How to Remove Aquarium Paint
If your aquarium has a painted background, it is likely detracting from the beauty and colors of your fish and coral. Unfortunately, if you already have fish in the tank, then you have only one real option when it comes to aquarium paint removal: serious elbow grease. It will take some time, but with care you can remove aquarium paint without upsetting your fish too much or risking their health with chemical solvents.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Mild soap
- Distilled water
- Plastic putty knife
- Net
- Razor
- Glass cleaner
- Cleaning rags
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1
Position the aquarium so that it can be easily accessed and worked on. If you have the aquarium in a recessed area in the wall, you may need to angle it so that you can reach the back of the aquarium. Generally, aquarium paint is on the outside of the back wall of the aquarium.
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2
Wash your hands. Even though ideally you will not be putting your hands in the water with your fish, it is better to be safe than sorry. Wash your hands thoroughly with a mild soap and rinse them even more thoroughly with distilled water.
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3
Start scraping off the paint. You may need to use the razor blade to get the process started, but once you get going switch to the plastic putty knife to avoid scratching mishaps. Remove as much of the paint as possible using the plastic putty knife. Should any paint chips fall in the tank, fish them out immediately with the net.
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4
Clean up leftover paint using the razor blade. It is unlikely that you will be able to remove every speck of paint from the back of the aquarium using the plastic putty knife. Clean up any leftover streaks using the razor blade. Do not use the corner, but rather the flat side of the blade to avoid scratches.
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5
Clean up the back of the tank so that it is sparkling. Spray glass cleaner on the cleaning rag. Never spray it directly on the aquarium because some could accidentally get in the water. Wipe down the back of the aquarium with the rag until all fingerprints, smears and loose paint chips are completely gone.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Always be very careful to jostle the fish as little as possible.
