Cleaning an aquarium

[Modelworks]

I'm getting ready to set up an aquarium , last one I had was about 10 years ago and was new. The one I have now though was given to me. It is covered by scale and residue on the glass. What is the best way to remove this stuff ? I tried wooden sticks, I use these with glass often to remove stubborn stuff because it doesn't scratch and while it works a little bit for this job, it would take days to get it all off this way.

I don't want to use anything that might leave a residue that would harm the fish so wasn't sure if something like the CLR stuff was safe.

 

[trmiv]

Fill it up with a water/vinegar solution and let it sit. Then scrape it off.

 

[Modelworks]

Fill it up with a water/vinegar solution and let it sit. Then scrape it of.

Thanks but I tried the vinegar yesterday , it removed some but a lot of it is still present.

 

[bobdole369]

green scratchy pads + vinegar. CLR rinses quite clean too. You definitely do NOT want to use a degreaser (like simple green or that purple stuff).

You understand the ammonia fish cycle yet? Whats the size and intended fish load?

 

[Rubycon]

Try vinegar first.

If that is not strong enough get some muriatic acid (typically 31% at building supply places) and dilute 5:1 with water. (always power the acid into the water - NEVER water into the acid when diluting!)

Most scale is from bicarbonate hardness and acid will dissolve it.

 

[Modelworks]

green scratchy pads + vinegar. CLR rinses quite clean too. You definitely do NOT want to use a degreaser (like simple green or that purple stuff).

You understand the ammonia fish cycle yet? Whats the size and intended fish load?

I have some of the green pads and used it with vinegar but this stuff is really on there good.
It is a 29 gallon , came with all the lights, filters, pumps for free, guy was throwing it out.

The last aquarium I owned I did with all living plants so I'm going to set this one the same way and leave it for about a month before I add fish to give it a chance to get established.
Not sure on what fish or how many, open to suggestions ?

 

[trmiv]

Then you need to use more vinegar, and let it soak. In strong enough solution vinegar will clean anything that is on an aquarium. As rubycon said you can use muriatic acid as well, but I prefer not to mess with it.

I've also used this stuff in the past, which works well, but it's pricey.

http://www.marinedepot.com/D_D_EzeC...D_The_Aquarium_Solution-DD2131-FIMTES-vi.html

 

[Sea Moose]

um, you guys are using chemicals in a fish tank???


The fail is strong.


Use green pads, a razor blade anything but chemicals!!!!!! Warm water, if it helps.

I have 2 giant gouramis, 2 x arrowana, an Oscar and various others.

 

[trmiv]

um, you guys are using chemicals in a fish tank???


The fail is strong.


Use green pads, a razor blade anything but chemicals!!!!!! Warm water, if it helps.

I have 2 giant gouramis, 2 x arrowana, an Oscar and various others.

Vinegar is totally safe to use. I've actually added vinegar to my reef tank to help lower pH. Some people add it as a carbon source for bacteria.

Muriatic acid is plenty safe to use to clean aquariums and aquarium parts provided it is rinsed well. You can even use bleach to clean aquarium parts and then rinse it and use a dechlorinator after.

You'd probably also freak if I told you I add washing soda to my aquarium, and use super glue to glue things and stick it in there before it dries.

I've been keeping freshwater and saltwater aquariums for over 20 years and never had issues with any of this.

 

[Rubycon]

Use of term chemicals without knowing basic chemistry is ambiguous fail!

Acids leave no residue. It's not like we told him to use Virginia No. 10 degreasing solvent or detergent, etc.

What do you think is in pH down? Phosphoric acid. It's a chemical too!

Take that and tell your gouramis to kiss it!

p.s. if you need pH down you need to fix your total alkalinity issue (over buffering).

um, you guys are using chemicals in a fish tank???


The fail is strong.


Use green pads, a razor blade anything but chemicals!!!!!! Warm water, if it helps.

I have 2 giant gouramis, 2 x arrowana, an Oscar and various others.

 

[Sea Moose]

Use of term chemicals without knowing basic chemistry is ambiguous fail!

Acids leave no residue. It's not like we told him to use Virginia No. 10 degreasing solvent or detergent, etc.

What do you think is in pH down? Phosphoric acid. It's a chemical too!

Take that and tell your gouramis to kiss it!

p.s. if you need pH down you need to fix your total alkalinity issue (over buffering).

yeah i never need ph down or anything, regular water changes and good filters = few problems

 

[bobdole369]

Vinegar really should handle it. Muriatic will too, but I doubt its needed. Seriously let the vinegar sit on it. Unless it was like a reptile tank. Vinegar isn't a very strong chemical at all and it rinses clean and are volatile (i.e. they go away into the air quite easily), so nothing will remain. Muriatic breaks down and will quickly handle the job. Don't get it in your eyes. I wouldn't use it at all.

OP, starting a planted tank, then adding fish is sort of the reverse of how its done.



Fish eat food and poop/generating ammonia.

Bacteria in the air establish in your tank and convert ammonia to nitrite.

Other bacteria establish and convert nitrite to nitrate.

Nitrates are removed with monthly or biweekly water changes, OR you can plant the tank and the plants will use up remaining nitrates.

Trouble is that you really should find that balance between your fish and the plants you have, and since both fish and plants grow and have differing needs, its hard to keep that going.

That being said, I'm not trying ot dissuade you or anything, by all means, a planted tank is great, but have a look all over the internetz on how to avoid mistakes and a nasty toxic tank.

 

[Rubycon]

Oh and the green pads will scratch glass if you scrub too hard. Let the acid do the work and scrub with a terrycloth instead.

I don't know if you can get 10% + hydrogen peroxide (the 3% should work but you have to use it straight out of the bottle) at your local drug stores but that will also do wonders to clean parts just by letting them sit overnight in a bucket!

 

[trmiv]

Use of term chemicals without knowing basic chemistry is ambiguous fail!

Acids leave no residue. It's not like we told him to use Virginia No. 10 degreasing solvent or detergent, etc.

What do you think is in pH down? Phosphoric acid. It's a chemical too!

Take that and tell your gouramis to kiss it!

p.s. if you need pH down you need to fix your total alkalinity issue (over buffering).

Yea there are all sorts of nice household chemicals that can be used in fish tanks. I've used baking soda, washing soda, pickling lime, and prestone driveway heat (calcium chloride) in my reef. A lot of people are dosing vodka or sugar to reef tanks now as well as a carbon source to help bacteria break down nitrate and phosphate.

 

[Rubycon]

Yea there are all sorts of nice household chemicals that can be used in fish tanks. I've used baking soda, washing soda, pickling lime, and prestone driveway heat (calcium chloride) in my reef. A lot of people are dosing vodka or sugar to reef tanks now as well as a carbon source to help bacteria break down nitrate and phosphate.

Vodka is good to maintain proper CN ratio on slow flow denitration columns! They do require close monitoring of their effluent to make sure they are not releasing nitrite though! Others prefer the Jaubert NNR method, etc.

There are electronic nitrate "busters" but these are not that popular with hobbyist level due to cost and complexity concerns.

 

[trmiv]

Vodka is good to maintain proper CN ratio on slow flow denitration columns! They do require close monitoring of their effluent to make sure they are not releasing nitrite though! Others prefer the Jaubert NNR method, etc.

There are electronic nitrate "busters" but these are not that popular with hobbyist level due to cost and complexity concerns.

There are a decent number of reasonably priced (of course, your definition of reasonably priced changes significantly when you keep reef tanks ) sulfur denitrators available now. I haven't used one myself though, I've never really needed one.

 

[69Mach1]

If you need to scrub, use table salt. It's tough enough to remove scale, but won't scratch the glass.

 

[Modelworks]

Vinegar really should handle it. Muriatic will too, but I doubt its needed. Seriously let the vinegar sit on it. Unless it was like a reptile tank. Vinegar isn't a very strong chemical at all and it rinses clean and are volatile (i.e. they go away into the air quite easily), so nothing will remain. Muriatic breaks down and will quickly handle the job. Don't get it in your eyes. I wouldn't use it at all.


OP, starting a planted tank, then adding fish is sort of the reverse of how its done.

Thanks for the advice.
I eventually got the tank clean with the vinegar, I tried white vinegar earlier and it wouldn't work for some odd reason but apple cider vinegar worked much better. I about choked on the fumes, vinegar is more potent than I remember

The reason I'm starting the tank with the plants is because the area I live in has a very high iron content in the water, to the point that it makes a filled tank have a yellow cast. When I did this in the past I used the plants to take out the iron and it worked pretty well. I have a bed of clay soil below a thin coat of gravel for the plants. I learned about live plants from an old book printed in the 1950's and actually got plants from a local stream that almost took over the tank but the fish loved them.

I had the largest Gourami anyone had ever seen. People asked me how he got so big. I followed what the author of that book said and fed the fish table scraps. Apparently when the book was written good fish food wasn't readily available. If I ate roast beef for dinner I would wash it off well, tie it to a string and suspend it in the tank. If any was left I pulled it out. He liked steamed green beans the best
He never ate flake food, probably wouldn't have liked it either.

 

[Rubycon]

Yellow cast (shine a WHITE flashlight through the side of the tank and look at the light exiting!) is caused by high content of dissolved organics. Adding active carbon filtration (on established systems!) will restore clarity. Light should look slightly blue-green coming out the other side.

 

[Sea Moose]

My gourami LOVES tomatoes!

:awe:

 

[jtvang125]

Vinegar really should handle it. Muriatic will too, but I doubt its needed. Seriously let the vinegar sit on it. Unless it was like a reptile tank. Vinegar isn't a very strong chemical at all and it rinses clean and are volatile (i.e. they go away into the air quite easily), so nothing will remain. Muriatic breaks down and will quickly handle the job. Don't get it in your eyes. I wouldn't use it at all.

OP, starting a planted tank, then adding fish is sort of the reverse of how its done.



Fish eat food and poop/generating ammonia.

Bacteria in the air establish in your tank and convert ammonia to nitrite.

Other bacteria establish and convert nitrite to nitrate.

Nitrates are removed with monthly or biweekly water changes, OR you can plant the tank and the plants will use up remaining nitrates.

Trouble is that you really should find that balance between your fish and the plants you have, and since both fish and plants grow and have differing needs, its hard to keep that going.

That being said, I'm not trying ot dissuade you or anything, by all means, a planted tank is great, but have a look all over the internetz on how to avoid mistakes and a nasty toxic tank.

From what I read it is possible to do a fishless cycle but you will have to add ammonia to get the cycle going.

I'm about 5 months into my planted tank. I have about 65 neon tetras, 4 surpec tetras, 4 clown loaches, 2 dwarf gouramis, 2 guppies, and 4 golden algae eaters in my 110g.

 

[Rubycon]

From what I read it is possible to do a fishless cycle but you will have to add ammonia to get the cycle going.

I'm about 5 months into my planted tank. I have about 65 neon tetras, 4 surpec tetras, 4 clown loaches, 2 dwarf gouramis, 2 guppies, and 4 golden algae eaters in my 110g.

That's known as inorganic seeding and takes some effort to get right or you still have a fairly hefty ammonia/nitrite spike that can stress livestock.