General Care Discussion :: What am I doing wrong? Tank cleaning...

[JCsTurt]

OK, I'm trying to clean Turtimus' tank yet again. This time I got some distilled white vinegar and mixed it with water to try cleaning the hard water and algae from the sides of the tank. It ain't working. The algae mostly came off, but the hard water spots are just worse than ever. Now you can hardly see through the tank glass at all when the water dries. Is there something I'm doing wrong or something better to use than vinegar for the hard water spots?

Thanks for the advice!

[Miss Tee]

a single-edge razor blade?

[VeipaCray]

Before you use a razor blade, is your tank glass or acrylic?

[JCsTurt]

It's a 29 gal glass tank. Hubby thinks I should try using just the vinegar without diluting it. Any problems with doing this? I'm not too smart with chemistry, so I really am at a loss on all this kind of stuff.

[VeipaCray]

Here's the best way. Soak a paper towel with straight non-dilluted white vinegar. Put the towel on the side of the glass. Put a piece of plastic wrap over the towel and let it sit for a few minutes. Vinegar evaporates quickly and the plastic helps keep the vinegar from evaporating. When done, rinse the glass with clean water very well.

The glass could also be etched from minerals in the water. Etching is very tiny scratches that look like a white film... you cannot undo this. Fortunately, if you fill the tank with water unless it's really bad the tank becomes clear again

[cardboard]

i use the razor blade for my glass tank.. super fast and super clean!

[JCsTurt]

I think it must be etching that's left over now because it did look much clearer after I refilled the tank. I also saw a couple of scratches in the glass that I'm keeping a close eye on. Doesn't appear to be actually cracked, just deep scratches about 1/2 inch long in 2 places. I didn't notice them when I got the tank. Could the turtle have done this with his claws? I guess it could have been from when I had the basking rock turned that way, but I'm not really sure. I took that rock out though, so no more worries from it. Thanks for the advice. It looked like a brand new tank when I refilled it earlier tonight.

[VeipaCray]

Your large scratches are probably from the rock. Remember it is glass and glass is a really hard material. I dont think the turtles claws are hard enough to scratch glass. Acrylic yes, glass no.

The general recommendation is that you don't use a razor to scrape hard water stains. Hard water stains are mineral deposits stuck to the glass. Minerals are hard enough to scratch the glass. Scraping at them with a razor can and will create enough abrasion to etch the glass. Vinegar for hard water stains. Use the razor to scrape algae...which is soft and will not etch your glass during the razor removal process. As always, if you ever use a razor, be very very careful not to nick the silicone seals in the corners of the tank.

[JCsTurt]

I went over it a second time with vinegar and got a lot of it off. I think what is left is probably etching from the stuff being on there for so long and the constant scrubbing to get it off. Once water was added again, it is actually quite clear. Way better than it was anyway. I can see my turtle now! Thanks for the tips.