hard water stains

[goldfishattack]

i have hard water stains on my tank's lid ad it blocks a large percented of the light, how can i get these stains off?

 

[rsz]

are they sort of white and dripped down the outside of the tank? ? (i expect that's what a hard water stain is, but i'm not sure ). if so, then i have it too, and i found that a slightly warm piece of loo roll (or cloth, or something) wipes it off

 

[Inchworm]

Hi goldfishattack

Those white water marks can be a real problem. If you do not keep after them, they become thick and crusty.

On the glass they can be scraped off with a razor blade, if necessary, but be careful not to cause scratches. If they are on plastic, it is another story; you can easily cause abrasions bad enough, by themselves, to block the light. In this case you should rely on chemicals to remove them. There are products on the market, such as Jungle's Lime Off that can do the job. Or, you can try using white vinegar which, I have heard, will also work.

Take extreme care to rinse these products completely away when you are finished because they can alter your water chemestry and harm the fish if they get into the tank.

 

[Lateral Line]

Vinegar or Lemon juice?

 

[andyt_uk]

vinegar is very mildly acidic and will dissolve (react with) the lime which is what causes the white marks (much the same as the lime scale you get inside a kettle in hardwater areas.