Crust

[mr.waffles1842]

Over th past few weeks I've noticed a kind of build up on my light fixture, the hood and filters. It's a brownish brust that i have no idea what it is or if it's harmful. It's also extremely unattractive. Please help, this is a 20 gallon high rather new, with only a few shrimp and a platy to start the nitrogen cycle.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Evaporated salts and minerals and a pain to clean off

 

[meegosh]

Hard water buildups more than likely. A little elbow grease takes it right off. Even a wet paper towel every couple weeks makes a huge difference. Best of luck.

 

[Fishfur]

Vinegar, warmed up works best, will remove this sort of stuff more easily than water alone, and with less effort. You can dampen a rag or paper towel with vinegar and lay it on the affected areas, and it will dissolve much of the crusting in a reasonably short time, and usually the rest will be soft enough to wipe off. Don't let it build up too much, the more there is the harder it gets to clean.