Cleaning Glass

[didgit]

Hello this is my first proper post, i currently have a small 10G tank and have just been given a bigger tank its quite a bit bigger than mine which is cool but, it was very very dirty, i will post some pics later of before and after.
What i need to know is how to get the glass clean without using detergent, it is badly covered in what i would think as tide mark from drying water, due to i guess, being poorly looked after, the tank has been stood for over a year empty.
The best bit is it had concrete, yes concrete splashed on all but the bottom, this took around two hours of gentle cleaning to remove.
It will be fine when i get it cleaned up more.
Any help gratefully recieved.

 

[smegforbrains]

I had the same issues when I got a second hand tank a few months ago.


First I made sure it was dry. Then I used a new Stanley Knife blade at a very shallow angle to scrape off any crud like limescale, etc.

Then I rinsed the tank out with warm water to remove the debris.

Next I used a trade spray on Glass Cleaner (I'm a glazier by trade, well one of them) which is stronger than the piss you buy at Tesco or Asda. I sprayed that on and left it for about five mins. Then I wiped off with thick paper tissue.

Finally, I used a lamb's wool polishing bonnet, similar to one on a car polisher, dampened in glass cleaner, and manually polished the glass. I stuffed a sponge into the bonnet to keep it from wrinkling up.


My tank came out as good as new

 

[didgit]

Thankyou
Did you do anything to remove residue of the glass cleaner or did the buffing get rid of it?

 

[waterdrop]

Dissolved mineral deposits on glass are quite a serious problem for the hobby. There have been numerous long threads discussing the subject over the years on TFF, but I'm not sure lately whether the search tool is always working for people. The latest tip I remember is as follows: Buy some fresh lemons. Cut wedges such that you can get a grip on the skin and rub away with the fresh fruit side on the mineral deposits. You must have direct contact between the inner skin, pulp, juice and all and you must be persistant and potentially work hard at it but this acid is supposed to be a sometimes better way than vinegar and some of the other techniques they say. There are more serious and dangerous acids that may work but obviously the safety stakes go up sharply.

It all will depend on your situation. It may turn out easy... lets hope. Unfortunately there also have been people driven to getting rid of used tanks over this and ended up embracing a new tank just because of this seemingly little problem.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[smegforbrains]

I left my tank for 48 hours before adding any water. Our flat is pretty warm so the residues evaporated in no time. The tank was filled and left on fishless cycle for 6 weeks.