Cleaning an acrylic tank

[reefstew]

What is the best way to clean an acrylic tank? I plan on taking a tank down so is it better to clean it when it is up & running or clean it in the driveway with a hose? Thanks for the help.

 

[buffalobunch]

We clean ours in driveway with vinegar and water. Our 300g was really scratched up and had a lot of coraline algae on it. Let it soak with vinegar and scrubbed with acrylic safe pad. The Novus kit with a car detailer works wonders on the scratches

 

[macboat]

Love acrylic! light, clear view, so on and so forth, hate acrylic, they are made to be scratched......

 

[azkass]

I have all the Novus compounds and the detailer pad if you want to use it. It works really well but I will never do it myself again

 

[SKAREEF]

I have all the Novus compounds and the detailer pad if you want to use it. It works really well but I will never do it myself again

+1, have lots of stuff left over from 300g buff, but WILL never.....if I can find it, it's yours.. Also, if you plan or are your using a drill and a buff ball, take note not to stay in one place to long or allow to get hot. My buddies take ended up with a little crazing on his 75g...

 

[reefstew]

Thanks for the reply's. Their are no scratches just brown algae.

 

[jjk_reef00]

Micromesh sanding kit and a spray water bottle is great for removing scratches. I wish I would have buffed my entire tank before filling it with water...

 

[evolved]

I know a lot of the acrylic folks use original magic erasers. They're a celled polymer that's basically inert and totally safe, as long as you get the originals and NOT the scented variety.

 

[bugs713]

Just the simple vinegar and water soak. You could also place towels soaked in vinegar/water on the algae spots for an hour or so - this would save on vinegar and water.

 

[reefstew]

I know a lot of the acrylic folks use original magic erasers. They're a celled polymer that's basically inert and totally safe, as long as you get the originals and NOT the scented variety.

I used the magic eraser & it worked great. Can this be used when a tank is up & running?

 

[evolved]

Yes indeed.

 

[zibba]

I have all the Novus compounds and the detailer pad if you want to use it. It works really well but I will never do it myself again

I've use the Novus 1-2-3 on outside scratches. It worked fine for smaller, isolated scratches but I would NOT want to do an entire tank.

I know a lot of the acrylic folks use original magic erasers. They're a celled polymer that's basically inert and totally safe, as long as you get the originals and NOT the scented variety.

This is what I regularly use and they work great even for coraline. As said, just use the original and you'll be all good. I cut them into smaller pieces with a razor blade and get a lot of use out of them.

 

[zibba]

I used the magic eraser & it worked great. Can this be used when a tank is up & running?

Oops, read this after I responded. Glad it worked out for you.

 

[buffalobunch]

I've use the Novus 1-2-3 on outside scratches. It worked fine for smaller, isolated scratches but I would NOT want to do an entire tank.

We did our entire 300g flatback hex when we got it. Took us 2 days but man was it worth it!!!

 

[zibba]

We did our entire 300g flatback hex when we got it. Took us 2 days but man was it worth it!!!

Score!

Certainly a good pay-off if you're willing to put in the time.

 

[bugs713]

Just an FYI regarding Magic Erasers ~
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2296721