Painting tank, mistake please help.

G13 · 04/01/2008, 07:48 PM

Well, I was painting my 125 ga in the garage today and I think I made a stupid mistake.

I taped the backside so I wouldn't paint the overflow and was in a rush because I had a friend coming over (never showed up) to help me level out the tank on my incredibly crooked basement floor. Well, I wasn't thinking and only taped off the top backside and let the newspaper hang over the front of the tank to cover the top opening. I really wasn't thinking about the sediment that is left in the air after I spray painted the backside of the tank.

I just went into the garage to see how it looks and noticed what was a white pc of paper on the floor, look off-white (slightly grey). I then just wanted to kick myself for not taping around the top opening of the tank. And to make matters worse my DIY sump that I made from an old 35 ga tank was about 4 feet away with no cover.

I don't know if I should even think about putting anything in these tanks.

sjm817 · 04/01/2008, 07:55 PM

Just let it dry and scrape it off with a razor.

FYI, It comes out just as good by painting with a small roller, and no overspray to deal with.

Entropy · 04/01/2008, 08:40 PM

Actually you shouldn't even have to scrape. Just rinse it out with water and a good sponge. Overspray usually drys before it hits and is easy to remove (or as sjm817 said scrape). A simple razor should take care of anything the sponge doesn't get. You might need to get a good light in the tank to see all the spots though.

G13 · 04/01/2008, 09:13 PM

cool, i'll be doing that tomorrow if i can get it moved into the house. Figured I'd give it a cleaning with white vinegar anyways.

Thanks,

04/01/2008, 07:48 PM	#1
G13 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: chicago Posts: 810	Painting tank, mistake please help. Well, I was painting my 125 ga in the garage today and I think I made a stupid mistake. I taped the backside so I wouldn't paint the overflow and was in a rush because I had a friend coming over (never showed up) to help me level out the tank on my incredibly crooked basement floor. Well, I wasn't thinking and only taped off the top backside and let the newspaper hang over the front of the tank to cover the top opening. I really wasn't thinking about the sediment that is left in the air after I spray painted the backside of the tank. I just went into the garage to see how it looks and noticed what was a white pc of paper on the floor, look off-white (slightly grey). I then just wanted to kick myself for not taping around the top opening of the tank. And to make matters worse my DIY sump that I made from an old 35 ga tank was about 4 feet away with no cover. I don't know if I should even think about putting anything in these tanks.

04/01/2008, 07:55 PM	#2
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	Just let it dry and scrape it off with a razor. FYI, It comes out just as good by painting with a small roller, and no overspray to deal with. __________________ - Scott

04/01/2008, 08:40 PM	#3
Entropy Texas Reefer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 13,656	Actually you shouldn't even have to scrape. Just rinse it out with water and a good sponge. Overspray usually drys before it hits and is easy to remove (or as sjm817 said scrape). A simple razor should take care of anything the sponge doesn't get. You might need to get a good light in the tank to see all the spots though. __________________ Rich Overton 150G cube FOWLR, 30g sump, ReefKeeperII, 3x Koralia 1400's, QuiteOne 3000, Reef Octopus DNWB150, 4x 30w Par38 LED. Current Tank Info: 36x36x27 150g

04/01/2008, 09:13 PM	#4
G13 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: chicago Posts: 810	cool, i'll be doing that tomorrow if i can get it moved into the house. Figured I'd give it a cleaning with white vinegar anyways. Thanks,