i have a fish tank , and the water that was put in it had alot of scale, sediment, and so forth. thats the way out water in town is. im wanting to clean it back to original condition, it is a very nice setup, but the scale on the sides of the tank is really annoying me, i have tried scrubbing with hot water, but it still half-way remains. please help me to get this proper so my son will be happy
2007-02-01 02:58:42 · 7 answers · asked by antiiowan 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
If the sediment is hard water sediment like a calcium / mineral deposite, use vinegar. Take a sopping wet paper towel, dump some vinegar in the tank, and slosh it around and up and down the glass. Let it sit for an hour, and then you should be able to rinse it and all the deposits should come off.
If it's greenish, it may be algae, and vinegar probably won't help. Instead, try hydrogen peroxide on an aquarium scrub sponge, or a razor blade to scrape it.
Don't use cleaning chemicals, they leave toxic residues.
If that doesn't work, you may have to use bleach. Use regular, unscented bleach. Fill the tank 1/3 of the way with water and add a slosh of bleach. Use gloves, and scrub away what you can. Then empty the tank, dump a whole bottle of dechlorinator in there, fill it with water, and let it sit for a day, then dump it and rinse. If it still smells a bit like bleach, repeat the process with the dechlorinator until you can't smell bleach anymore.
2007-02-01 03:06:42 · answer #1 · answered by Zoe 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If you have tried scrubbing it, then try using a razorblade and scrape it off the glass. Put the fish in something to keep them while you work on the tank. Then after you are done with the scraping, take the gravel and scoop it out putting it into a old towel or very fine collander. take it to the sink or tub and wash it. Since it good. Before putting it back in the tank, wash the tank and wipe it dry to get all the remaining debre out. Put the gravel back in and refill it with water. (DON'T PUT THE FISH BACK IN YET) Add your chemicals and make sure the P/H and Alkoline is correct and give the water time to get warmed up. Then put the fish back in the tank. Not sure how long to wait, but if you have a tank heater, I would say 4 to5 hours or more to be safe.
2007-02-01 03:14:07 · answer #2 · answered by golden rider 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Talk to your local fish shop (not a huge multipurpose pet shop -- they generally don't have people who keep aquariums and know fish working there). They will be glad to advise. There are products that can help -- also, a razor blade scraper for aquariums will take lots of this off if it's a glass tank. You have to be very careful in cleaning a tank as fish are sensitive and even the tiniest bit of chemical residue can kill all the fish when you refill the tank.
2007-02-01 03:08:45 · answer #3 · answered by cav_talk 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
when the tank is empty (it has to be) baking soda first ... mix with water to become a paste. let sit for about 10 - 15 minutes. a new sponge. wipe with sponge to see if removed. if not removed pet store sells a product in a spray bottle for the life of me I cant remember the name. its almost like windex but different ingredients. you can also try this caleaner remedy from my mom who says dove liquid soap for a couple of days full of wter in the tank should help alot. I hop ethis helps you
2007-02-01 03:08:58 · answer #4 · answered by tab051204 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If the tank is NOT acrylic, try using a razer blade. I use it all the time and it works for me to get hard water stains off.
2007-02-01 03:13:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
DO NOT USE ANY SOAP PRODUCTS! Use granule salt. It has texture that can remove most fo the stuff, then just use warm water to rinse very thoroughly.
2007-02-01 03:07:07 · answer #6 · answered by Chick-a-Dee 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I dont know if i do mine right but i use a strainer to clean mine!
2007-02-01 03:06:52 · answer #7 · answered by kalyn t 1 · 1⤊ 3⤋