Best way to clean acrylic tank?

[Johnd651]

i Just picked up a 450 gallon acrylic tank and picked up some novus 1-2-3 compound.. I hired a local etailer and he laughed at the Novus brand and said, i have the best stuff around, Perfect it by 3M.. TANK LOOKS GREAT BUT NOW after talking tnother hobbist tha total loss?at warned the 3M might be toxic? I just finished buiklding the stand and am petrified my tank may be a total loss? Anyone with any experience on this? How can I clean it to guarantee the livestock wont die because of it. Please help Im capping myself now

Pics of the product? Curious to see an MSDS sheet for composition and warnings.

 

[jpshoemaker46]

What size tank? If small then the Continium and Kent wands work well. Magic erasers also work well. If a large tank then I 100% recommend the Mighty Magnet cleaner. My tank has 40' of acrylic to clean and I used everything from scrapers, magic erasers, magnavore(non floating magnets - these suck) cleaners, and even a metal paint scraper. I hated when it came time to cleaning because it would take me minimum of 1.5 hours to clean. I broke down and paid for the mighty magnet and now it takes 5 minutes. I wish I would have bought one from the start.

Its small I have found a way to clean it thank god! Never tried the continuum or Kent so ill have to look those up!

 

[JCOLE]

Its small I have found a way to clean it thank god! Never tried the continuum or Kent so ill have to look those up!

Magic erasers work very well and would be good on a small aquarium.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

Heard Mighty Magnets should work wonders in thicker walls. You guys use them?

Mighty Mag cleaner, 1.25" acrylic and a DIY spinner.

Long time acrylic owners: cleaning tips wanted

First: I've read just about every acrylic cleaning thread here and on RC. Haven't quite found what I'm looking for. I have an acrylic tank that is the same measurements as a 300DD. It's 72"x36" x27". It also has a 4" euro brace. I've owned the tank for about 5 years. I have sand and it...

www.reef2reef.com

Post #3.

 

[jpshoemaker46]

Magic erasers work very well and would be good on a small aquarium.

Whoever found out that erasers work I give you props

 

[victorcan]

Pics of the product? Curious to see an MSDS sheet for composition and warnings.

It’s 3M 36060 this is it here:

3M™ Perfect-It™ EX AC Rubbing Compound | JAM Industrial

3M™ Perfect-It™ EX AC Rubbing Compound leaves a refined finish on all auto paint surfaces. Formulated for a broad range of user conditions without sticking.

www.jamindustrialsupply.com

 

[victorcan]

Just a few pics of todays work, made the doors then the sanding caulking and painting the stand.. needs another coat tomorrow but it’s looking really nice:

 

[JC1977]

Mighty magnets definitely the way to go for magnet cleaners.

 

[Johnd651]

It’s 3M 36060 this is it here:

3M™ Perfect-It™ EX AC Rubbing Compound | JAM Industrial

3M™ Perfect-It™ EX AC Rubbing Compound leaves a refined finish on all auto paint surfaces. Formulated for a broad range of user conditions without sticking.

www.jamindustrialsupply.com

It says it leaves no residue in the description, but then the SDS sheet list aquatic toxicity both chronic and acute, and the composition is petroleum based.

I can't tell you if it's safe, but it's not something water would easily wash away.

 

[victorcan]

It says it leaves no residue in the description, but then the SDS sheet list aquatic toxicity both chronic and acute, and the composition is petroleum based.

I can't tell you if it's safe, but it's not something water would easily wash away.

So the plan I’m going to utilize to hopefully decontaminate the acrylic is:

1. Pressure Wash the inside
2. Rinse out with vinegar water solution. w/ RODI
3. Use Fritz glass, acrylic cleaner.

Anything else I should or shouldn’t do?
Thanks for the help.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

It says it leaves no residue in the description, but then the SDS sheet list aquatic toxicity both chronic and acute, and the composition is petroleum based.

I can't tell you if it's safe, but it's not something water would easily wash away.

Do not use this type of product for acrylic. Not only the toxcity, it may craze.

 

[ca1ore]

Been using MM for as long as I have had an acrylic tank. My last tank had 1” thick sides and there aren’t a lot of options in magnetic cleaners for that. MM are expensive though.

Presumably folks using Novus understand it’s for the dry side of the tank.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I use these https://a.co/d/2l2mjSQ

If you want something that’s going to keep your hands out of the Tank, Kent’s Scraper. You can buy replacement blades and they have an Acrylic Soft pad attachment too.

 

[KrisReef]

lol thanks I guess I’m just nervous I have never had acrylic before, glass is a totally different animal none the less I appreciate you bringing a comedic lighter view of my fear of losing $4k of livestock, I’ll be moving everything from my current 220g system. I was going to wash it out with Vinager and RO water? Any suggestion or precautions I should consider? My stand is almost complete just needs some paint and I can move this into place and make the swap..
Here’s some pics of the project, So psyched have wanted a monster tank for decades

I don’t use vinegar on acrylic, now laugh at me but the reason is that it is bad for impeller magnets!

Specifically, the chemical structure of vinegar is prone to invade plastic and so I started using Muriatic acid or acetic acid that have a friendlier chemical composition than vinegar.

I have used Briallianize for cleaning up the exterior and it works well, usually wipe down the salt creep with RODI and then finish with the plastic cleaner.

Avoid vinegar, because it may cause cracking? ( That’s my opinion, not an established RHF chemical equation!)

Monster tanks! So awesome

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

 

[Johnd651]

I don’t use vinegar on acrylic, now laugh at me but the reason is that it is bad for impeller magnets!

Specifically, the chemical structure of vinegar is prone to invade plastic and so I started using Muriatic acid or acetic acid that have a friendlier chemical composition than vinegar.

I have used Briallianize for cleaning up the exterior and it works well, usually wipe down the salt creep with RODI and then finish with the plastic cleaner.

Avoid vinegar, because it may cause cracking? ( That’s my opinion, not an established RHF chemical equation!)

Monster tanks! So awesome

Vinegar is just 5% acetic acid in water.

 

[victorcan]

So I guess the question is what do I do? What’s done is done what I can use in the future is promising but the here and now is that the 3M product was used and can’t be undone, so how should I go about sterilizing the tank? Do I just rinse it really well with water, and hope for the best? Is there a process that will protect my corals and livestock sadly, I bought an angel from a local fish store who introduced some parasite and I’ve lost three large tangs Thus far. Fortunately, my corals all seem to be thriving, but I’m down to about four large tangs now I really don’t want to lose more because of a chemical in a foreign tank . Any thoughts or suggestions are very very welcome muratic acid? I would think that that was more harmful than vinegar but I don’t know Jack about acrylic never had one never wanted one but here it is I have one. Lol and I’ve already screwed that up so all suggestions besides having our friend Here, who has graciously offered to take it off of my hands to avoid all risk ROFL is there a solution?

 

[Troylee]

So I guess the question is what do I do? What’s done is done what I can use in the future is promising but the here and now is that the 3M product was used and can’t be undone, so how should I go about sterilizing the tank? Do I just rinse it really well with water, and hope for the best? Is there a process that will protect my corals and livestock sadly, I bought an angel from a local fish store who introduced some parasite and I’ve lost three large tangs Thus far. Fortunately, my corals all seem to be thriving, but I’m down to about four large tangs now I really don’t want to lose more because of a chemical in a foreign tank . Any thoughts or suggestions are very very welcome muratic acid? I would think that that was more harmful than vinegar but I don’t know Jack about acrylic never had one never wanted one but here it is I have one. Lol and I’ve already screwed that up so all suggestions besides having our friend Here, who has graciously offered to take it off of my hands to avoid all risk ROFL is there a solution?

Rinse it out and enjoy your tank! All compounds are water soluble that we polish plastic and cars with..

 

[bakbay]

My acrylics guy just polished mine with Meguiar’s compound to remove swirl marks — he’s done hundreds of tanks and said it’s perfectly reef safe. Just rinse it out.

 

[jpshoemaker46]

So I guess the question is what do I do? What’s done is done what I can use in the future is promising but the here and now is that the 3M product was used and can’t be undone, so how should I go about sterilizing the tank? Do I just rinse it really well with water, and hope for the best? Is there a process that will protect my corals and livestock sadly, I bought an angel from a local fish store who introduced some parasite and I’ve lost three large tangs Thus far. Fortunately, my corals all seem to be thriving, but I’m down to about four large tangs now I really don’t want to lose more because of a chemical in a foreign tank . Any thoughts or suggestions are very very welcome muratic acid? I would think that that was more harmful than vinegar but I don’t know Jack about acrylic never had one never wanted one but here it is I have one. Lol and I’ve already screwed that up so all suggestions besides having our friend Here, who has graciously offered to take it off of my hands to avoid all risk ROFL is there a solution?

Can't wait to see what your tank looks like at the end!