glass and polyacrylic aquarium?

Their response:

Thank you for your inquiry with the Krylon website. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us.

We have no products in the Krylon line that are for immersion. and definitely nothing that we can recommend for the inside (or outside, for that matter) of an aquarium. Off the top of my head, I can't say I know of a product that I can suggest for this purpose, even outside of our line. You might see if a local store that sells aquarium supplies has some leads for you.

Thank you again for your inquiry. If you have any other questions, please reply with complete message history and my name in the subject line, and I will respond as quickly as possible.


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## Sounguru (Aug 2, 2008)

ray-the-pilot said:


> Their response:
> 
> Thank you for your inquiry with the Krylon website. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us.
> 
> ...


That is the standard canned response I have gotten from several companies that we use their products in aquariums on a regular basis. When company doesn't test it's product in a certain enviroment they do not want to tell you it is okay for fear of a Lawsuit.. I have used it for over 2 years and I know reefers used it long before that.

No losses that I can point to the Krylon as causing... As a matter of fact all my losses have been to my own stupidity.....


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## speakerguy (Sep 1, 2007)

The people employed to respond to customer emails are usually worth exactly what they get paid... in rupees... 

Krylon is fish tank safe. Reefkeepers even use it to paint plumbing in the tank so white PVC doesn't stand out. It's certainly safe for the background of the tank.


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

Sounguru said:


> When company doesn't test it's product in a certain enviroment they do not want to tell you it is okay for fear of a Lawsuit.. I have used it for over 2 years and I know reefers used it long before that.


Does that mean you've do the testing and are accepting responsibility for any losses?

My experience in the chemical industry is that if a product has a particular market niche companies jump on it because it is a growth market. My experience with paints is that they contain lots of stuff in them like heavy metal dryers that you really don't want leaching out in your tank. These are in low level quantities; so, they are not required to be listed on MSDS information.

But then who am I to judge. You can follow the advice of the manufacturer or you can throw away the directions and do your own experiment. You obviously can do what you want.


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

*I have a question?*



speakerguy said:


> The people employed to respond to customer emails are usually worth exactly what they get paid... in rupees...
> 
> Krylon is fish tank safe. Reefkeepers even use it to paint plumbing in the tank so white PVC doesn't stand out. It's certainly safe for the background of the tank.


I have a question?

Aside from the safety issue, when you buy a new acrylic tank from Tenecor or ATM, if you paint the inside of the tank and it leaks, will they take it back?


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## Sounguru (Aug 2, 2008)

ray-the-pilot said:


> Does that mean you've do the testing and are accepting responsibility for any losses?
> 
> My experience in the chemical industry is that if a product has a particular market niche companies jump on it because it is a growth market. My experience with paints is that they contain lots of stuff in them like heavy metal dryers that you really don't want leaching out in your tank. These are in low level quantities; so, they are not required to be listed on MSDS information.
> 
> But then who am I to judge. You can follow the advice of the manufacturer or you can throw away the directions and do your own experiment. You obviously can do what you want.


The experimenting has already been done as mentioned before.

If I build widgits for building buildings and someone wants to use my widgits in a walkway, but I didn't test them to see if they would work for walkways them I'm gonna say I don't recommend it. Because I don't want someone to come back on me with a Lawsuit saying I said it was okay if something went wrong. Even if I know for a fact that they would hold up.

-The Play sand I have used in tanks says not for Aquariums.
-Soilmaster Selects and Profile Turface Pro League both companies say we haven't tested it so we don't recommend it.

But both of the above products are used widely across the hobby and these are just 2 examples.

So everyone should stop using them after years of use and proven safety and success just because of a cover our butt warning?

As far as new tanks never bought one so I couldn't answer that ? for ya..... But I have painted quite a few Acrylic tanks and not a one leaked...


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## 4f1hmi (Mar 29, 2008)

black is fine... whatever kind of paint it is, just make sure it dries fully on the glass or paint it on a dry clean surface so that it will not peel off later and endanger your aquarium livestock.:whoo:


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## duzzy (Feb 9, 2008)

Thanks for that, I will give it a shot on the outside as for inside I have found a place that sells black perspex type stuff I will cover the overflow with that, just to be sure

oh and what is a widget?


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## Sounguru (Aug 2, 2008)

duzzy said:


> Thanks for that, I will give it a shot on the outside as for inside I have found a place that sells black perspex type stuff I will cover the overflow with that, just to be sure
> 
> oh and what is a widget?


An hypothetical, unnamed, or unspecified manufactured good, product, or device.


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## duzzy (Feb 9, 2008)

thanks....


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## speakerguy (Sep 1, 2007)

*Re: I have a question?*



ray-the-pilot said:


> I have a question?
> 
> Aside from the safety issue, when you buy a new acrylic tank from Tenecor or ATM, if you paint the inside of the tank and it leaks, will they take it back?


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## noledoc (Jan 16, 2011)

*Re: danger!*



ray-the-pilot said:


> There is no paint that is safe for any place that is in contact with your tank's water!
> 
> When you say that you want to paint the inside of your overflow box that sounds like a red flag.
> 
> ...


This sounds like an opinion without benefit of facts. In FACT there are many safe paints Krylon being one, once cured.


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