Cleaning a really difficult used glass tank

[kdx7214]

So a friend dropped by a while bank and gave me a full 30g long setup, lights and everything. The tank hadn't been used in a long time and there's a great deal of stuff on the glass. I searched on here, got out the scrub brush and white vinegar, and went to town on it. No dice. I then filled it with 25 gallons of water, 4 gallons of white vinegar, and a gallon of muriatic acid. Again no dice. I drained it, and then went at it with some 4-0 steel wool I use on car windshields. No go. It appears to be calcium buildup, but I can't see how it can and have resisted all of my attempts at cleaning it. It's flush against the glass and is obviously water lines.

Any suggestions on cleaning this thing?

 

[ilikefish69]

Razor blade worked for me

 

[Gtinnel]

Diluted muriatic acid. I think I used one cup of acid per 10 cups of water then sprayed it on. You likely didn’t have it strong enough trying to fill the tank.

 

[Fish Styx]

Fill the tank with warm water and dissolve 32 oz of citric acid in it. Let it sit for a day or so and go to work.

 

[kdx7214]

Razor blade worked for me

I tried a razor blade, but the darn thing is too smooth for the blade to catch onto it. Going to try stronger muriatic acid next.

 

[kdx7214]

Fill the tank with warm water and dissolve 32 oz of citric acid in it. Let it sit for a day or so and go to work.

Forgot to mention that I tried this as well. I'm getting old lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

So a friend dropped by a while bank and gave me a full 30g long setup, lights and everything. The tank hadn't been used in a long time and there's a great deal of stuff on the glass. I searched on here, got out the scrub brush and white vinegar, and went to town on it. No dice. I then filled it with 25 gallons of water, 4 gallons of white vinegar, and a gallon of muriatic acid. Again no dice. I drained it, and then went at it with some 4-0 steel wool I use on car windshields. No go. It appears to be calcium buildup, but I can't see how it can and have resisted all of my attempts at cleaning it. It's flush against the glass and is obviously water lines.

Any suggestions on cleaning this thing?

Vinegar and water and a magic eraser sponge- ORIGINAL - Not Scented

 

[kdx7214]

Vinegar and water and a magic eraser sponge- ORIGINAL - Not Scented

I tried that before, but will give it a shot with full strength vinegar. I think I have another gallon around here somewhere lol

 

[MNFish]

Bar keepers friend

 

[kdx7214]

Bar keepers friend

Would that be harmful? I'm not too familiar with oxalic acid.

 

[kdx7214]

Okay, just a quick update. I've filled it back up with hot water, and then added: 4 gallons white vinegar, 9.5 lbs citric acid, and 2 gallons of muriatic acid. I'm going to let it soak overnight and then try again tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll pull out the barkeeper's friend and see if that works.

Thanks all

 

[MNFish]

Would that be harmful? I'm not too familiar with oxalic acid.

No, I have used before just rinse well like you would with anything you use to clean with. I used it on on some pretty nasty aquariums in the past and it has worked well.

 

[kdx7214]

Okay. I'm lost. I've tried tons of stuff now. Undiluted muriatic acid has no effect. Barkeeper's friend has no effect. White vinegar has no effect. Is it possible something has gotten into the glass itself, or maybe it's something not calcium related? Acids seem to have no effect at all.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Maybe you are too impatient. Some times I have to let pumps stay in a citric acid bath for a few days, and that is fresh out of the water, not something that has been dried out for months.
But yes, it does sound crazy that you put in 10 lbs. of citric and it has done nothing...

 

[kdx7214]

Maybe you are too impatient. Some times I have to let pumps stay in a citric acid bath for a few days, and that is fresh out of the water, not something that has been dried out for months.
But yes, it does sound crazy that you put in 10 lbs. of citric and it has done nothing

That was my thought as well. I just can't seem to figure out what's going on. I've kept acid on it for several days now.

 

[907_Reefer]

Yea I'd let it sit longer. Otherwise I imagine clear PVC cleaner would do the trick but not sure how the cleanup from that would be..

 

[zheka757]

you probably spend more money on chemicals then new 30g tank worth!

 

[Red_Beard]

Could be etched. If that is the case it will need polished rather than scrubbed. Some calcifirous organisms can etch glass. That said, barkeepers friend has always worked well for me.

 

[kdx7214]

you probably spend more money on chemicals then new 30g tank worth!

LOL... yeah, quite likely. Fortunately I had all of them except the muriatic acid sitting around

 

[zheka757]

LOL... yeah, quite likely. Fortunately I had all of them except the muriatic acid sitting around

but im serious, is this thank has overflow build in? i mean if not doesn't Petco sells those for $1/gallon tanks? also are those spots really noticeably when you fill it with water?