Good call on the opaque tank—algae's a pain to deal with once it sets in. Curious though, have you noticed any difference in water temp after painting tanks dark? I've heard mixed things about heat absorption...
- Haven't noticed a huge difference myself, honestly.
- Dark tanks might absorb a bit more heat, but unless you're in direct sun all day, it's probably minimal.
- Had one tenant swear the water felt warmer after painting tanks black...but pretty sure that was placebo effect or wishful thinking, lol.
- Bottom line: algae-free beats a slight temp bump any day.
"Bottom line: algae-free beats a slight temp bump any day."
Haha, totally agree with this. I painted mine dark green thinking it'd blend nicely with the yard—didn't even think about heat absorption until after. Honestly haven't felt any warmer showers yet...guess my algae-free water dreams live on!
Interesting, I actually went the opposite route—painted mine white to keep it cool and algae-free. Worked great for algae, but honestly, the water ended up colder than I'd like, especially on cloudy days. Now I'm thinking a darker shade might've been better after all...maybe there's a sweet spot between algae control and temperature comfort? Guess it's always trial and error with these DIY setups.
Yeah, totally get what you're saying about trial and error...I went with a medium gray on mine, hoping it'd balance things out. It actually worked pretty well—water stayed decently warm without too much algae buildup. Still had to clean it occasionally, but nothing crazy. Maybe something like a neutral tan or gray could hit that sweet spot you're looking for? DIY setups always seem to have these little quirks, haha.
