Polishing the light cover

[Gruntle]

Hi all,

As some of you know, I have an AquaOne AR620T as my upstairs tank.

While performing a routine water change and plant trim, I tilted the top of the light cover all the way up so I had more room. While doing so, I noticed the Perspex cover for the lights is quite cloudy.

For those unfamiliar with the 620T (or a lot of other AquaOne tanks), the cover of the tank is in 2 parts, the back of the tank houses a filter, and the front has a hood which contains the lights and a hatch for feeding etc. The lights have a Perspex cover to protect them from any splashing/water damage.

Can anyone recommend the best way to "polish" this so it's clear again? A new cover delivered will set me back about $45 and it's not an expense I'm really keen on unless necessary.

Thanks in advance.

 

[seangee]

If you have hard water it could be good old limescale. If so I use a mild solution of citric acid and a nylon pot scourer. Vinegar would also do the job. Make sure its thoroughy rinsed before putting it back.

 

[Colin_T]

As Seangee said, it's probably mineral deposits from the water. Soak in vinegar for a few hours and rinse off.

A friend of mine use to make acrylic/ Perspex aquarium. He used a tooth brush and tooth paste to polish out scratches on Perspex, but for lime scale, acid products like vinegar and lemon juice should do the job.

Pot scourers can scratch the perspex and are best avoided. Use a wet paper towel instead.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Time and abrasive cleaning can do a number on these, not unlike the lenses on tired headlights. You could try polishing with toothpaste and a soft cloth or invest in a polishing compound used to restore headlight lenses.
Also, often the clear lenses in hoods are removable (slide out) and you may be able to replace it for very little cost.