Cleaning up gear

[Rick]

I picked up a used 90 gal. tank last weekend. It came with a Magnum 350 Pro. and the Bio-wheel and the glass tops were covered with a crust from mineral build up. i have been cleaning all the gear and now putting the tank back together. My question is what do you guy use to clean the mineral build up. I used a vinger and water mixture to clean it. Is there some thing better to use.

Thanks Rick

 

[larry.beck]

From what I understand it's vinegar and water, accompanied by razor blades and a ton of patience (and steady hands!).

Unless you're at your wits end, at which point some muratic acid might help. I've never used this approach, but the one thing I hear consistently is to clean it with lots and lots of running water and to do the job outdoors so the fumes don't build up.

 

[Rick]

Thats what I have found out. Lots of scraping and soakeing in the vinger mix. Not really at my wits in but close. I was just thinking theres got to be a easer way after I finished.

 

[Spyral]

I use vinegar and elbow grease.

 

[ShortyKiloGyrl]

Did the same with vinegar for two tanks. I let pure vinegar soak on the glass lids and then soaked them in hot (not boiling) water 3 times to make sure the vinegar was gone. I found the pure vinegar helped cut it a little quicker, but I also used a straight edge razor blade as well.

 

[shua]

i say screwwwwww it if its is that bad i move on and use it as a sump

 

[fishloverRon]

Straight vinegar for me too. I also use scrubber pads (green, blue or white depending on the tenacity of the mineral buildup). All the cleaning equipment is used only for the aquaria I aquire.

I've thought about using something like Lime-A-Way. Has anyone used that with success before? Success meaning no dead fish from it!!!

 

[protocl]

Vinegar and a quality razor does wonders for me.

 

[WyldFya]

CLR takes it right off, and is perfectly safe to use. Just rinse out the tank before adding fish.

 

[shua]

how does crl work on acrylic tanks

 

[leisure_man]

Some scales are so stubborn that I had used hot vinegar with hard scrubbing and still wouldnt come off. My eyes were watering like crazy from the vinegar steam, not a fun way to clean a glass tank.

I also have tried using muratic acid (HCl). It works extremely well. No scrubbing at all, just use a paper towel to wip the acid on and watch it 'bubbles' the problem away. Then get another paper towel soak with water to dilute the acid. Make sure to dilute the acid concentration to 10 to 15% before use. Always add acid to water and not the other way around. Chemical gloves and goggle are required as muratic acid fume will stink the eyes and burn your skin. A face mask is also required as the same fume will burn your nostrils. It is also safe for acrylic as well. The only thing you want to avoid contact with HCl is any metal parts. Make sure you do the cleaning in a well ventilated area. I usually do it in the garage with door open. No more scrubbing or worry about cutting yourself with a razor blade, a good trade for a potential risk of a little acid burn...hehe. At 10 to 15%, it actually is really safe, just have a bucket of water next to you for washing in an unlikely chance you got some on you.

You can also prepare some baking soda water to help neutralize residual acid before setting it back up for fish.

BTW, CLR is basically sulfarmic and citric acids. Sulfarmic is sulfuric acid (H2SO4) which is more dangerous than HCl. Why pay a 12oz or 20oz bottle of CLR for $5 while muriatic acid is $10 per 2 gallon at HD and Lowes.

 

[naturalart]

Just remember try to avoid using the blue scrubbies on acrylic! scratches. white scrubbies good for both.

 

[Fyurae]

I used Dawn dish soap on the 29 gallon tank I have (which was obviously salty in its previous life) and it worked great. Didn't want to get the light fixture wet, though, so it still smells like an armpit when it warms up.