Rust Treatment

Matthew Stein · Jun 28, 2020

Hey Everyone,

Have a Clear Water algae scrubber and the screws are rusting and impacting my water quality. Looking for some advice please on what i can use to coat the screws to prevent the rusting. Not sure what’s reef safe or if anyone has had experience with this and a good solution. Thank you in advance.

Biglew11 · Jun 28, 2020

I'd go to lowes, home depot and get some stainless steel screws to replace them, you could take a couple out to take with you. I'm pretty sure they're metric.

KenO · Jun 28, 2020

I have a several CW scrubbers. They all have rust on them. For the price of these things you would think they would make them SW proof. You can get nylon bolts/nuts, but it’s the brackets holding the lights that rust.

Reef Dude · Jun 28, 2020

I was having the same issue. So, a couple things helped. The newer versions have an acrylic bracket holding on the lights. No more metal bracket. If you email them, I think that they will send you the acrylic brackets for free. I did this... the owner mentioned in a YouTube video with ReedDudes that they will upgrade the metal bracket for an acrylic bracket for free retroactively, so I emailed him about it and he mailed me acrylic brackets for the lights for free. Also, I then coated the side screws (the ones going into the sides of the lights) with aquarium safe silicone to protect them from further corrosion. Worked for me!

vetteguy53081 · Jun 28, 2020

Clean up with water and vinegar and agree with stainless screws which I don't know why they would place anything other than knowing the application is saltwater

KenO · Jun 28, 2020

Reef Dude said:
I was having the same issue. So, a couple things helped. The newer versions have an acrylic bracket holding on the lights. No more metal bracket. If you email them, I think that they will send you the acrylic brackets for free. I did this... the owner mentioned in a YouTube video with ReedDudes that they will upgrade the metal bracket for an acrylic bracket for free retroactively, so I emailed him about it and he mailed me acrylic brackets for the lights for free. Also, I then coated the side screws (the ones going into the sides of the lights) with aquarium safe silicone to protect them from further corrosion. Worked for me!

Thanks. I will contact them. Other than the rust I’m happy with them.