Tank Glass Cleaning?! Heavy Stains.. HELP!

[Big Tex]

ok guys so i got a tank for my reef upgrade this week and for some reasons unknown he painted the front of the tank black and used the back of the tank as the front, and consiquently scrathed it all up to hell so i decided to peel off the paint and use the front as the front again and paint the back black.

well the paint came off clean and the painting went well, but now i have these horrid stains on my glass im assuming from being painted for so long, what do i use to get this off?

ive tried alcohol, counter top cleaner, soap and water, razor blades, i got some of the heavier stuff off but the smaller more stuck on lo-pro stains are still on the glass, and its all on the outside not the inside, i need help guys im setting up my tank this weekend becaue i have my rock and stock in buckets and i dont want em in there very much longer!

 

[meegosh]

Have you tried vinegar and some razor blades? You'd be surprised what you can do with those. Is the tank drilled or something, how are you sure it was painted backwards? Just curious..

Also, the tank looks empty. Try filling it. My used 75g I picked up looked horrible until I filled up, can't even notice it once water is in.

 

[Big Tex]

Have you tried vinegar and some razor blades? You'd be surprised what you can do with those. Is the tank drilled or something, how are you sure it was painted backwards? Just curious..

Also, the tank looks empty. Try filling it. My used 75g I picked up looked horrible until I filled up, can't even notice it once water is in.

im actually texting a good friend of mine Tkey on here and he told me to use straight vinegar and just soak a rag and let it soften up whatever is on the OUTSIDE glass, theres a few scraps and water stains on the inside but thats not what worries me i know that disappears almost instantly.

 

[Ian086]

im actually texting a good friend of mine Tkey on here and he told me to use straight vinegar and just soak a rag and let it soften up whatever is on the OUTSIDE glass, theres a few scraps and water stains on the inside but thats not what worries me i know that disappears almost instantly.

I would recommend trying this method. Leave it for a few hours, overnight if possible. Keep the rag wet with vinegar. Glass is slightly porous, so over time the stains can penetrate it. The vinegar should dissolve most/all of it....

 

[Big Tex]

I would recommend trying this method. Leave it for a few hours, overnight if possible. Keep the rag wet with vinegar. Glass is slightly porous, so over time the stains can penetrate it. The vinegar should dissolve most/all of it....

How do I keep it soaked for hours? Also how do I keep the vinegarm off the trim and stand?

 

[Ian086]

How do I keep it soaked for hours? Also how do I keep the vinegarm off the trim and stand?

You just want the rag damp with vinegar, not dripping. It would be best to lay the tank flat.

 

[Big Tex]

You just want the rag damp with vinegar, not dripping. It would be best to lay the tank flat.

Well as of now its full of 75lbs of sand and 50lb of lr plus water so I need to do this while its upright.

 

[Ian086]

Well as of now its full of 75lbs of sand and 50lb of lr plus water so I need to do this while its upright.

Sorry. I thought it was empty!!. You could try a strong bathroom limescale remover but you would have to be EXTREMELY careful as there is a possibility of getting some of it into the tank. I use this for stubborn stains but only ever on an empty tank, so I can rinse it really well. You could try spraying it on a cloth(away from the tank) and applying it this way. You have to very careful and only use it on surfaces it is recommended for. I would try and make the vinegar method work somehow first.....

 

[Big Tex]

well guys i vinegar soaked for 20 minutes razor blading every 5min and no luck at all, its lighter but not completely off aat all, whats the next option? is it hard to replace a pane of glass?

 

[Ian086]

well guys i vinegar soaked for 20 minutes razor blading every 5min and no luck at all, its lighter but not completely off aat all, whats the next option? is it hard to replace a pane of glass?

You have to leave it longer than 20 mins. At least 8-10hrs, even longer. I not sure if this would work, you could try googling it. Lemon juice and baking soda. I'm not sure if it would be too abrasive.

 

[Big Tex]

ive heard if left too long and 8-10 hours sounds like a while, but it can be abrasive and ruin the glass.

 

[Ian086]

ive heard if left too long and 8-10 hours sounds like a while, but it can be abrasive and ruin the glass.

The Vinegar??

 

[Big Tex]

yes that it can eat away at the glass and pit it.

 

[Tkey3425]

yes that it can eat away at the glass and pit it.

No I typed that wrong tex i was referring to the trim and wood. not the glass. You shouldn't text me while im working HAHA JK bro you aren't bothering me. The glass will be fine. I just wouldn't let it sit down in the trim and silicone for 8 hours. If they are really that bad of stains you'll have no issues leaving VINEGAR on the glass. NOT the CLR for bathrooms lol. Sorry there was a breakdown in communication there.

 

[Big Tex]

No I typed that wrong tex i was referring to the trim and wood. not the glass. You shouldn't text me while im working HAHA JK bro you aren't bothering me. The glass will be fine. I just wouldn't let it sit down in the trim and silicone for 8 hours. If they are really that bad of stains you'll have no issues leaving VINEGAR on the glass. NOT the CLR for bathrooms lol. Sorry there was a breakdown in communication there.

but remember your geting paid to txt timmy lol but seriously guys, it did work a bit, but i cant tell right now, i just had the water delivered yesterday so things are still a bit foggy, if it did clear up a bit ill try it to an hour or so. also, when i wet the glass it goes on nice and even and then forms somewhat like droplets on the glass it doesnt stay glazed it beads, so how do i keep all the glass glazed? repeated wiping and wiping? idk!

 

[Tkey3425]

With tank standing I would cover everything you don't want vinegar on, soak a rag and then take and algae clip or tape or some method of hold a damp rag on the area you're trying to clean. That's the only way I can think of

 

[54seaweed]

try some tripple 0 steal wool its very fine and wont scratch the glass circular motion usually works best not brillo or sos pads as they have soap , you can do this both inside and out just be sure you clean up any steel wool particles from inside tank , and try to avoid silicone seal , than if you find any minor scratches after cleaning it you could use turtle wax to buff the outside glass only , don't wax inside just wipe it down with vinegar , you could also try a green scotch bright pad with vinegar that works to

 

[Big Tex]

try some tripple 0 steal wool its very fine and wont scratch the glass circular motion usually works best not brillo or sos pads as they have soap , you can do this both inside and out just be sure you clean up any steel wool particles from inside tank , and try to avoid silicone seal , than if you find any minor scratches after cleaning it you could use turtle wax to buff the outside glass only , don't wax inside just wipe it down with vinegar , you could also try a green scotch bright pad with vinegar that works to

lol i seriously considered using some baby oil and just glazing the entire outside glass to make the scratches go away haha but seriously, do i use the steel wool with no vinegar? how long do i soak with it if i do?

 

[54seaweed]

with or without vinegar either way will get build up off

baby oil will always smear off and have a greasy film left behind turtle wax fills scratches almost like rubbing compound but with out all that heavy grit I wax my front glass once a week it keeps the salt build up off and you get less streaks if water hits it , I hate those water streaks lol

 

[Big Tex]

with or without vinegar either way will get build up off

baby oil will always smear off and have a greasy film left behind turtle wax fills scratches almost like rubbing compound but with out all that heavy grit I wax my front glass once a week it keeps the salt build up off and you get less streaks if water hits it , I hate those water streaks lol

awesome, back to wally world i go for some triple zero thanks, bud