Removing salt/scale from aquarium glass

[caribou-lou]

I moved it over here from Marine Products & DIY. No bites over there.



What is the easiest way to remove old crusty salt/scale stains from aquarium glass?

I picked up a 180 gallon tank that had been left empty for 4 years, without cleaning off the glass.

It now has salt/scale all over the inside of the aquarium glass.

I was told vinegar would work. I tried it and it did remove much of it, but there is still a hazy type of salt/scale stain left. Looks like a smudge, just doesn't have that clear look.

Should I just turn the aquarium on each of its sides and let each side soak in vinegar for a couple of hours?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

[kreblak]

Try adding baking soda (Arm&Hammer yellow box) to the vinegar. It will foam up and go crazy, so you'll propably want keep the tank upright so it doesn't spill over. I don't know how good of a job this will do on de-salting your glass, but it sure does a great job on other gunk removal.

[caribou-lou]

Thanks for the info.

I'll try it out this weekend and see if it helps.

[OrionGirl]

Does it still look hazy when filled? I have a 55 that was BW, and it looks crappy dry, but when filled it is crystal clear.

[a_free_bird73]

There are a few reasons for this hazy look and some are more permenant that others. Like said before, you may find that the haze is not noticable when you fill it. Vinger will remove carbonate salts but it might strugle with things like calcium oxide. Better than vinger is hydrochloric acid but I would not use it unless you know how to handle this stuff (it is highly corrosive and will burn your skin).

Of more concern to me would be the silicon holding the aquarium. Depnding on how and where this tank was kept, you may have to remove the silicon and re apply it. I bought a 6ft aquarium which had been kept dry for 2 years in a shed and when I filled it, the silicon could not hold the pressure and split. Luckly I saw it happen and quickly emptied the tank, removed all silicon and reapplied it....

[caribou-lou]

Thanks for the responses.

I cleaned it out again yesterday with just plain vinegar.

Came out spotless. I guess it needed a second cleaning.

The tops are a little stubborn. I will use the vinegar & baking soda combo on those.

The silicone seals seem to be fine. I've had it full of water for three days and not a leak. Plus, the silicone still feels pliable and not brittle.

BTW, I plan on selling the 180 if anybody is interested.

I will post it in the selling section of AC.

I figure the $1/gallon rule would be appropriate for this tank.