i bought a used tank and the back is painted blue. i figured i scrape it and repaint it. well whatever kind of paint it is it aint coming off. i got some small spots but im worried im gonna gouge the glass with the razor. ive tried vinegar,salt water, test spots of rubbing alcohol/nail polish remover just about anything ive read on the web. anyone got any tricks? would a heat gun crack the glass?if not would it take the paint off even?

Acetone, turpentine or toluene/xylene would be your best bets, in (my opinion) order of vile to vilest. I'm assuming this is on the outside of the tank and not the inside.

Be very careful around the silicone too. All three will destroy silicone in either enough quantity or long enough exposure.

If it's on the inside of the tank, I would not use the turpentine or xylene. They're oil based and will linger forever, or you could clean it up with gasoline like my grandfather did, never on a fish tank tho.. Acetone evaporates fairly quickly when exposed to air, so after a few rinses you should be good.

Another thing that might work is stuff called Goo Gone. It works good for tree sap and tar, but I've never tried it on paint.

thanks turtle. im at the acetone stage right now. i just realized everything i was reading was for aquariums and they were all talking about inside the tank. i shoulda just went with my gut and used the nail polish remover right away. i gotta figure out how to keep it off the silicone b4 i get crazy with it.

thanks again

oh yea weve got a snapper my kids found one night on a beach. it was a baby and we had frost warnings that night so i knew he wouldnt make it in the lake. i was surprised he wasnt dead already. anyhow we kept him and we were worried about him not knowin how to survive in the wild which is wierd cuz ive kept a million wild caught turtles in my life. but i got the little bastard catchin goldfish for dinner. well he catches them for fun too i think cuz he eats the guts and sometimes just the eyes and leaves the rest. im blabbin

any special technique is should be using this aint really doin the trick

Sounds like they might have used epoxy paint or something a bit harder to remove than a usual paint.

Ouch. I've never had to use anything beyond vinegar and a razor blade.

eltrut420 wrote:

any special technique is should be using this aint really doin the trick

On the flip side, glass is pretty tough stuff. I've never gouged glass with a razor blade, I HAVE applied to much pressure and snapped a pane. Try short, rapid strokes, kinda chip away at it. If you've tried this already, then I'm not sure what else ya can do.

WYite

Make sure it's a new blade too...thats the only input I have on making the paint removal "easier".

i broke down and bought a chemical that took it off right away. i spent 2 days scraping and with the chemical i was done in under an hour.i misunderstood that the chemicals shouldnt be used IN a tank not on the outside. oh ya it was epoxy paint they used. anyhow thanks for the input

Just be sure you fill the tank and let it sit for a few days outside of your main living area. The chemicals used to remove epoxy paint can effect the silicone too. Also be sure to clean thoroughly even though the chemicals were used on the outside.

ya unfortunately im goin for broke on this one. never tested the tank for leaks or anything. just gotta hope she aint a leaker. its on the floor in the kitchen right now and i cant fill it outside

At least fill it in your bathtub and leave it overnight. Good luck.

ya its a 150. crossing my fingers

Oooh...OK then...I'll cross my fingers for you too...

Just an FYI if you ever need to do it again.

Nail polish remover is like 10% acetone, 90% filler and another 5% scent that tries to mask the acetone.

For heavy duty stuff, go get a can of it at the hardware store. Higher concentrations dry out your hands like a mofo tho, so don't do like I do and wear some gloves.