Aquarium Spray Paint!!

ahhh!!! I was looking up some spray paints for my pvc overflow and I found that krylon has good rep for being good for aquariums. I went out and bought a can of krylon textured spray paint and painted my overflow. After researching a bit more, I found that many people mentioned krylon "Fusion" and realized that the paint I bought didnt have fusion on it. Is it still aquarium safe? T_T or do I have to start all over again.....(30 bucks down the drain...)

 

I don't have much experience with marine paint, but there paints specifically made for marine applications, such as boats, docks etc. I would guess you should probably be ok, but I don't. Personally, i wouldn't have painted anything inside the tank without knowing that it would be ok. Just my opinion.

 

Alot of that stuff is ok submerged in freshwater but saltwater is a different story. I personally wouldnt paint anything that would be in the tank because sooner or later its going to come off no matter what you use. If you want to do it the right way though use marine paint that is specifically for fiberglass boats. Its not toxic once it cures and it will last a very long time, the downside is that its expensive (like $60 a quart expensive) and you need a gun to spray it. It would last quite a few years as opposed to a couple of months with pretty much any other product. Something else that is bulletproof and wont harm your fish is Line-X. Its used in the automotive industry for various things and you should be able to find a local shop that applies it. Since the overflow is so tiny you may be able to get them to shoot it for free while they are in the process of doing a bedliner or other sizeable job.

 

it's up to you. I've been told that that it was SPECIFICALLY Fusion that was safe. that's all i use. i'd play it safe and be out 30 bucks of paint rather than pollute your whole tank

 

will it be possible to just use some paint remover?

 

id see if i could scrape it off or sand it off first before using any type chemical. if its not fully cured. might scrape off easy.

 

i think i paint remover would be more of a danger to the tank than the paint. a couple of coats of Fusion over the existent might be enough to seal it in

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Once paint is dry it should not be a problem, its the volatiles or solvents that act as carriers when it is wet that are of concern. Once it dries the solvents or water evaporate and you cannot tell water based from solvent based paints at that point.

 

The main reason to use Krylon Fusion is that the company specifically designed (and markets it) to adhere well to plastics. A lot of spray paints don't get good adhesion to PVC or other plastics. I would check the pieces that you painted. If the paint is well adhered, you'll probably be OK.

 

I'd still advise taking off the paint and starting over. Dont use any chemicals to rmeove it as it may damage the plastic as well. Sandpaper will work just fine. 99% of paint offered in an aerosol can is junk, not trying to sound mean but you really get what you pay for. Krylon Fusion is made specifically to adhere to plastic, probably works ok on lawn furniture, toys and around the house projects that nobody really touches. It's not designed to stay on anything that is submerged in saltwater. Saltwater will wear down even the most expensive finishes and products if they are not designed to be used in that manner. If you do not want to come up with the cash to buy the correct products your best bet would be to sand off every bit of spray paint and leave it at that. I can guarantee you anything you put in your tank that isnt designed to hold up under saltwater is going to flake off, make a mess and look really ugly. I've fixed boats where people have tried to use spray paint to cover up damage or faded spots and it simply does not work. Theres no replacement for marine grade paint. Again not trying to be mean but do people really trust a $3 can of spray paint in their tanks?