cleaning coralline/algae with vinegar

[tgriffin]

My LFS suggested using vinegar to clean up my tank. It has coralline algae and other algae growing on it. The tank is empty and I'm in the process of cleaning it up to sell.

Anyone use this method? Do you just put some vinegar on a scrub brush and go to town?

thanks

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Yes, it has good success for me it may take some elbow grease but I would let it soak in vinegar water for a day or so though...

Edit: if its a glass tank use a razor blade to get the hard spots

 

[faze07hd]

+1 on the razor. just be careful not to scratch the glass, or yourself.

 

[Korrine]

Vinegar works well. It cleaned the dead coralline off my pumps with only a soak. No scrubbing involved. I cleaned my tank w/ammonia. Make sure to rinse well.

I also know someone who uses muriatic acid to clean tanks. Wear gloves, mask etc if using this method.

 

[joeychitwood]

The vinegar needs to soak into the coralline for a day or two to break it up. Fill the tank with water and add a gallon or two of vinegar. Let it sit until you can easily scrub off the coralline.

 

[tgriffin]

great... thanks I have a 60 gal tank and was going to fill it with water and dump a gallon of vinegar in there. You guys think that is enough. I can let it soak for a few days no problem

 

[joeychitwood]

I'd add two or three gallons of vinegar to 60 gallons of water. The more dilute the vinegar, the longer it takes to dissolve the calcifications.

 

[chris4869]

You can try flipping the tank on its side, and use enough undiluted vinegar (a couple of millimeters) to cover and soak the entire surface. You just need to soak it for an hour or so, and use the a razor blade trick to clean the glass. Repeat for the other 4 walls. You'll use less than a gallon of vinegar at full strength for this project.

 

[NCreefwannabe]

razorblade was alot faster, cheaper and practical to me for the glass.

 

[Michael]

id put 10 gallons of vinegar in the tank if the corraline is bad, and 50 gallons of water, leave it for 48 hours as well, if not too bad then 3-4 gallons of vinegar overnight

 

[joeychitwood]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14802845#post14802845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris4869
You can try flipping the tank on its side, and use enough undiluted vinegar (a couple of millimeters) to cover and soak the entire surface. You just need to soak it for an hour or so, and use the a razor blade trick to clean the glass. Repeat for the other 4 walls. You'll use less than a gallon of vinegar at full strength for this project.

That's a pretty good suggestion. The lip on the tank should hold the vinegar. It might take a few days to soak each side, but it would be alot easier than filling the entire tank with dilute solution.