which paint is safe for going inside the aquarium?

[beex215]

im going to be painting the back of the tank, the stand and a divider thats going inside the tank. i need to know which kind of paint is safe for this application.

since the fish see each other through the divider, they keep biting the plastic sheet and they just keep hurting there mouths. im thinking painting it would solve this

[chimmike]

use tinted glass or colored acrylic. Paint may not last on glass inside the tank. on the outside of the tank, on glass, krylon fusion will work.

[IslandCrow]

I've used Krylon Fusion without any problems. For the back of the tank I'd strongly recommend just painting the outside of the tank. Not only will it actually look better, but you don't have to worry about the paint chipping off inside the tank (which it will do). Obviously, you're going to want to make sure the paint is completely dry. I'd give it at least 48 hours just to be safe. That's probably a bit extreme, but depending on the surface, I've actually had paint still a little bit tacky after 24 hours.

chimmike's suggestion is of course the best choice. Even paint like Krylon Fusion that's supposed to bond to the plastic still only does a mediocre job on acrylic and will eventually start to chip off. The good news is, it's usually covered in coraline by that point.

[beadlocked450r]

I have window tint on the back of my tank,if you want it super dark put a second layer over the first.then you can take it off for a change if u wanted

[crvz]

I would look at getting something else to use as a divider. Check out a local sign shop for some of the various plastics they use. I've used coroplast before, but there are other products which may be more suitable.

[evolutionracr]

I would be afraid to paint the inside of my tank too. Saltwater has a way of breaking things down and I wouldn't trust anything inside of my tank that wasn't salty safe

[beex215]

well this particular idea was for a fresh water tank. i wasnt planning on painting the inside back, just the outside.i guess im out of luck on the divider idea as i pretty much have home depot/lowes options.

[trb]

You are in Philadelphia? Google "acrylic Philadelphia" and you will find some places that sell plastic. Call them and see if they carry black or tinted acrylic sheets and if they sell scraps. I have a few local acrylic places and I can usually get 2-3 pieces like 24" x 12" for $5.

I just looked it up and you have:

Plastics Supermarket on Arch street.
2 locations for Everything Plastic, N. 2nd and Byberry Rd
Curbell plastics in Moorestown NJ


Another idea would be to cut 2 pieces of clear, put tape around the edges of one piece and paint it black, then use Weldon 16 on the unpainted edge to glue the two pieces together, sandwiching the black paint between the two pieces. Then mount it in your tank with silicone. You could also do it with glass panels and just seal it with silicone between the panes.

Good luck!

[James77]

The krylon-or any paint- will not hold when underwater, it will start peeling off within weeks. I would paint the back with Krylon on the outside, and use tinted glass or acrylic between.

[DisneyCoralReef]

What a good idea! I like the idea of sing window tint! It's easily removable. Thanks for posting that!