Painting a background, need help.

[mmslue79]

I am going to paint the background on my 120. Is there any special paint to use, and would you use any type of sealant to protect it from scratches and so forth. I was thinking about using some type of laquer or polyurathane to protect it. Any suggestions would be just great.

 

[mr . salty]

Any paint will do...I don't see any need to seal it against scratches,seeing as it will be against the wall(not likly to get scratched).Unless you are thinking of painting the inside????I hope not.You should paint the outside.....

 

[mmslue79]

Outside for sure!

 

[cap'n pete]

If the tank is not setup yet, any paint will do. I prefer a medium to dark blue. Spray paint will give the best even coat. A clear coat of polyeurathane (sp?) or laquer will protect the paint from scratches from magnetic algea scrappers and the like.
If the tank is setup use acrylic paint. This is water based and therefore has no harmful fumes. Do not buy acrylic paint as spray paint, it has harmful propelants.
Some people will tell you they like a black background. I would say it's up to what color fish you have. Any dark blue or black fish will blend in with the background too much for my taste. Also realize the darker the background the higher the possibility of it absorbing heat energy from your lighting and releasing it back into the water. HTH

 

[slick]

Just use sprat paint it works great.

 

[mmslue79]

Thanks everyone for the help. I think I am going to use Rustoleum Black, with some kind of protective coat for good measures. Thanks again.

 

[cap'n pete]

Gloss paint dries a lot harder than flat and may eliminate the need to put on a coat of protectant. FYI

 

[slick]

Why do you think you need a protective coating over the paint?

 

[simm]

I just used the CRYLON extreme flat (black)Works well and has not cracked yet.