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Ryan F
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I got a cheap background and taped it up. One thing I didn't see in my original research 7 years ago when I started the tank was how to "properly" attach it. Or that you could get a great effect through painting. 

I'd like to swap it with a painted background. Probably just do black as my blue betta should pop more against that. Any recommendations on a brand of brush-able paint for an active aquarium? Or which type of paint I should look at? latex, or acrylic...other?

Does the suggested paint change if the tank is new and not currently filled? 

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I have used simple acrylic craft paint on the outside of the back. It wont tolerate being smacked into, so this is not so good if you store stuff behind your tank, but it looks just as professional as anything, and is easy to apply and change if you want a different color.

I also used a black plastic trash bag taped on the back of one tank...which I know sounds...trashy. When the tank is filled and there are lots of plants, you can't really tell that is what I did. I decided after positioning the tank an inch from the wall and filling it that I wanted black after all. I meant it to be a test, but it looked fine, so I left it.

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I’ve used acrylic, enamel and plasti-dip. Acrylic will chip easier. Enamel stinks and takes forever to dry before recoat.  Plasti-dip is by far my favorite, but it stinks too much to use inside in a basement or attached garage to not make enemies in your family. But if it’s warm where you are and you can paint outside, it’s super easy to apply, fairly rugged compared to acrylic, and has a fast dry and recount time. 

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This might not be the answer you are looking for, but I have used  flat black enamel on foam board, acrylic and Lauan panels.  It depended on what I had available that could be cut to fit. I attached them with a spot of hot glue.  The advantages were that they could be removed to repaint in seconds, and If I really wanted, I could remove the panel to use the mag float on the back glass.  The acrylic panel was the best of the group.  If you are painting the outside, paint type doesn't matter.  Latex is the least durable, but easiest to remove. It is not recommended for glass.

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