Want to paint my egg-crate panels

[5xevy]

I have the Home Depot egg-crate panels on top of my refugium and some for the top of the tanks. I want to paint the ones for the top of my tanks black. They'll be under metal halides and will definitely be getting saltwater on them.

What's the safest paint, or black color, I can use for this purpose?

Thanks ahead of time.

-Put this under the wrong forum- ah well.

[Omega]

Krylon Fusion maybe.

[jojo22]

I hesitate to say that paint would stick to them but if you want to try I would go with krylon fusion as it is supposed to bond with plastic an a molecular level.


You where too quick for me OMEGA!!!!!!

[Omega]

You where too quick for me OMEGA!!!!!!Hehehehe...

[5xevy]

Hehe- you 2 are quick!

So that is really all I need? Do you think the salt would eventually wear it down (or chip it) at all?

[jojo22]

I would be worried about that and the fact that black is going to absorb more heat so they may disform or even melt. I would use the fusion but keep extra crate handy and keep a close eye on it "Just incase".

[5xevy]

black is going to absorb more heat so they may disform or even melt.

Good point. One last question...is there some kind of protective high-heat coating I can put on afterwards- sort of like the high heat paint for brake calipers, only a protective coat for plastic?

[jojo22]

The only problem is that the heat is comeing from the outside and not the inside. The caliper paint is made to act as hind of a heatsink. to pull heat from it's source and direct it elsewhere, which in your case would be the egg-crate. What lighting are you going to have over this??? Unless you are running high wattage MH I wouldn't be too worried but just keep an eye on things.

[m007]

I doubt any paint is going to stick for long since egg crate flexes when moved. The flexing will crack the paint and it will begin to flake off. The lighting won't help either. You will likely end up with a mess on your hands. I think I remember there being chromed egg crating available. Check a specialty lighting store or wholesale supplier of light fixtures. You may have to source it from a comercial supplier. The chrome effect might create some interesting lighting effects :idea: Oh yeah, you might want to ask for a chrome or silver gridded light defuser. Most people don't understand the term egg crate and quite frankly I don't get where that term came from either.

[Germanman]

yea long term it might come off i personally would paint anything that would get near the water

[wastememphis]

you can buy black egg crate off line. I wouldn't paint it, and black would absorb light anyway.

I have white egg crate over my tank and there is a noticable difference between when its on and off the tank already... so putting black there would probably block it more.

[5xevy]

I have white egg crate over my tank and there is a noticable difference between when its on and off the tank already... so putting black there would probably block it more.

I have been rethinking the entire thing anyway. Can you tell me what the noticable difference is? Are you referring to the heat or another difference with the lights affecting your tank?

[wastememphis]

oh sure, i meant you can see a difference in the amount of light actually in the tank. Once you put any cover over the water it will restrict the amount of light going in. With my white eggcrate it reflects it all over the room and with black it'll probably absorb the light. So any eggcrate cover will reduce the light going into the tank but for me its necessary so my fish don't jump, while still using halides.

[5xevy]

but for me its necessary so my fish don't jump, while still using halides.

Exactly. That's why I need them. I need them on my FOWLR because my one bizarre clownfish constantly likes to jump in the overflow and I'm afraid he'll jump out of the tank one of these days. Also for my sleeper gold-head goby that I want to replace, and the same for the reef tank. I just want to protect my fish but I guess there's always a drawback.

[Rbishop]

There was a ecent thread on here about Krylon Fusion...do a search for iy.

I'd recommend it. One of the main reasons for that paint is refurbishment of plastic deck furniture. I think it would work.