How to keep glass clean?

[Andy2331]

My tank is only a few weeks old and this is what the glass covering my lights look like :x

and this is after i have cleaned them to like new condition a couple times already.


is there anything i can do to prevent this? I have a feeling that its going to get so bad eventually that it's going to block all my light out.

 

[YuccaPatrol]

I keep having trouble trying to post. . .

You have hard water (lots of dissolved minerals). Your filter is splashing water up onto the glass and the heat from the lights is evaporating the water, leaving the minerals behind.

Fortunately, you just have to scrape with a razorblade and/or scrub with white vinegar to remove the deposits. The glass will clean up perfectly!

If you can adjustyour filter so that it does not spash up so much, then you will not have to clean so often, but you will still have to clean it.

 

[malkore]

Ok, but that looks like a plastic hood with a plastic/plexi-glass window. A razorblade can easily scratch it.

On my real glass tops, I've just learned that Lime-Away cleaner does wonders for hard water stains and calcium deposits. This stuff is pretty caustic though, so wear gloves, do it a LONG ways away from the aquarium, and make sure you clean it afterwards with hot water, and that it dries thoroughly before you put it back on the tank.

I'm not sure what Lime Away would do to plexiglass.

 

[Andy2331]

thanks guys, it's actually glass not Plexiglas. I'm sure lime away would cut right through it i was just worried about not getting it all off and killing all the fish. I always rinse it off very well but it still scares me.

that pic was also taken on the side away from the filter, the other one is no better or worse.

i usually just take the water out of the faucet and add some dechlorinator to it. would letting the water sit in a big bucket for a few days before adding it help dissolve some of the stuff that is causing the problem?

 

[benda]

i have the same problem. the thought has crossed my mind to try something like rain-x which would repel the water. i'm not going to bother for now though.

 

[tropicfishman]

don't use lime away, use this stuff that green and comes in a spray bottle, its called " safe + Easy " it works great, just remove your lid, pump, heater, whatever it is that needs to be cleaned, spray a couple sprays on the area and let it set for about 5 minutes and use a rag or coarse sponge to remove it, it comes off so much easier and really cleans the parts up. You can use it on your tank but only on the outside. If its lime or calcium they do make a good stuff called lime- off thats desighned for aquarium use and it works great also. Eitehr one you should be able to buy at your local pet shop or even walmart sometimes. hope this helps

 

[YuccaPatrol]

Despite the other cleaning products suggested, I would still strongly suggest that you only use the cheapest white vinegar. That way you know that they only "chemical" that could possibly contaminate your aquarium water is a simple acid, and the rinsing that you would certainly do during cleaning will remove it all anyway.

This is a case where the cheapest is probably the best. What you are trying to do is dissolve the calcium carbonate, and vinegar is an acid that does this incredibly well.

 

[cJw]

I've used plain white vinegar before with some poly scrubbing type thing, and it didn't seem to work that well. Of course, the hood I was trying to clean was a couple years old and I suspect hadn't been cleaned at all... :|

I'm going to clean my new hood @ next pwc, as I can't stand the though of losing light penetration after spending money to GET more light.

 

[YuccaPatrol]

cjw, use a razor blade to scrape as much off as possible, then the vinegar to dissolve what cannot be removed with the blade.

 

[tropicfishman]

go to your local machining shop and have them give the whole thing an acid dip lol J/K!!!! don't really do that lol