FAQs on Cleaning Acrylic
Aquariums, Sheet Related Articles: Cleaning Aquariums, Cleaning Decor, Marine Maintenance, Related FAQs: Acrylic Aquarium Repair, Acrylic Repair 2, & FAQs on Acrylic: Design, Scratches & Crazing, Leaks, Drilling/Cutting, Construction, Solvents, & Glass Aquarium Repair, Cleaning Aquariums 1, Cleaning Aquariums 2, |
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Acrylic and vinegar 4/16/09
Hello.
<Hi,>
A woman I know has a small acrylic aquarium and had 3 goldfish and
what looks like a Pleco of some type. She called me and told me that
she cleaned it out with vinegar water and rinsed really well, she
told me just the aquarium not the rocks or any thing else. She then
put her fish back in.
She told me the next day they all were dead except the Pleco.
<Oh!>
She asked me if she should get more fish. I would guess that may
have saved a few more fish. I have a small tank and I told her she
could put the 4 inch Pleco in it till she figures this out. Are
acrylic aquariums porous
and take in the vinegar to the point it can't be rinsed and if that
is not so than I am wondering if I didn't get the whole story.
<Vinegar is not toxic to fish, at least not in the trace amounts
likely to be left behind after cleaning the lime from an aquarium.>
Either way I believe she is buying a new tank or planning on really
rinsing out the other one as of now. I also believe she uses
distilled water for her water changes and I though the fish needed
the minerals.
<Ah, this could easily be the reason the fish are dead. You cannot
keep fish in distilled water. You are absolutely correct about this.
While the need for minerals is vague (there's little evidence fish
absorb minerals they need like calcium and iron from the water) they
do need water to contain at least some minerals for reasons of
osmoregulation. This is the balance of salt and water in their
tissues. In distilled water they will be losing salts from their
bodies at an alarming rate. Even soft water fish will be living in
water with at least some, albeit small, amounts of minerals in the
water. Moreover, sudden changes in water chemistry can be lethal.>
Thanks for the answer. Maybe the last one will have a chance.
<Your friend needs to read a fish book. If she's keeping Goldfish,
they need hard, basic water. Regular tap water is usually fine.
Distilled water or water from a domestic water softener should not
be used (though for
different reasons, the first for reasons explained above, the second
because it contains too much salt). They also need big tanks; 30
gallons is about the minimum realistic size if you want healthy,
happy fish. Smaller
tanks just don't work and aren't fair on the Goldfish (akin to
keeping a dog in a closet). Have your friend look over the following
articles, one on Goldfish, one on stocking small tanks, and one on
water chemistry:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/stocking.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
These should keep her going for a while *before* she buys any more
fish!>
Sherri
<Good luck educating your friend, and well done for helping out!
Cheers, Neale.>
Acrylic Magnet Cleaners 1/15/09
<Hello Ryan, Minh at your service.>
For my 180-gallon tank upgrade I went with acrylic since I live in CA and you guys seem to recommend acrylic. My question is, what brand magnet cleaner do you recommend for acrylic tanks? My tank has been up and running a few days now and I need to get one soon.
<For larger and thicker acrylic aquariums, "Mighty Magnets" are considered the best. These are often used by professionals. More information can be found here: http://www.mightymagnets.com/.>
Thanks you!
Ryan
<You're welcome. Cheers, Minh Huynh.>
Another Acrylic Woe 10/24
Hello crew,
<Hi there Greg>
I have a six gallon (eclipse six, acrylic) tank. I also have a lot of coralline algae on it. Now my question is, what's the ideal scraper (money no object) for the job? I've looked at a few from Kent and Aquarium Art. These seem good, but I really can't tell. I'd love to get your opinion on the matter. Thanks again for an incredible web site, Greg
<Either is fine, but be aware that they still do scratch the surface. You must be very careful to not get any sand in between or so on. Unfortunately this is a big issue with acrylic tanks! Jen S.>
Maintenance...Cleaning Coralline Deposits On Acrylic - 10/15/06
Hello Crew,
<Hiya Dave>
I have a 300g. 7/8" thick acrylic tank. I had to be gone awhile and my son took care of the tank. The fish and corals are just fine. The water parameters are OK. The equipment is working fine. But he didn't clean the algae, diatoms, etc. off the tank. Now there are fairly large areas of gorgeous purple coralline algae on the front panel of the tank. (The way the tank is placed, only the front panel is an issue). I have a Magnavore 8 cleaner, a long acrylic safe scraper, and a short hand scraper. Some of this stuff is tough, tough, tough. I work with my hands and they are quite strong, but this is ridiculous. Is there any other way to help remove this stuff short of a jack-hammer?
<I do not believe you will find an easy way, Dave. The tools you are using are norm for the problem. Read FAQ's here re this subject for other suggestions. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corlinecompfaqs.htm
Thanks in advance.
<You're welcome, James (Salty Dog)>
Dave Harvey
-Cleaning Acrylic- 8/28/06
Hello,
<Hola>
Read articles and FAQs, but couldn't find the answer...
Is there any safe cleaner I can use to clean adhesive from acrylic pieces for a DIY fuge? I peeled an adhesive plastic lining of off them and want to get any residue off and make them safe for my marine system water. Is this possible? Rubbing alcohol/bleach?
Thanks,
Michael
<Rubbing alcohol works well, vinegar diluted in water works if the acrylic is soaked in it, soap and water if you wash out the acrylic well afterward, quite a few choices. I would not use bleach though, may leave a residue if not cleaned off well, and a bit too strong for a first use.>
<Justin>
Algae and acrylic
Hi Bob,
<Steen Erik>
I live in Thailand (Dane, retired).
A few years back I made an outdoor aquarium which, after 1 1/2 cm thick glass exploded during filling, was empty for a couple of years.
I then had the glass replaced with 4 cm. thick acrylic and actually got it to work. After a year or so it started leaking and I had the inside coated with fiberglass. Unfortunately the people doing this also damaged the acrylic and after one year the aquarium started leaking again.
<No fun>
In the meantime I had started a 1,500 liter. aquascaping tank and found it really beautiful. I consequently decided to have the big tank repaired and prepared for aquascaping. The dimensions are 1,30 m deep x 3,60 m long x 1,65 m wide. Originally it is 2 m deep, but I have build in a 'false' bottom at 1,3 m as I don't think any plants can grow at this depth.
<Wowzah, this is a deep tank... usually I like ones I can stick my arm in all the way to the bottom... this one I'd have to dive in to!>
Water and plants came in on 1/29 this year with 50 Siamese algae-eaters added a few days later. It took me a couple of weeks to get the CO2 system to work properly (self-constructed, but it works). I am using a submerged pump (8,400 lit/h) and a sand filter in connection with an Eheim 1000 lit/h filter connected to a C02 reactor. No noise and absolutely no plastic, hoses or anything else visible in the tank.
<Outstanding>
Everything works fine now except for the algae on the acrylic. As you can imagine I am actually in the water when cleaning,
<Yes, I can>
but even using all my power with a soft cotton cloth, I simply cannot get the algae off. The first tank I had got a lot of scratches and having spent another US$ 10,000 on this one I do not want a repeat.
<I understand>
The company installing the acrylic told me to use soft cotton cloth for cleaning only, but having spent 5 hours in the water today, all muscles in my arms hurting, and still algae on the acrylic I am getting a little bit desperate.
<Yes>
Anything you can suggest would be highly appreciated.
Best regards,
Steen Jansen
<A few "things" come to mind... most importantly, "just" waiting a few more weeks to a couple months may well lead to succession of sorts with the harder, more resistant algae being replaced with softer varieties your SAE's can/will be able to remove. Besides that though, there are newer types of "algae magnets" that are useful for acrylic tanks (won't scratch unless you get gravel stuck between them) that I encourage you to look into... the bigger size ones the better... and hopefully folks have them there in Thailand for sale or you can find an etailer that can/will ship them to you. Lastly, do look into Eheim's Ehfi-Grob or Fein filter media... a one-time purchase of a bit of this polyethylene canister filter "wool" will help you in your scrubbing safely. This material is what our service companies mainly employed as "scrubbers" for large (expensive) acrylic tanks. Unfortunately, there are no useful "biological cleaners" or chemical treatments to recommend. Bob Fenner>
Re: Algae and acrylic
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your quick response.
<Welcome>
I have a feeling that there are different kinds of acrylic, some more soft than others.
<You are correct... even gauged by their percentage of water content>
The first time I cleaned the tank, I used water and a (I thought) 100 % cotton tea towel on the outside. That actually scratched the acrylic! I am now using an extremely soft synthetic Chamois for outside cleaning.
<I see>
The only kind of biological cleaner I know, and have used with success, is Barley straw. That kills the algae (green water algae), but not the algae growing on glass and acrylic. I have a garden pond with 6 Piranhas ( 35-40cm and weighs in at around 3-4 kg) and barley straw keeps that pond crystal clear despite heavy algae growth on the walls. The problem with Barley however is that it needs to be in direct light and in big bags this is not a nice view in an aquarium!
<Yes... useful in ponds, but not aquariums>
I realize that the tank does need a break-in period and things may with time change to the better. As an example the hardness started at 5 (my water supply is 2) and then grew by 1 a day up to 12 KH. By cleaning the tank every 4 to 5 days and change of 20% of the water KH is now 7 and only going up by 1/2 to 1 per day. I intend to run it at around 2 to 3 KH as the other tank I have.
<Good accounting>
I am protecting the tank from direct sun (one side covered during the day).
The other side does not receive direct sun, but to avoid reflections it is covered until around 11 AM. For lighting I am using 36 18w tubes with reflectors, 50% 11 AM to 10 PM, 100% from 2 PM to 8 PM. Do you think this is too much and could be the reason for the serious algae growth and hardness of the algae?
<Not likely... due to the depth of the system. I do think your and I's comment re "a break in period" is useful here. Over time your live plants should sharply limit nutrient availability to the algae and compete biochemically with it>
Unfortunately Thailand is a real 3rd World country if you need something special (I had to import my C02 computers myself) and even if I order and buy an algae cleaning tool with 100% no scratching effect, I cannot depend on what the dealer tells me. I have looked at Eheim's web pages, but cannot find the products you mention. The wool I use in my Eheim filters seems very hard to me and I would be afraid to use it on the acrylic.
<They are there: Ehfi-Grob and Ehfi-Fein>
I did find a Danish aquarium shop selling non-scratching brushes for acrylic though, so I will email them to see what they can guarantee.
Thanks again.
Best regards,
Steen
<Hope to see your system in person one day. Bob Fenner>
Cleaning Refugium
I just finished building a custom acrylic sump/refugium. In the process I used some buffing compound and polish both inside and out ( mostly outside). What should I use to clean it with before using it? Rinse it with water, bleach, vinegar or other?
<Just freshwater and paper towels>
PS Just ordered the new WWM Reef Inverts. book to read on vacation.
Thanks as always, Ken
<Know you will enjoy it. Bob Fenner>
Magnet Cleaners for Acrylic Aquariums
Do you recommend using magnet cleaners for acrylic aquariums. I have a 160 gallon (only a few months old so we have lots of algae blooming!) and it is killing me to clean the tank. Would a magnet help? I have found one that I'm interested in getting (see link below). Wanted to make sure you didn't see any problem with using them. Thanks! http://www.reefgeek.com/products/categories/cleaning equipment/103899.html
<I like credit cards for a first go at knocking off anything "gritty" (like small encrusting worms, coralline algae), then these "acrylic safe" floating magnets. Bob Fenner>
Magnet Cleaners for Acrylic Aquariums
credit cards will definitely not scratch the acrylic?
<They never have when I've used them. Many types of scrubbers work fine if regularly employed (once, twice weekly) with care to not "pick up" gravel et al. material twixt the pad and the acrylic. My all time fave material is the "Grob
Flocken" of Eheim.
Bob Fenner>
- Cleaning Acrylic Tanks -
credit cards will definitely not scratch the acrylic? <Not in my experience. Cheers, J -- >
Magnet Cleaners for Acrylic Aquariums
Do you know where I can get "Grob
Flocken" of Eheim? Do places like Marine Depot or somewhere else carry it? Thanks so much for your help! :)
<Most all dealers of Eheim products sell their media. It's the larger grade white one... comes in a couple size boxes... the small one will do... the stuff lasts forever... or at least half this long. Bob Fenner>
Is acrylic scratch remover safe for fish?
Hello Mr. Fenner,
I just got finished putting my new tank together. I have the powerheads, the heater, and the aragonite sand and water in. I have not yet put it the salt. I'm just testing the components and letting the sand dust settle. While inspecting my tank, I noticed in the light that there seems to be a very slight haze in a couple upper corners of the tank. I believe it might be from the TruVu SRK (scratch remover kit).
<This may be so... or typical "stress fracturing" marks from heat-bending in those areas>
I might of accidentally not rubbed off all of the scratch remover paste thingy. The water has a oil spill type look when viewed at a lower angle. Is this bad? Shall I take out the water and wash the tank again? Please help. Thank You.
<Ahh, our businesses (retail and service) used to sell many TruVu/Aquaplex tanks... and I've spent many hours with the green and tan pastes you mention in their scratch removal kit. This material is not toxic. I would not take the tank down, or worry. Bob Fenner>
Stan
Re: Is acrylic scratch remover safe for fish?
Thank you very much. That is what some people suggested on ReefCentral, but to hear it from an expert like you makes me feel so much better.
Thank
you again and have a Happy New Year.
Stan
<You as well my friend. Be chatting. Bob Fenner>
Taking out scratches from the inside
Bob,
do you know of any acrylic scratch removal kit that works underwater?
<No... all require draining the system at least down to the level of the work. Bob Fenner> Thanks,
Lee
Used/Old 100 Gallon Acrylic Tank: DIY Cleaning\Maintenance
9/22/2009
Hello!
<Hi David, MikeV here.>
I recently acquired a *very used and dirty* 100 gallon (60 x 18 x 20)
acrylic aquarium tank.
<Congratulations.>
It's so dirty and scratched that I'm considering putting in a bleach
solution to sit over night (or longer) before cleaning it more.
Previously, it was sitting outside someone's house (unused) for 3-5
years and when I emptied out the dirt and leaves I also found a dead
bird's corpse as well.
Do you have any suggestions on how to clean this, more than a bleach
solution and lots of soft scrubbing? I'm told there are no leaks, so if
I can't get the scratches out, I want to use it as a sump for a
larger/future
system.
<The trick to cleaning it is to minimize any additional scratching.
Rinse it with lots of water, and let it soak full of water for a day or
so to loosen any dirt. Once the tank is clean, wipe the acrylic down
with vinegar That should remove any yellowing in the acrylic. You can
bleach it to sanitize after this.>
Thanks!
<MikeV>
