Mugwump's Fish World

THE POND-THE FRESHWATER PLACE => Tank Maintenance and Equipment => Topic started by: b125killer on January 30, 2013, 07:18:15 AM

Title: Things I learned today
Post by: b125killer on January 30, 2013, 07:18:15 AM
I was trying to clean the acrylic aquarium and found out that green scotch bright pads and razer blades scratch the acrylic. It's a good thing I was already thinking that might happen so I tried it on a spot that won't be seen. Now I need to figure out how to clean it. For now it's vinegar and a soft cloth.
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: Frank The Plumber on January 30, 2013, 07:52:30 AM
What about the white pads by scotch brite. They are 3000 grit.
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: b125killer on January 30, 2013, 08:06:49 AM
I'll have to try them. Using a rag just isn't doing anything. I guess it's a good thing I'm not planing to use it as a show tank. I do know it was used a saltwater tank. Is there anything special I have to do to it to get it ready for freshwater?
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: Mugwump on January 30, 2013, 08:13:13 AM
not really, wash well, and lots of vinegar.....you can place a vinegar soaked paper towel on it and let it work...then try to rub it off...diluted lime away too.....rinse well and rinse again...air dry..
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: BallAquatics on January 30, 2013, 08:22:24 AM
You can probably polish out your scratched area using tooth paste...

Dennis
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: b125killer on January 30, 2013, 08:33:52 AM
Do you use the tooth past like your brushing your teeth? or just wipe on and off? I'm not that concerned with the scratches they are small and on the inside of the divider. I almost think once it has water in it they won't be see. The build up I need to get off. I'm not to sure if it's salt creep or calcium build up. I'll put vinegar soaked towels on it before I go to bed and see it that helps. It's not that much I just want it off especially if it's salt creep. Now I know why I like glass aquariums there much easier to clean.   
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: PaulineMi on January 30, 2013, 08:52:52 AM
If its difficult to remove its most likely calcium/lime scale. The salt creep on my brackish tank is way easier to remove than the lime scale.

You can always taste it to find out. JK....  ;D
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: BallAquatics on January 30, 2013, 09:31:14 AM
Quote from: b125killer on January 30, 2013, 08:33:52 AM
Do you use the tooth past like your brushing your teeth?

Yea, it works just like that expensive polish they recommend for tanks.  I've been using it to polish out marks on motorcycle windscreens for years...

Dennis
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: Jdmcfast on January 30, 2013, 10:05:46 AM
Quote from: BallAquatics on January 30, 2013, 08:22:24 AM
You can probably polish out your scratched area using tooth paste...

Dennis
Any particular kind? Or just any tooth paste?
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: Jdmcfast on January 30, 2013, 10:06:35 AM
I wonder if it would work for those foggy headlights too?
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: BallAquatics on January 30, 2013, 11:31:08 AM
No particular brand...  it's like a very mild form of rubbing compound.  It will take the haze off of headlight covers but it's the cheap material they use that causes the problem and they will haze back up.

Dennis
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: BillT on January 30, 2013, 03:38:32 PM
I think there are plastic scrapers made for acrylic tanks.

I tend to use stronger acids (phosphoric acid {for sterilizing beer making equipment} or muriatic acid {HCl}) to get rid of lime deposits, but I don't usually do it with fish in a tank I am working on.
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: b125killer on January 31, 2013, 06:28:30 AM
I want to be careful of what I clean the tank with. It's a bigger tank and it's way to cold to take it out side to use the hose on. I need to use something that's going to be easy to clean out. I'm going to try the tooth past. There are some small scratches on there that I would like to get out. also going to look for a scraper for acrylic.  This will teach me to get a used acrylic tank. Good thing it's not that bad.
Title: Re: Things I learned today
Post by: Frank The Plumber on January 31, 2013, 12:02:48 PM
Tooth paste has a mica in it. Just for giggles I  have used it to see what grit I thought it would be. A 3,000 grit final glaze polish gives a mirror like shine on a black clear coat job. With a 2500 you see a bit of swirl, swirl is fine line scratches. about a 1500 and you see a lot of swirl on the black, the clarity is affected. I took a 3,000 polished surface and applied a toothpaste which you could feel the grit in your teeth on. This took the polish job to about a 1200 in my opinion. I used a baking soda toothpaste like a sensodyne to toy with that. In my opinion the sensodyne was around the equivalent of an 1,800 grit or so. Not really good clarity in the polish though even at 1800 grit. I have used a clay bar on my polished job and it will remove fine line scratches in the polish. I'm not sure about what might be in a clay bar but if it is safe that might really work well.