I've had a few inquiries on this subject and sent a post I'd made some time ago. Guess I should post it again.
Painting Acrylic Aquariums:
There are a couple of different techniques you can use to paint acrylic aquariums. Each one depends on the overall effect you wish to achieve.
Painting should be done to the outside only. It really doesn't matter if you use a brush or roller since the stroke marks are only obvious on the top of the coat layer and not on the contact surface. For a more even look and increased bond, the acrylic surface can be sanded with extra-fine sandpaper prior to painting. If you elect to omit sanding, clean the surface with alcohol to remove all airborne/waterborne oils and dirt.
If you're looking to make the back of the tank opaque, you can use any water-based exterior acrylic paint. Tape off the edges for a more professional-looking finished look. Mix the paint well, prior to painting, to avoid off-tint streaks/shadowing.
For a translucent effect, you can paint the back with a clear exterior acrylic coating and use any color tint added to provide color to the back. This will provide a "warm glow" effect since the tinted acrylic will allow light to pass through the coating. The more tint you add, the more opaque the mix becomes. Less tint leads to a more translucent effect.This technique should be practiced, on some scrap pieces, before using on the aquarium so as to get the correct amount of tint adjusted in the clear acrylic. Adjusting your mix in a scrap can or container will allow you to add more clear acrylic, from the main can, if you've added more tint than desired in the mixing can.
A note of caution, avoid oil-based paints and spray paints. Oil is a solvent to plastics which includes acrylic aquariums. Spray paints, for the most part, use butane as a carrier for the paint. Butane is also a solvent to plastics.
And, lastly, a tip. I recommend using a sponge, sponge roller, or sponge brush to apply the acrylic paint or acrylic coating. A hair brush may leave hairs in the coating that can't be seen from the coated side surface while you're painting, But, they may be seen while looking through the front of the aquarium after it's too late to remove them.
Painting Acrylic Aquariums:
There are a couple of different techniques you can use to paint acrylic aquariums. Each one depends on the overall effect you wish to achieve.
Painting should be done to the outside only. It really doesn't matter if you use a brush or roller since the stroke marks are only obvious on the top of the coat layer and not on the contact surface. For a more even look and increased bond, the acrylic surface can be sanded with extra-fine sandpaper prior to painting. If you elect to omit sanding, clean the surface with alcohol to remove all airborne/waterborne oils and dirt.
If you're looking to make the back of the tank opaque, you can use any water-based exterior acrylic paint. Tape off the edges for a more professional-looking finished look. Mix the paint well, prior to painting, to avoid off-tint streaks/shadowing.
For a translucent effect, you can paint the back with a clear exterior acrylic coating and use any color tint added to provide color to the back. This will provide a "warm glow" effect since the tinted acrylic will allow light to pass through the coating. The more tint you add, the more opaque the mix becomes. Less tint leads to a more translucent effect.This technique should be practiced, on some scrap pieces, before using on the aquarium so as to get the correct amount of tint adjusted in the clear acrylic. Adjusting your mix in a scrap can or container will allow you to add more clear acrylic, from the main can, if you've added more tint than desired in the mixing can.
A note of caution, avoid oil-based paints and spray paints. Oil is a solvent to plastics which includes acrylic aquariums. Spray paints, for the most part, use butane as a carrier for the paint. Butane is also a solvent to plastics.
And, lastly, a tip. I recommend using a sponge, sponge roller, or sponge brush to apply the acrylic paint or acrylic coating. A hair brush may leave hairs in the coating that can't be seen from the coated side surface while you're painting, But, they may be seen while looking through the front of the aquarium after it's too late to remove them.
