What are the most effective ways to clean an old tank?

[Que]

I got an old tank and it's being reluctant to give up it's old look. I tried some vinegar but no go. I was using a scrubby sponge and a brush but nada. Any ideas?

Q

[Shelby_Tempo_GT]

try baking soda with the vinegar.

[Weezer]

Sometimes glass can get etched from inappropriate maintenance,It may never look like new, that will be up to you whether the stains that can't be removed are tolerable....:dance2:

[J double R]

i use vinegar, baking soda, and a mr. clean magic eraser sponge. works like a charm on everything ive encountered!

[Que]

I have a Mr Clean magic eraser... going for it now.

Yeah I know about etching and there is some but there is lime deposits that're being tough and a lot of below the waterline c*** too. I have had some success with the copper pot scrubber and the vinegar but I think I need something more. Steel wool doesn't cut it either. A razor blade takes off a small patch at a time with effort.

Q

[Que]

Well... I filled the tank with water to see if it leaks and I'm golden there. I emptied the tank and gave it a good scrubbing with pure vinegar and much of what was a couple of inches down came off. The top 2 inches though will not come clean and I believe most is etching. when filled with water its hardly noticable.

Q

[markgill]

I use hydrochloric acid to remove lime deposits from glass in hard water areas. It will certainly work on a fish tank but rinsing would have to be good afterwards. Toilet cleaner would be great to clean the glass as it contains the acid and is thick enough to leave on the glass for long enough to be effective but also contains lots of nasties for fish. Glass is porous and will take in chemical applied to it to a small degree. It also will let some out to a small degree killing fish in the process. I would suggest if you are salvaging a tank then you would have to rinse and soak a few times afterwards.

[cmartin]

I use a microfiber cloth on my aquarium. It was used when I got it and had quite a build up. No chemicals - just water on the cloth.

It is amazing. I have used them to clean windows, mirrors, etc. for some time and now I have a cloth that is dedicated to my tank only.

They are fairly inexpensive and saves you the trouble of trying to properly rinse after using the harsher cleaners.

Give it a try.

[Rbishop]

Elbow grease. LOL

[motwnbro]

at the dollars stores in our area, they sell a bath room cleaner (pump bottle) that is basicaly a strong calcuim and rust remover (smells like clr).

what i am having trouble removing is a stain left from one of those plastic picture back grounds. it looks like an oil stain on the glass. anybody had this same problem.

[Aislinn]

Is it on the inside or the outside of the tank?

[uacich12]

I got an old tank and it's being reluctant to give up it's old look. I tried some vinegar but no go. I was using a scrubby sponge and a brush but nada. Any ideas?

Q

Don't know if it's available up in your part of the country, but there are 2 product's that can be safely used w/ good rising. 1 is called Lime Away & the other is CLR, both are pretty amazing, don't smell the greatest, ok the CLR down right stink's, but boy do they wrk in many dir. Both can be bought online if needed & they're safe for use on thing's that will be used by human's via consumption as in w/ glasses lets say, so w/ a good rise , I have had not come across anything that they have not wrked on.
P.S. where I live the water is so hard that it won't even register on an API test for GH, so theres always a bottle around the house:)
Both cleaners are very good, quick & safe in many other cleaning situation's:)
Let us know what does the trick, sure it will help many in the future:)

[tankmate]

There must be a reason that no one mentions bleach. What is it?

[redswi]

bleach will disinfect, but won't remove heavy mineral deposits....I use sani- clean (industrial de-limer) it contains hydrocloric acid...It will remove the deposits....all you need to do is rinse....rinse...and rinse again