to spray or not to spray
- Thread starter wwinters
- Start date
I read somewhere that a person used mineral oil between the tank and the blue paper background. She applied the mineral oil then the paper. she used a small squeegee to get the excess oil and air bubbles out. The oil acted like a glue and the picture of the tank looked like the backing had been spray painted on. Just a though, in case you ever want to remove the background.
The H*ll if Id ever use ANYTHING aerosol or in any way "spray" action around my aquarium! Only if it was super-sealed with an air filter for incoming air for oxygenation! NO. Especially glue! I would just use some kind of paint-on glue that you can spread easy!
I wasn't planning on spraying my tank! I would take the paper outside and spray the paper, then bring it back in and stick it onto the back of the tank.
I think the oil sounds like a good idea, and if I get tired of the blue I can switch to black. Thanks
I think the oil sounds like a good idea, and if I get tired of the blue I can switch to black. Thanks
Vegetable oil..i posted a similar thread to this not too long ago regarding paint for the background..you apply the veg oil to the front of the background and use a credit card or similar to smooth it out..guess it works...i have yet to try it but sounds good to me...
Vegetable oil hurts what? it sticks better and you dont have tape sticking out the sides of your tank...with the oil you can take the background off if you so desire but it also gives that fully pressed painted on background look...tape on doesnt look as good..IMO
I have seen when water gets in between the glass and my background it looks a hell of alot better...like i said i personally havent tried it.... i said My Opinion..its just another way to apply a background..im sorry you dont like it..It doesnt have to be that way..it was just a suggestion for application...then the next question is why tape.."whattheF*** ever" why have a background at all?
I donht have a backround. I used tape but it alway fell down and water and it was impossible to clean the back glass when i had algae. For some reason i like tanks with no backoround.
For all you people who are appalled at the use of sprays, i use Windex to clean the glass. :wink: If u spray it on the paper towel first away from the tank, then use it, there's no big deal.
For all you people who are appalled at the use of sprays, i use Windex to clean the glass. :wink: If u spray it on the paper towel first away from the tank, then use it, there's no big deal.
I have been using the oil on method for over 20 years. It works great! its an easy method of aplication and the vegetable oil wont hurt anything. Another good tip when using the oil method is to cut the background slightly larger then the exposed glass when looking at it. most glass tanks have enough room between the glass and frame, so that you can insert the background under the frame at top and bottom. This will give you the effect of having the background come all the way up to your water line when viewed from the inside.
BTW my current background has been on now for 4 years without having to reapply or adjust. It is a gradient of blue to almost black and gives the illusion of greater depth.
Bob
BTW my current background has been on now for 4 years without having to reapply or adjust. It is a gradient of blue to almost black and gives the illusion of greater depth.
Bob
Why use background at all, you ask. Because the tank is new so there's not any coraline algae on the back and the light from my sump is leaking into my tank at night. I could cover the back of my sump but I like it getting some good air exchange in there and my protean skimmer sticks out a little. Finally I have never gotten a uniform wall of coaraline algae, there are always some spots that don't grow over especially at the top of the tank.
Why not tape? Because I don't like the look of the loose background on the tank. There is also the child factor but unless you have young kids you wouldn't understand their (or at least my kids) love of all things taped. I think it is closely related to their need to take stickers and put them on clothes, walls etc. then remove them over and over again till the the sticker is no longer sticky then get upset because it won't stick anymore.
I understand a lot of reef keeper are young men that don't have young children in the house and really don't need to think about these things. But, since you asked why not tape, there is your answer.
Why not tape? Because I don't like the look of the loose background on the tank. There is also the child factor but unless you have young kids you wouldn't understand their (or at least my kids) love of all things taped. I think it is closely related to their need to take stickers and put them on clothes, walls etc. then remove them over and over again till the the sticker is no longer sticky then get upset because it won't stick anymore.
I understand a lot of reef keeper are young men that don't have young children in the house and really don't need to think about these things. But, since you asked why not tape, there is your answer.
Either way, good luck with your backround situation.
BTW - lordnikon, I didnt mean to offend you or piss you off. I just wanted to know if you had used the oil method before. It sounded off the wall to me putting any kind of oil near the tank. Some people are scared to use anything around their tank that might hurt it. Im glad it works for some people. :roll:
BTW - lordnikon, I didnt mean to offend you or piss you off. I just wanted to know if you had used the oil method before. It sounded off the wall to me putting any kind of oil near the tank. Some people are scared to use anything around their tank that might hurt it. Im glad it works for some people. :roll:
The oil shouldn't really hurt, unless you get a whole bunch in the tank itself. It's actually very similar to the way after-market auto glass tint sheeting is applied (though that stuff's adhesive, so you use Windex). Neither should the spray adhesive the original poster mentioned, applied the way I'd already assumed s/he ended up saying would be the method used. Windex is something I wouldn't ever use, always used a mixture of water and vinegar for cleaning tanks (squeegee, you get lots of tanks done fast that way).
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
