Preserve bacterial colony

i've made this internal canister filter with pvc, sponge, bio balls, lava rock and a powerhead.
i was testing things, and really liked how it worked out, now i want to remove the others sponge filter and leave just this filter.
but i want to paint it black so it might look better with the black background. (i don't have safe aquarium paint, so i going to use black silicone to "paint it").

so my question is:
can i take the filter material out e let them inside the aquarium in a corner, so that they remain oxygenated, and remove just the pvc case to paint, and then put them back togheter without loosing the bacterial colony?




ps: please ignore the photo quality, my camera is terrible

 

I want to say that's genius! You should be fine leaving it in water. Maybe put it all in a piece of pantyhose to keep it together

 

You can just chuck the media in a bucket of of tank water dont leave it sit loose in your tank.

 

As long as the media is kept wet, the bacteria will be just fine.

Rather than using silicone to "paint" the canister black, you might try one of the spray paints designed for plastics. A couple of examples are Krylon Fusion All-in-One and Rust-oleum Painter's Touch 2X. Whether you use silicone or spray paint, make sure you allow the coating to cure fully before using it in or around your aquarium. The product instruction will provide curing time.\

Make sure you apply the coating in an area with adequate ventilation. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you might want to wait until the weather warms enough to do this outdoors.

 

As long as the media is kept wet, the bacteria will be just fine.

Rather than using silicone to "paint" the canister black, you might try one of the spray paints designed for plastics. A couple of examples are Krylon Fusion All-in-One and Rust-oleum Painter's Touch 2X. Whether you use silicone or spray paint, make sure you allow the coating to cure fully before using it in or around your aquarium. The product instruction will provide curing time.\

Make sure you apply the coating in an area with adequate ventilation. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you might want to wait until the weather warms enough to do this outdoors.

That's perfect, the same I used on my outdoor furniture. Just be sure to sand lightly and wipe down or it might run and not adhere the greatest causing chipping. The pvc is actually quite smooth.

 

That's perfect, the same I used on my outdoor furniture. Just be sure to sand lightly and wipe down or it might run and not adhere the greatest causing chipping. The pvc is actually quite smooth.

PCV is rather difficult to paint. These paints are specifically designed to adhere to PVC. Just do not try painting HDPE or PTFE as nothing sticks.

 

Ok, so as long i use acrylic spray paint it is safe for aquarium?

Ps: the holder, although not completly visible in the photo, is also made with pvc, and i paint it with spray paint with no problem at all

 

Once fully cured, the paint turns into an inert plastic.

 

thanks you all guys
I'll be working on it this weekend

 

Dont use acrylic. Toxic and will peel. Only use it on outside like blacking out the back. My first rule, If you can scratch any off with your finger nail a definite no!

 

Krylon Fusion bonds to plastic and generally accepted as safe for use in Aquariums.

The key for good adhesion and long life of the paint job is proper prep work (light sanding of pvc and having the surface free of contaminates), using multiple light coats of Fusion spray paint, and sowing for adequate drying time between coats following the instructions.

I forget what my Fusion can said, but it must dry a couple of hours between coats.

 

Now i'm a bit confused.
I guess i let my filter be, and i will experiment this on a piece of pvc pipe, let it dry for a couple of days and then put it in a water container to see if it holds ok