Suitable paint for Aquarium ornament

Hey allllll!

I'm setting up a new tank with a Star Wars theme (I sware i'm not a NERD) and for the main ornament (which will double as a hidey-hole) I plan to paint a round pot plant to look like the Death Star (If you don't know what that is:shocked:.....shame on you JUST KIDDING)

I was thinking of using Acrylic paint as its non toxic and readily available. Is this type of paint okay? Is there another type of paint that i should use instead. I only need black and white paint and it would be a round pot from just an ordinary garden nursery made from like terracotta or something?

Acrylic paint, safe for aquariums? or not?

LOVE for some comments and feedback, as soon as this tank is fully set-up i will post MANY PICTURES!!!!

XOX - Patrice

I just googled acrylic paints, and whether or not its safe for aquarium use. Apparently some flake off when left under water for a long time. I certainly wouldn't want my axolotl ingesting any.

BUT I can use acrylic paint if I use an epoxy or aquarium safe sealant over the top of it, then let it dry for a few days or what ever is recommended.

Does this sounds about right?

Paints that are safe for aquarium use can be a real pain to find. Here is some helpful info for you:

Type of paint: Currently the only paint type I know of that are safe are acrylics. Spray paints in any form are not safe. Some epoxy paints are safe however they are not designed for underwater use and fail early on. I did quite a bit of research on this a few months back and only certain colors are safe to use. (I use Liquitex BASICS, not sure if those are available outside North America though.)

Colors: ONLY the following paint colors are aquarium safe.( ALL the rest are potentially toxic to amphibians.) Mars Black, Titanium White, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna. read the labels of paints carefully. Many manufacturers use other pigments in these colors and that makes them unsafe. The names listed are the only pigment that should be in that color of paint. Under no circumstance is any other color safe, especially Reds, Greens and Blues. A good rule to follow is this: if you cannot pronounce the name of the pigment or the pigment is not listed on the label, the paint is unsafe for use with amphibians.

Primers and Sealers: The need for a primer depends on the surface being painted. For porous surfaces no primer is needed. For non-porous surfaces and plastics a water based spray primer should be used. You must allow a minimum 1 week cure time for the primer. After the week is up I personally suggest you then submerge the piece in untreated tap water and let it soak for a week or more along with a small mesh bag of activated carbon. Let it air dry, then paint with acrylics.
For sealers, any urethane clear sealer is safe to use, but a cure time and post sealer treatment in water with carbon is also suggested. Do not use colored or pigmented sealers. For easy cleaning later, I suggest a high gloss sealer.

Hey, thanks for the detailed answer!

I'm not sure if that brand of acrylic is sold in Australia, but I know theres many to choose from.
I looked at some acrylic paints today and I saw a 'Titanium White' and 'Black' acrylic paint.

I plan to paint onto a round terracotta pot. Is terracotta classified as a porous surface?

Thanks for your help :happy:

Aye, nice dry terracotta is an excellent surface for acrylics in this application.

REALLLLY! Awesome!

So i guess i'll be sticking to that idea then. But just to be on the safe side, once i've finished painting it, i'll let it dry for a week or 2 then sit the 'death star pot' in a bucket of dechlorinated water for another week or 2. Does that sound like a good idea, or just a waste of time.

Once more thanks soo much for your help :happy:

Always a sound plan. Throw in a women's stocking of activated carbon to the soak bucket , just to be safe, and you have a winner of a project. I look forward to seeing pictures!

Ahaha, A deathstar pot sounds awesome
I'm also incredibly nerdy, but I'm setting mine up all Rainbow Road style with a big printout to cover the back of the tank and multicolored guppies named after various powerups :3
Bit of a dissapointment about the other colours...But surely there are some other safe pigments?
I understand that by following pretty standard naturally available pigments you're assured a toxin free tank, but I just wonder how comercially available tank ornaments can be sold in such incredibly lurid colours if they are not even aquarium safe. I'll be doing a bit more research into this, eventually want to make some resin castings, and still need to find some appropriated resin pigments.

Hey SludgeMunkey,
I have a question for you. I went to my local do it yourself store and got stumped on a certain thing here....

I was looking to purchase the (clear urethane sealant) for this fake rock center piece I am making for my fish tank. There are two different types to choose from. OIL BASED OR WATER BASED...... What would you recommend? Unfortionately nobody carries the name brand products you recommended. I chose not to purchase anything until I get a solid answer. I tried looking online and nobody seems to disclose this option. However I have read that clear polyurethane sealants are used for aquarium decorations and are safe if cured properly all over the web. I will definitely be using your curing methods.

Hope to hear back from you I can't wait to get started on this project! Lol.

NOTE:
Center piece is made of chicken wire and styro-foam to make the shape and slathered with 2-3" of mason cement.

SludgeMunkey said:

For sealers, any urethane clear sealer is safe to use, but a cure time and post sealer treatment in water with carbon is also suggested. Do not use colored or pigmented sealers. For easy cleaning later, I suggest a high gloss sealer.

Click to expand...

Would urethane sealers be available at hobby stores? Or are they more typically found in hardware stores?