Cleaning Calcium?

[Mopedman]

I have what I believe to be calcium all over the top of my tank. I have taken a green brillo pad to it and it got little of it off. So I have two questions
1. What causes this?
2. How do I clean it off?
Thanks

 

[roka64]

It's just the calcium in your water drying out (after it splashes out). You can remove it with vinegar but be careful and don't get it in your tank. You may want to make sure none of the brillo pad (metal with chems in it right?) got into the tank.

 

[Mopedman]

Just put a little vinegar and it will wipe right off?

 

[mom2reds]

I get that same problem what I do is remove the peice I want to clean take it to the kitchen counter soak so paper towels in vingar till they are dripping wet and place them on top of what I am cleaning and let them sit for a little while then I use the same paper towels and began wiping it down and then rinse and dry. If you do this more often then it is a lot easier than if you let the hard water deposits just build up. It may take a little elbow grease the first time you clean it. I would not use any more brillo pads on it though they will scratch the heck out of it and the the hard water deposits will get in the scratches and be even harder to get off.

 

[Mopedman]

Thanks I will have to give it a go

 

[cmor1701d]

It looks like salt creep to me. Did you try using a paper towel soaked in RODI water to just wipe it off?

 

[Innovator]

Muriatic Acid can also be used (works wonders on filtration parts). Be careful if using full strength and diluting with freshwater would be safest even if it takes longer.

 

[jrp1588]

wow, looks like someone actually has harder water than I do. ouch

 

[MisticX]

from the photos u took, the white deposits are also ON TOP of your tank.

it might not be the deposits of your hard water, might be some sort of bacterias deposits.


try taking a knife, remove some of the white, and drip it in a spoon with pure vinegar, if it dilutes in the first 2 minutes those are minerals from teh hard water; if it doesn't dilute even though you made it powder and dropped it in vinegar, u might have a tank disease.

i had a friend that had it, nothing serious, just that in long term all your tank will become white-ish (dalmatian style)

 

[jrp1588]

Eh, I think it's calcium. With a HOB filter a certain amount of water will splash out then dry up leaving behind a calcium deposite. I get the same thing on my malawi tank

 

[tawolcott]

even more so if you have a bubble wand or air stone. All those air bubbles pop and spray water on your equipment

 

[Ilovefish]

I get that too on all my tanks. I use diluted vinegar to clean it. I also use diluted vinegar to clean the outside of the glass. Does a really good job. I am afraid to use Windex on the glass. Knowing me, I would get some in the tank.