Safe to paint outside Glass walls?

drasar

drasar

Third Instar
I was thinking of painting the outsides of the back and sides of my 10 gal Dubia tank (just a standard aquarium) black so that less light would get in and I didn't have to mess with taping or glueing stuff to the tank. If I leave them in the tank when I paint it I'm worried that the fumes might harm or even kill them. Is there a brand/type of paint I could use that would be safe? Like I said I'm only painting the outsides. I don't have an extra tank to put them in at the moment but I'll wait and get one if it means not harming them...Just wondering

 
drasar said:
I was thinking of painting the outsides of the back and sides of my 10 gal Dubia tank (just a standard aquarium) black so that less light would get in and I didn't have to mess with taping or glueing stuff to the tank. If I leave them in the tank when I paint it I'm worried that the fumes might harm or even kill them. Is there a brand/type of paint I could use that would be safe? Like I said I'm only painting the outsides. I don't have an extra tank to put them in at the moment but I'll wait and get one if it means not harming them...Just wondering
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I don't think I'd paint it because you'd need a water based paint that's not so toxic---acrylic---BUT acrylic won't stick to glass. Catch 22.

 
Since it's the outside of the glass I'd say you could paint it with anything you wanted. If there's no ventilation you might have an issue with a really toxic paint but a roach isnt' a canary.

 
Great the next time I get to a hardware store or hobby shop I'll get some paint...I live in a dinky lilltle town that doesn't even have a walmart...Thanks Guys.

 
About ten year ago a friend of mine had his Diploptera colony crash and die and he was pretty sick too. I forget how he found out it was carbon minoxide poisoning from a faulty furnace but fortunately he did and lived. Of course the roaches were much smaller than him and they were there all day and night and he was just home in the evenings. This may seem off subject but it's just a slightly related anecdote. Many roaches are unbothered by airborne pollutants such as high ammonia levels that would sicken and kill many other animals.

 
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Actually that was interesting. Well I painted the 2 sides and the back of my Dubia's 10 gal aquarium tank and I seem to be seeing more of them more often now...they are still really skiddish and run for cover at the slightest sound or motion though.

 
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