How to paint the back of a tank, can it be done during move?

grwoolf

I just bought a used 72g tank and it is set up with fish and live rock. I will be moving it a week from Sunday and woud like to paint the back black. Is this a good idea since I will be trying to limit the time the tank is broken down? What is the best/quickest process for doing this? What type of paint should I use? Can I do it with a single coat or do I need multiple coats? I was thinking about black latex paint with a brush and using a space heater and halogen lights to speed up the drying.

musho3210

your painting from the outside right? not the inside?

Melissa

We used spraypaint on our sump, just made sure not to get any inside if it.

Matt

When I Painted mine I used Black Spray Paint.
and I did 2 Coats.

grwoolf

Yeah, not planning to do the inside. How quick do you think I can do this? I assume I will need to mask everything off if I use spray paint.

Melissa

just make sure you cover everything you dont want to get paint on. And it may not take more than an hour or so.

caferacermike

Shouldn't take more then about an hour. Clean the glass really well with ammonia, not windex. I've heard it's best to use an acrylic based paint. If you choose to spray paint it, get a sink full of hot water. Put the can in the water for 10 minutes prior to using it. This will warm the paint and allow it to flow more smoothly. It will also speed up drying time.

grwoolf

I picked up the tank yesterday and the painting went well. I used a semi-flat black in a spray can. It was a little cold and humid so I had to use halogen lights and a hair dryer to speed the drying, but it turned out good. The fish were out of the tank about 7.5 hours, but they all seem to be doing well after the move.

Matt

Now it is Time for Pictures Please! :D

grwoolf

It's a bit cloudy yet (when I left for work this morning), but I'll post some once it cleans up.