How to clean glass?
7 posts
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mzhantsche - Posts: 115
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:27 am
How to clean glass?
I have an old fish tank im setting up and i want to get the glass real cleanwithout using harsh cleaners that might harm the fish. But i do want it to be very clean. any ideas?
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Alasse - Posts: 993
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
- Location: QLD Australia
Vinegar, razor, scour and elbow grease.
Put the straight vinegar over the interior glass and leave for a bit (dont let it dry out) the scour gently, use the razor blade on areas that are more difficult. Rinse and let dry. Look for any areas that didnt come clean and redo if needed.
Once you've got it clean, rinse rinse rinse, fill will declorinated water, then throw this water, tank should now be prefectly safe to use.
Put the straight vinegar over the interior glass and leave for a bit (dont let it dry out) the scour gently, use the razor blade on areas that are more difficult. Rinse and let dry. Look for any areas that didnt come clean and redo if needed.
Once you've got it clean, rinse rinse rinse, fill will declorinated water, then throw this water, tank should now be prefectly safe to use.
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yasherkoach - Posts: 1306
- Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm
or you can fill the tank with boiling water, let sit for half an hour, siphon it all out a window...then apply the vinegar and dechlorinated water
the thing you want to avoid are ammonia based products, for the residue left behind may wreck havoc with future inhabitants
can you explain exactly what kind of grit or dirt is inside the tank...this will help
the thing you want to avoid are ammonia based products, for the residue left behind may wreck havoc with future inhabitants
can you explain exactly what kind of grit or dirt is inside the tank...this will help
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Alasse - Posts: 993
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
- Location: QLD Australia
Be careful filling a tank with boiling water, they can crack, on another forum a fellow fishkeeper found this out the hard way.
Also if you put vinegar in, be sure to rinse it out well, it can mess with tank parameters. Using declorinater in the tank fill will negate any vinegar residue that maybe in the tank
Also if you put vinegar in, be sure to rinse it out well, it can mess with tank parameters. Using declorinater in the tank fill will negate any vinegar residue that maybe in the tank
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yasherkoach - Posts: 1306
- Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm
even a half hour? you may be right alasse - I never cleaned a scummy tank (always buy new) but you may be right, it could wreck havoc with the silicone cement that bonds the glass panes...but I thought for only a half hour just to loosen up the scum
then again, I do not know exactly what type of dirt it is (reason I asked for the type of dirt/scum)
so if you like, scratch the idea of the boiling water...do not use any chemical that leaves residue behind, and again, tell us what type of scum is it (if it's just dust, then a good rinse will be fine....if it's scum so thick that it needs to be scrubbed - as long as it is not acrylic - use an abrasive cleaner but not one that will leave residue behind that may kill the fish unless you run the filtration system for about a week without any living inhabitants in it, and then add the fish etc
so tell me/us, what type of scum is it (it will help us narrow down what should be done), thanks
then again, I do not know exactly what type of dirt it is (reason I asked for the type of dirt/scum)
so if you like, scratch the idea of the boiling water...do not use any chemical that leaves residue behind, and again, tell us what type of scum is it (if it's just dust, then a good rinse will be fine....if it's scum so thick that it needs to be scrubbed - as long as it is not acrylic - use an abrasive cleaner but not one that will leave residue behind that may kill the fish unless you run the filtration system for about a week without any living inhabitants in it, and then add the fish etc
so tell me/us, what type of scum is it (it will help us narrow down what should be done), thanks