how do i remove white mineral stains

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris

Gatorade, is it in you?
Oct 19, 2006
16
0
0
37
De Soto, Wisconsin
i just got a 35 gallon tank with a 10" fireside oscar, a pink convict, and some sort of catfish for 20$. its an awsome deal but i cant believe this oscar lived in such a small filthy tank. the gravel is very dirty you can barely see through the glass. im getting a new 75 gallon soon for my new oscar and im gona totally clean up this 35 tank and the gravel, this oscar is gona have alot better life from now on. but i was wondering what i can use to remove the calcium mineral staining in the tank from the hard alkaline water. i have tried using a my aquarium brush, and a scotch brite pad but you know how hard this stuff is to clean off the glass. so is there anything around the house to use or some kind of aquarium cleaning product stong enough to clean this stuff off?
 
I'd recommend using vinegar. It's acidic so will dissolve the hard water stains. I wouldn't recommend using CLR or anything like that. Those are mostly strong acids, but also contain lots of other chemicals I wouldn't want within 10 feet of my fish!

For really stubborn stains or a lot of buildup, you can scrape off with a razor blade.
 
ok thanks. i went to petco yesterday and bought a bottle of api easly clean stuff and the lady there said it works great for removing mineral stains. has anyone ever used this stuff? i havent tried it yet, but i will when i get home.
 
plah831 said:
I'd recommend using vinegar. It's acidic so will dissolve the hard water stains. I wouldn't recommend using CLR or anything like that. Those are mostly strong acids, but also contain lots of other chemicals I wouldn't want within 10 feet of my fish!

For really stubborn stains or a lot of buildup, you can scrape off with a razor blade.
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I use vinegar as well. Effective and readily available. Just make sure to rinse the tank thoroughly after using.
 
I had those wipes before! They work GREAT, but they need to be damp... after awhile my wipes dried out and they didn't work. Just make sure yours are!
Good luck!
 
Chuck Norris said:
i just got a 35 gallon tank with a 10" fireside oscar, a pink convict, and some sort of catfish for 20$. its an awsome deal but i cant believe this oscar lived in such a small filthy tank. the gravel is very dirty you can barely see through the glass. im getting a new 75 gallon soon for my new oscar and im gona totally clean up this 35 tank and the gravel, this oscar is gona have alot better life from now on. but i was wondering what i can use to remove the calcium mineral staining in the tank from the hard alkaline water. i have tried using a my aquarium brush, and a scotch brite pad but you know how hard this stuff is to clean off the glass. so is there anything around the house to use or some kind of aquarium cleaning product stong enough to clean this stuff off?
Click to expand...
i use a razer blade but be careful around the silicone seems
 
if you cant get it clear use steel wool.... i no this sounds like it will scratch your tanks.... but i tryed it and well, it didn't.... just make sure it is wet
 
ok sweet, i have the spray bottle of the api easy clean and it works good. but im gona try scraping the mineral build up off with razor blades, i think that will be easier and faster because i still i havent got a 75 gal yet for the oscar so he is still in there, so i cant empty out the tank to clean it.
 
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