Hard White Residue On Glass

[Schmill]

Hi,

I noticed the other night that on the INSIDE of my tank the glass seemed a little 'foggy'. I tried with the magnetic algae scraper, and whilst great for removing algae it didn't remove the fogging, however it made it very obvious where it was, as normally it would slide smoothly over the glass on the inside, but where the fogging is you could 'hear'/feel that it wasn't smooth.
I then switched to an algae scraper, (the type on a pole that can take a razor blade), and scraped the glass. As I scraped it I could see white powedery residue coming off the glass and into the water, but it took a good 5 minutes or so to do a very small area down to clear glass again.
The small area that I did is nice and 'properly' clear again now, but doing this method will take forever to do the entire 4ft tank

Q1) What is it?
Q2) Is it something to do with the hard water area I am in?
Q3) I might expect it if it was on glass that was out of water and got splashed, but why am I getting it inside, below the waterline?
Q4) Is there an easier way to remove it, (whilst inhabited)?
NB Note the use of 'easier'. Removing all stock, draining the tank, scrubbing it with something nasty, before rinsing and refilling would not be EASIER...

Many thanks for any ideas!

 

[natalie265]

Hi,

I noticed the other night that on the INSIDE of my tank the glass seemed a little 'foggy'. I tried with the magnetic algae scraper, and whilst great for removing algae it didn't remove the fogging, however it made it very obvious where it was, as normally it would slide smoothly over the glass on the inside, but where the fogging is you could 'hear'/feel that it wasn't smooth.
I then switched to an algae scraper, (the type on a pole that can take a razor blade), and scraped the glass. As I scraped it I could see white powedery residue coming off the glass and into the water, but it took a good 5 minutes or so to do a very small area down to clear glass again.
The small area that I did is nice and 'properly' clear again now, but doing this method will take forever to do the entire 4ft tank

Q1) What is it?
Q2) Is it something to do with the hard water area I am in?
Q3) I might expect it if it was on glass that was out of water and got splashed, but why am I getting it inside, below the waterline?
Q4) Is there an easier way to remove it, (whilst inhabited)?
NB Note the use of 'easier'. Removing all stock, draining the tank, scrubbing it with something nasty, before rinsing and refilling would not be EASIER...

Many thanks for any ideas!

I live in an area w/very hard water and i get white, difficult to remove, water deposites on my glass. However, it DOES tend to accumulate more around the water line or the top cover--places where the water is allowed to evaporate, thus leaving the hard deposites behind. If you are getting it BELOW the water line, i'm not so sure, though from everything else you've said it does sound like hard water deposites.

If that is what it is--i don't know of any easy way to remove it. A pumice stone or brillo pad works ok, but doesn't work wonders!

 

[Schmill]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm wondering now if it is build up where I empty the tank, and perhaps the water dries on the glass before I refill it during water changes. I don't always empty to the same point, so that might be why there is no 'hard line' where it stops, and as it forms only whilst I am doing the water change, perhaps that is why it is like a hard film on the inside of the glass, rather than the actual crusty white stuff that I am more used to around drips etc.

Shame that you have no miracle cure to clear it off tho - lol
I tried using a plastic washing up type scrubbing sponge on it tonight, but it takes a long time. I can't put too much effort into it, otherwise I tend to slosh the tank water around - lol