Installing tank backgrounds
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:26 am
Many of us use backgrounds on our tanks to hide the insane mass of cables, hoses and other equipment that resides behind the back glass. No matter how well you clean the glass, trim and tape the background though, water will find a way to creep in and ugly spots will appear, spoiling the look of that beautiful background. Here's a better way to apply the background to the tank:
(1) Trim the background to fit between the top and bottom rims of the back of the tank. Don't worry about the length. That can easily be trimmed later.
(2) Clean the back of the glass using a vinegar-based window cleaner. This will help remove any hard water spots.
(3) Apply a thin, even coat of a petroleum jelly such as Vaseline to the glass. I use disposable rubber gloves and wipe it on with my hands. Make sure that all areas of the glass are coated. Although you only need a thin coat, it doesn't hurt to have a little extra. You'll just have a little extra cleanup at the end of the job and it's better than not having enough Vaseline on the glass.
(4) Apply the background and lightly press it against the glass.
(5) Starting at one end of the tank and using a small hard squeegee or the short edge of a credit card (make sure the edge of the 'tool' is very smooth with no burrs), apply pressure to the background and wipe toward the other end of the tank, squeezing out the trapped air between the background and the glass. Work from top to bottom in rows about 2"-3" each. Overlap strokes to keep air from being pushed back into areas that are already completed. (Tip: Spraying the outside of the background with Windex makes this step much easier)
(6) Periodically view from the front of the tank to make sure all air bubbles have been removed. Some Vaseline may be squeezed out at the end. Wipe this away using dry paper towels. Carefully trim any excess background using a new single-edged razor blade.
The background is now tightly sealed to the glass. Colors of the background will also be far more vivid than backgrounds applied with tape. Want to change backgrounds later? No problem! Just peel the old one off and apply the new one.
(1) Trim the background to fit between the top and bottom rims of the back of the tank. Don't worry about the length. That can easily be trimmed later.
(2) Clean the back of the glass using a vinegar-based window cleaner. This will help remove any hard water spots.
(3) Apply a thin, even coat of a petroleum jelly such as Vaseline to the glass. I use disposable rubber gloves and wipe it on with my hands. Make sure that all areas of the glass are coated. Although you only need a thin coat, it doesn't hurt to have a little extra. You'll just have a little extra cleanup at the end of the job and it's better than not having enough Vaseline on the glass.
(4) Apply the background and lightly press it against the glass.
(5) Starting at one end of the tank and using a small hard squeegee or the short edge of a credit card (make sure the edge of the 'tool' is very smooth with no burrs), apply pressure to the background and wipe toward the other end of the tank, squeezing out the trapped air between the background and the glass. Work from top to bottom in rows about 2"-3" each. Overlap strokes to keep air from being pushed back into areas that are already completed. (Tip: Spraying the outside of the background with Windex makes this step much easier)
(6) Periodically view from the front of the tank to make sure all air bubbles have been removed. Some Vaseline may be squeezed out at the end. Wipe this away using dry paper towels. Carefully trim any excess background using a new single-edged razor blade.
The background is now tightly sealed to the glass. Colors of the background will also be far more vivid than backgrounds applied with tape. Want to change backgrounds later? No problem! Just peel the old one off and apply the new one.
