How to remove white stains

[Capsle]

Hey Reefers,

I'm trying to get these stains off of the tank I bought and they just won't come off.

I've tried pure white vinegar, a razor blade, scotchbrite cleaning sponge and even resorted to vim bathroom cleaner. I know I shouldn't use chemicals but the tank is empty and I'm resealing it so it will be cleaned out and flushed many times before I start it up.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Caps

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[CSalty]

I did a little research for you and I read that many people let it soak in vinegar. Soaking cotton balls in vinegar and having it sit on the cloudy parts for a couple hours should definitely work.


SSgt Saltwater

 

[Capsle]

I'll give it a try and see.


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[farfromsea]

I would fill it up with vinegar if possible. They sell "cleaning vinegar" at Walmart sometimes that has a higher percentage of acetic acid than the vinegar we eat, supposedly.

 

[Capsle]

I would fill it up with vinegar if possible. They sell "cleaning vinegar" at Walmart sometimes that has a higher percentage of acetic acid than the vinegar we eat, supposedly.

I filled it up with a mix of water a vinegar W the other day and let it soak overnight. Still wasn't able to get it off. 75G of vinegar, that's a lot of vinegar!! [emoji15]


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[Sk8r]

Turn it on its side, lay thick newspaper or cotton on the area to be cleaned, pour on straight white vinegar and let sit about 24 hours sopping wet with vinegar. Same on all sides. If it's any comfort, the marks will probably vanish when wet, but vinegar should get them, and it is a substance that will not hurt your tank critters.

 

[farfromsea]

I filled it up with a mix of water a vinegar W the other day and let it soak overnight. Still wasn't able to get it off. 75G of vinegar, that's a lot of vinegar!! [emoji15]


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Haha I presumed it was a much smaller tank than that. Too much vinegar. Laying it on its side like Sk8r suggests is a good idea

 

[Pufferfish3]

I have the same problem thanks for the tips guys

 

[sirclintler]

An old piece of carpet works well too, holds a lot of water

 

[Keoki18]

I have used a small amount of CLR original in the past to remove some really tough stains, but try the vinegar first. If you need to resort to CLR let it sit like the vinegar for a bit. Just rinse very well. It works and has had no detriment to my systems.

 

[nereefpat]

As sk8r hinted, you may not even see those marks with the tank full of water. Try filling it with freshwater and see if it's still visible.

 

[Capsle]

I tried the vinegar this morning and let it sit a couple hours. To no avail. I purchased some CLR and let it sit for about 5 minutes as the bottle says no more than to. It got rid of a fair bit but still there. I will let it sit longer tomorrow with the CLR and see how it goes.

When the tank is filled it's hardly noticeable but my biggest fault is being a perfectionist and paying to much attention to detail. Even if its barely noticeable when filled I still know they're there and it will eat me up. [emoji21][emoji21][emoji21]


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[Capsle]

Well I've tried everything now and it's still there. I've given up on it. Can't notice it with water so be it.


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[farfromsea]

Unfortunate. Just sell it to someone else and get another?

 

[Capsle]

I'll build a new one a few months from now. It will do for the meantime.


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[Chasedenver]

Barkeepers friend is supposed to be the same type of acid as in vinegar but much stronger. I've used it with success on glass lids but admittedly never tried it on really tough build up.

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