Hey guys.
This topic is for a freshwater setup, but it applies here since I know a lot of reef keepers have dealt with this type of thing, so please bear with me.
So I scored a 135 gallon, "reef ready" setup on Craigslist. I love it...except for the back panel of the tank. It is colored acrylic (not just an applied layer of paint to the back of the panel), so there is no way to easily change the color. It is a bright blue, and while appropriate for reef tanks, I'm not a huge fan of the blue for a freshwater setup. I'd like to make it black.
I've been doing a lot of research, and from what I've gathered Krylon Fusion is the way to go for painting things that go inside the tank because it bonds well to acrylic AND is inert once it cures. I don't mind waiting for it to cure. I can wait the 7 days.
But I worry about durability. I did a test panel with a piece of acrylic that I bought from Home Depot, and an hour after I sprayed it I could easily mark the paint with my fingernail. Does it hold up well to marks and scuffs after the full curing time, or will it get marked just as easily?
Is this my best bet to change the color of the background? I've already taped out the tank and am ready to paint, but am having second thoughts at the last minute. Any opinions out there? :help:
Thanks.
This topic is for a freshwater setup, but it applies here since I know a lot of reef keepers have dealt with this type of thing, so please bear with me.
So I scored a 135 gallon, "reef ready" setup on Craigslist. I love it...except for the back panel of the tank. It is colored acrylic (not just an applied layer of paint to the back of the panel), so there is no way to easily change the color. It is a bright blue, and while appropriate for reef tanks, I'm not a huge fan of the blue for a freshwater setup. I'd like to make it black.
I've been doing a lot of research, and from what I've gathered Krylon Fusion is the way to go for painting things that go inside the tank because it bonds well to acrylic AND is inert once it cures. I don't mind waiting for it to cure. I can wait the 7 days.
But I worry about durability. I did a test panel with a piece of acrylic that I bought from Home Depot, and an hour after I sprayed it I could easily mark the paint with my fingernail. Does it hold up well to marks and scuffs after the full curing time, or will it get marked just as easily?
Is this my best bet to change the color of the background? I've already taped out the tank and am ready to paint, but am having second thoughts at the last minute. Any opinions out there? :help:
Thanks.