Is CLR safe to clean tanks?

[ReneeMarie]

Hi all! As you may know, I recently upsized my tanks and am now getting rid of my two 55's. I need to clean them up before selling (hard water and lime stains/deposits etc) and I wondered if anyone has ever used CLR? I did buy two big jugs of vinegar but someone at work suggested CLR might work better. I don't know if it has the potential to leach harmful chems into the silicone though. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Renée

 

[HN1]

I've never tried to use it so I can't really speak to that part. I've never needed anything stronger than vinegar even when cleaning coraline covered reef tanks. For tough spots, soak a paper towel in vinegar and lay it on the spot. 30 minutes or so later, the stuff should simply wipe away.

 

[BigJim]

I looked up the MSDS on CLR and didn't see any obvious red flags, but I would still stick with white vinegar. It's just not worth the risk.

 

[ReneeMarie]

Better safe than sorry

I think I'm going to just stick to good ol acetic acid! I did some more research and read some other peoples' experiences, one of whom lost everything in the tank thereafter. That said, there will be no CLR used here!