Painted on background options

Hello! Okay so if I'm getting a gorgeous acrylic tank, I would like a great background. I love clear but my cords show. I have a black one on my one acrylic tank, which I really like, yet my favorite black Angelfish totally disappears in there. I find the blue to be a bit bright and unnatural. I really like the idea of green (I got the idea from somebody on this forum!). A deep natural looking green. The question is: do backgrounds added on after ever look as good as tbe backgrounds built into acrylic tanks? And what if I use an acrylic paint background and it looks awful? Is it easily removed? I would HATE to ruin a gorgeous fancy tank Bc of my user error. Actually what about WHITE?!! Will that look too unnatural

 

PLASTI DIP®

I’ve never done it, but it apparently just peels off. And it comes in a lot of colors.

I used it on my 75 gallon tank.

 

This is intricate, but I know you have the skills, I'm working on one like this too:

Build a 5 sided light box to match the size of the back of your tank, it only needs to be an inch or so deep and open on the tank side. Importantly it had to seal light tight to the back (could use foam weather stripping, I haven't gotten there (permanent) yet. Paint the inside of the box black, put window frost tinting on the tank. Inside the box, put a color/intensity adjustable low power rope light, like the usb ones on Amazon. the pattern it should be in is the trick. I haven't solved, so far I like it across the top only. When the box is attached, lights off you get a dark almost black shadow background. Lights on you get various beam/bar/gradient effects. You can put obstacles for the light to refract on in the box too. It's a cheap project

 

This is intricate, but I know you have the skills, I'm working on one like this too:

Build a 5 sided light box to match the size of the back of your tank, it only needs to be an inch or so deep and open on the tank side. Importantly it had to seal light tight to the back (could use foam weather stripping, I haven't gotten there (permanent) yet. Paint the inside of the box black, put window frost tinting on the tank. Inside the box, put a color/intensity adjustable low power rope light, like the usb ones on Amazon. the pattern it should be in is the trick. I haven't solved, so far I like it across the top only. When the box is attached, lights off you get a dark almost black shadow background. Lights on you get various beam/bar/gradient effects. You can put obstacles for the light to refract on in the box too. It's a cheap project

Pictures?

 

Pictures?

I'm try and take a couple when I get home, my son and are are using an old broken 10 as the test dummy so I haven't found it photogenic lol.

 

This is intricate, but I know you have the skills, I'm working on one like this too:

Build a 5 sided light box to match the size of the back of your tank, it only needs to be an inch or so deep and open on the tank side. Importantly it had to seal light tight to the back (could use foam weather stripping, I haven't gotten there (permanent) yet. Paint the inside of the box black, put window frost tinting on the tank. Inside the box, put a color/intensity adjustable low power rope light, like the usb ones on Amazon. the pattern it should be in is the trick. I haven't solved, so far I like it across the top only. When the box is attached, lights off you get a dark almost black shadow background. Lights on you get various beam/bar/gradient effects. You can put obstacles for the light to refract on in the box too. It's a cheap project

Wow! What gave you the idea? I would def need in depth instructions!

PLASTI DIP®

I’ve never done it, but it apparently just peels off. And it comes in a lot of colors.

I used it on my 75 gallon tank.

Oh yes! Does it stay on well even when wet?
I'm interested in white now. I would like to do black and do snow whites but i am just switching my 40 breeder tank inhabitants so I think I want to do white.

 

Wow! What gave you the idea? I would def need in depth instructions!

Oh yes! Does it stay on well even when wet?
I'm interested in white now. I would like to do black and do snow whites but i am just switching my 40 breeder tank inhabitants so I think I want to do white.

Yep, it sprays on like spray paint (requires 2 - 3 thin coats) and doesn’t budge after it dries. It has a rubbery feel once dry, that’s why I’d imagine the claim that it just peels off is true.

 

Yep, it sprays on like spray paint (requires 2 - 3 thin coats) and doesn’t budge after it dries. It has a rubbery feel once dry, that’s why I’d imagine the claim that it just peels off is true.

Can you in any way ruin it? I hope not! Point being I have a knack for not practicing first and making mistakes. So hoping this will allow for some error! TY!!

 

Can you in any way ruin it? I hope not! Point being I have a knack for not practicing first and making mistakes. So hoping this will allow for some error! TY!!

The Plasti Dip? While you’re spraying it on? After it dries?

All of the above?

Have you ever used spray paint?

 

For solid painted, I've also used plasti dip, I personally prefer to roll on acrylic craft paint and then protect it with packing tape, I illustrate that in my 29 all in one matten build 29 all in one matten style corner with diy cave | Freshwater Aquarium Builds Forum | 457512

Both of then can be messed up, I haven't used the roll on plasti dip, but the spray on. I almost always miss a spot spraying, then it makes a shadow when you recoat. This is better (as far as spray goes) than acrylic spray like rust-oleum or fusion. Using acrilic spray it tends to crackle/craze when you recoat glass. I ended up doing most of my tanks both of those ways before a friend that paints windows told me to use acrylic craft paint and a foam roller. You can thin it with a drop of water or two if you need to and it is allot easier to put it on good and thick. All 3 of these products are pretty easy to remove, razor for the acrylic, cut and peel for the dip. On a new acrylic tank though, I wouldn't want to cut/scrape, and plasti dip doesn't "always" peel correctly, especially in the thin spots.

Tinting films or the backlighting is what I see as the future for acrylic tanks. I'm doing that project as practice on a broken 10 so I can do my new Paludarium. I got the idea from another member here but they didn't use the shadow box to get more pure colors or a black/dark option. Looking at my broken duct taped mess on the floor I really don't want to photograph it lol. Let me find that other thread, you'll get to see my boxed version as I finish my Paludarium .

Edit: found it, post #7 9, 10 here:
Tank Backlighting | Lighting Forum | 449413
Raideress did it.

 

The Plasti Dip? While you’re spraying it on? After it dries?

All of the above?

Have you ever used spray paint?

No, I have not!

For solid painted, I've also used plasti dip, I personally prefer to roll on acrylic craft paint and then protect it with packing tape, I illustrate that in my 29 all in one matten build 29 all in one matten style corner with diy cave | Freshwater Aquarium Builds Forum | 457512

Both of then can be messed up, I haven't used the roll on plasti dip, but the spray on. I almost always miss a spot spraying, then it makes a shadow when you recoat. This is better (as far as spray goes) than acrylic spray like rust-oleum or fusion. Using acrilic spray it tends to crackle/craze when you recoat glass. I ended up doing most of my tanks both of those ways before a friend that paints windows told me to use acrylic craft paint and a foam roller. You can thin it with a drop of water or two if you need to and it is allot easier to put it on good and thick. All 3 of these products are pretty easy to remove, razor for the acrylic, cut and peel for the dip. On a new acrylic tank though, I wouldn't want to cut/scrape, and plasti dip doesn't "always" peel correctly, especially in the thin spots.

Tinting films or the backlighting is what I see as the future for acrylic tanks. I'm doing that project as practice on a broken 10 so I can do my new Paludarium. I got the idea from another member here but they didn't use the shadow box to get more pure colors or a black/dark option. Looking at my broken duct taped mess on the floor I really don't want to photograph it lol. Let me find that other thread, you'll get to see my boxed version as I finish my Paludarium .

Edit: found it, post #7 9, 10 here:
Tank Backlighting | Lighting Forum | 449413
Raideress did it.

Thank you! Yes if I got a custom acrylic tank I would HATE to mess around and have to use a razor. I wonder if the company could do a different color background. I do have to say the links you sent are SO COOL. They look incredible. I can't wait to see your set up Bc I do want the option of all colors without silhouettes. That's SO cool though. Thank You!!

 

No, I have not!

Thank you! Yes if I got a custom acrylic tank I would HATE to mess around and have to use a razor. I wonder if the company could do a different color background. I do have to say the links you sent are SO COOL. They look incredible. I can't wait to see your set up Bc I do want the option of all colors without silhouettes. That's SO cool though. Thank You!!

Practice using some cardboard?

 

Practice using some cardboard?

Smart!