A white frosty film has covered the sides of my fish tank, what is the best way to remove it?

Answer 1

This is lime scale or other hard water deposit. Use fresh, brand new non-metallic scrubber to remove. Make sure that you use no chemicals and the scrubber/sponge that you use is NEW and never been used before.

It will not be an easy job. This stuff is really hard to get off if it has been there awhile. Good idea to scrub the tank at least every two weeks whether or not you see this white stuff there.

Answer 2

This could be the result of a thin film of algae. Have you tried to scrape it off (use a razor or edge of an old plastic credit card)?


This could also be a coating by hard water - you could empty the tank and try wiping a small area with a bit of dilute vinegar to see if it will come off. Just rinse well before using the tank again!

If the pH was high in the tank (you have naturally high pH tapwater, or the tank was used for cichlids or saltwater), what has happened is the glass was permanently etched by the water. The only solution here is to have the glass flame polished by a professional.

Answer 3

If your tank is tempered glass(relatively thin) you can speed up the cleaning process by scraping with a single edged razor blade first.If your glass is the thick kind a razor will scratch it.(try an area that doesn't show too much first.