Owlbehere
10-09-2009, 02:00 AM
This is my "extreme tank make over" Too bad I can't find before photos.
So I had this tank set up for a while but ended up tearing it down because my filters kept going out... not sure why. I took the fish to the LFS and emptied it.
It used to house various tetra such as red and blue and red eye.
It sat empty for a few months... collecting dust.
Today I had my Boyfriend help me put the tank on the porch to empty out the sand and clean it out really well. My mom wants me to set it up again in the living room. We moved some stuff around and put the stand where she wanted it. Its near an outside door that rarely is used. It is a nice spot because it is where everyone can see it but still out of the way.
I began cleaning it and getting old water spots off. I got all the sand out, well almost all of it :hmm3grin2orange: that stuff is determined to stay. I have decided to go with black gravel. All of the furniture in the living room is black, so is the stand. I also am suspicious that the sand had a role in killing my filters. And here is where my project came in. I decided to paint the back black.
I had a can of Krylon black fusion paint. I got some paper bags and covered the tank and taped it up all around so that just the back panel was showing. I left a space to lift up the paper in the front to check the coverage with the sunlight behind. Because it was on the porch I put paper under it as well to keep the paint off the flagstone. I cleaned the back panel with alcohol and newspaper. With even strokes I sprayed about 5 coats on to the tank waiting a little in between to keep it from running.
I am very pleased... It looks so nice. I have been having trouble taking a photo though, the glass is reflecting everything back at me. This photo is from today. I will take photos along the process. Like when I add the gravel.
Pardon the dust on the stand... Like I said its been sitting.
So I had this tank set up for a while but ended up tearing it down because my filters kept going out... not sure why. I took the fish to the LFS and emptied it.
It used to house various tetra such as red and blue and red eye.
It sat empty for a few months... collecting dust.
Today I had my Boyfriend help me put the tank on the porch to empty out the sand and clean it out really well. My mom wants me to set it up again in the living room. We moved some stuff around and put the stand where she wanted it. Its near an outside door that rarely is used. It is a nice spot because it is where everyone can see it but still out of the way.
I began cleaning it and getting old water spots off. I got all the sand out, well almost all of it :hmm3grin2orange: that stuff is determined to stay. I have decided to go with black gravel. All of the furniture in the living room is black, so is the stand. I also am suspicious that the sand had a role in killing my filters. And here is where my project came in. I decided to paint the back black.
I had a can of Krylon black fusion paint. I got some paper bags and covered the tank and taped it up all around so that just the back panel was showing. I left a space to lift up the paper in the front to check the coverage with the sunlight behind. Because it was on the porch I put paper under it as well to keep the paint off the flagstone. I cleaned the back panel with alcohol and newspaper. With even strokes I sprayed about 5 coats on to the tank waiting a little in between to keep it from running.
I am very pleased... It looks so nice. I have been having trouble taking a photo though, the glass is reflecting everything back at me. This photo is from today. I will take photos along the process. Like when I add the gravel.
Pardon the dust on the stand... Like I said its been sitting.