calcuim build up

[momof3boys3cats]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me a homemade cleaner to get calcium depsit build up off of a fish tank I want to set up for my boys.

[Nancy]

First thing I thought of was letting the tank soak with some vinegar and water in it. Straight vinegar would be best but I don't know how big the tank is. A goodly amount with water anyway.

[Windy in Kansas]

Welcome to the forums, I hope you stay long and enjoy all of them of interest.

What I would do is pat vinegar soaked paper towels to the sides so that they stick or lay it down so that vinegar can set on the glass for awhile. CLR would be better if it were not for the fish health/savety issue. I just don't know if one could ever get all of the chemical removed or not.

Best wishes for an easy task. Again, welcome. Windy in Kansas

[ksfarmer]

There are various devices to hold a razor blade and scrape the glass. Requires some elbow grease but is effective. Most pet shops that sell aquariums will have these scrapers. Or you can hold a single edge blade in your fingers if you are careful.

[highlands]

Vinegar is the number one thing to start with. If that doesn't do the trick, muriatic acid which you can get for brick laying.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

[momof3boys3cats]

I have been using vinegar and a cloth and alot of elbow grease. I also used a scrubby brush. It got alot of the heavy stuff off but now I have to get the streaks off the rest. Then To get the smell of vinegar off my hands... Thanks for the replies.

[Alice Kramden]

If the tank is small enough, 30 gallon or less, find something just big enough to let you lay it down on each side at a time. If nothing else, the bathtub. Then, pour enough white vinegar to cover just that part and it soak for several hours. The buildup will fizz right off.

After all the removal, wash it several times with clean water and let it air dry all day. Never use ammonia to clean an aquarium, and this includes Windex. Not even on the outside. It will poison the fish.

Hint: When I had two big tanks years ago, I learned this--get your tank set up with all your gravel, decorations, plants, and filters. Get the water adjusted for pH and temperature, and let it all run for about three days before you put the fish in it. Check it again before adding the fish. This lets the system acclimate and it will not be such a shock to the fish when adding them. Keep a bucket of water sitting out open (so the chlorine will have time to evaporate) in case you need to add some.

Water from the fish tank is wonderful on the plants and flowers. Its full of fish poop and will make them grow like crazy. When you change it out, don't dump it down the drain, pour it on the houseplants, or garden.

What kind of fish are you going to have? I had one tank with all kinds of tetras in it, with black gravel, black background, and two groups of plants (plastic), and some pretty "rocks" from the aquarium store.

In the other, I had several kinds of fish, larger ones, and the decor in it matched the livingroom. Southwest colors.

Both tanks had the long bubbler tube in the back to create a wall of bubbles. The fish loved swimming through it, I guess it tickled. Both tanks were 55 gallon, and I really loved having them.

Hope you and your boys enjoy many hours of watching the fish. It is soothing.