how can i paint the bottom of glass tank

[DLock3d]

So you guys don't spray INSIDE the tank right? All of these discussions are talking about spraying the outsides of the tanks? I'm thinking about changing my substrate tank to a BB. I swear there was a thread about this but I can't find it now.

[Disgirl]

Connie this is just what I did last week. First I had to scrape off the black paint, rather messy, with paint pieces falling in my face as I lay on my back inside the cabinet. The next day, after the fish had calmed down from losing their "substrate", I reached into the cabinet with my can of tan spray paint and just sprayed the glass. I used the sandy paint, with the texture, but wish I had saved $$ and just gone with plain cheap paint. Only the color shows, not the texture, as someone noted earlier in this thread. And be sure to wear a mask and have some windows open. I also covered up my air pump with a heavy towel to keep any fumes away from it. The fish were a bit nervous as their clear glass became tan, but within a minute or so their colors got lovely and they were enjoying their new substrate. I am so glad I did it! Let me know if you want more info.on the project.
Barbara

[jeff@zina.com]

So you guys don't spray INSIDE the tank right?

Correct. Outside only.

Jeff

[poconogal]

Connie this is just what I did last week. First I had to scrape off the black paint, rather messy, with paint pieces falling in my face as I lay on my back inside the cabinet. The next day, after the fish had calmed down from losing their "substrate", I reached into the cabinet with my can of tan spray paint and just sprayed the glass. I used the sandy paint, with the texture, but wish I had saved $$ and just gone with plain cheap paint. Only the color shows, not the texture, as someone noted earlier in this thread. And be sure to wear a mask and have some windows open. I also covered up my air pump with a heavy towel to keep any fumes away from it. The fish were a bit nervous as their clear glass became tan, but within a minute or so their colors got lovely and they were enjoying their new substrate. I am so glad I did it! Let me know if you want more info.on the project.
Barbara

Thanks Barbara. Its good that you didn't get asfixiated under there. How did you handle spray paint fumes? Any problems with that? Or did the mask deal with it?

[Disgirl]

Connie, I just held a folded up towel, several layers, up to my face with my left hand and sprayed with my right hand. It only took a couple minutes, then I let it dry awhile and did it again. I closed the door to the stand and by the next morning all the smell was gone. I did have 2 windows in the room wide open for awhile.
Barbara

[DLock3d]

Anyone know where I can find the thread about switching from substrate over to BB?

[Eddie]

Anyone know where I can find the thread about switching from substrate over to BB?

Just scoop it out and then siphon the rest into a large bucket, gravel and all. Easy as pie.

Barbara, I have to say...you are a soldier! That is definitely the way to just get it done. Right on!

Eddie

[DLock3d]

Oh Gee thanks Eddie . I only have one 55 Gallon and a 10 QT. My concern was pissing off my fish.

[Eddie]

Oh Gee thanks Eddie . I only have one 55 Gallon and a 10 QT. My concern was pissing off my fish.

What doesn't kill them will make them stronger! LOL


Eddie

[drew22to375]

I'm experimenting with some QT's at the moment. For the bottom, I mixed 50% Wellbond (glue) with 50% water. Then mixed some pool filter sand into the Wellbond mixture & spread the mixture on the exterior glass bottom of the tank. When it dried, with a small sponge applicator, I've dabbed sand coloured paint around the gaps in between the sand. Next step is that I will add a final sealing coat of 50% Wellbond & 50% water.

I am curious how that Wllbond & Sand mixture turned out. Any pics?

[TankWatcher]

I am curious how that Wllbond & Sand mixture turned out. Any pics?

Hi Drew

I was pretty happy with it, until I put on 2 final top coats of Wellbond, diluted with water & paint. I think a bit more trial & error before I did the job would have been better, so that I could have got the consistency right. Because I made the top coats so runny, it flooded the sand too much & drowned the individual grains. I am still happier with the result than I am with another QT that I painted with textured paint - but think this can be improved on.

Here's a small piece I did as a sample, before I tackled the QT itself. This one didn't have any top coat at all (Just the wellbond & sand mixture). It looks a lot better than the finished tank


Picture of the sample on the flip side. Wondering if it would be better to have an extra piece of glass, wellbond the sand to it & then attach this to the underneath of the tank with a just a few neat blobs of silicone here & there.


Here's 2 shots of the finished tank. Was hard to get the colour right, but you get the idea of how the grains got smothered a little. I think a bit more trial & error before I did the job would have been better.






You do need to be a little careful when placing the tank in it's final posiiton, as you can tend to bump the sand off with rough handling. But once it's in place, sitting on top of a piece of styrofoam, this doesn't seem an issue.

[drew22to375]

That looks really good TankWatcher. So when are you going to make a trip across the pond and do my tank like that. . I'm really digging the way that bottom looks.