Scrached Glass

[Lorenz725]

There is nothing that drives me more nuts while looking into my tank and seeing a nice big scratch in the glass! I am very very careful when cleaning the glass on my tank. I use a Mag float with magic eraser between it but like a lot of others I had to buy my tank used. When I got it there is about a 2 inch scratch about 2 inches from the bottom of the tank on the front pain of glass. Everyone that looks in my tank never notices it but every time I look at my tank I see it. So spill it how many other people out there have scratches on there tank? What do you do to prevent it? Does it bother others as much as it bothers me? :debi:

 

[scarface70706]

yea i have three (spaced out) 2" scratches on the front of my tank and it bugs me but im slowly getting over it. no one really sees it but i do. its close to the sand bed and the only way to see it is when looking at it at eye level but from a angle it blends with the sand. it sucks but i have to live with it. to prevent future unwanted scratches im just more cautious when moving rock around when aqua-scaping. my next tank (210 gal.)im going to buy 3-5 big bottles of ecotech's glue and glue all of my base rock one at a time with no water in it. i swear if i knew how great ecotech's element glue was i would have done this the first time around.

 

[Lorenz725]

That is a good idea about the glue did not think about that.

 

[crabbyjoe]

scratches are inevitable.. sand under the mag float can do more damage than you think. i'm moving my 29g back into a 56g thats been broken down for a while and has some scratches. I was kinda bummed but didnt want to buy another tank. once i filled to leak test i realized most of the scratches arent even visible once the water is in.

if the tank is done right you will be the only one that sees the scratches because everyone else will be lost staring at a beautiful reef!!!

 

[Megatrev62]

HATE SCRATCHES. In the meantime, I have a few on a used tank, and I don't notice them anymore. Nobody but you will notice them anyway.

 

[Danzig]

ive got quite a few on my recently bought 90 gal i bought used.

 

[asonitez]

Purchase Cerium Oxide from Vulcan's Work Shop on Ebay. Mix it with RODI water to make a paste similiar to pancake batter.

1. Turn off your pumps Lower your water level to the scratch.
2. Use Tape to lay a garbage back over your water On TOP of the water and tape it around the scratch.
3. Get a neon orange uv marker and circle the scratches. Turn on your actinics.
4. Load up a felt buffer pad with Cerium Oxide paste and kiss away 15 minutes of your life as you buff the area with the Cerium oxide mix while rotating in a circle and swearing like a pirate at the awkward angle, tank frame cutting into your armpit.. occasionally burning your self on your actinic bulbs..


for the first 6 minutes.. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
for the next 6-10 Minutes.. The Scratch will fade.. and start to look less and less..
Keep going and after a couple more minutes it should be 100% invisible when filled with water.


DO Tape well. Tape MORE.. Keep taping until you think nothing will get into your tank at At all.
Corals should be fine out of water for a while.. if your like me... Drain your tank half way into a rubber maid bin and pry off the plugs that corls were on in the top half of my tank and placed them into the rubber maid with a heater and maxijet.

DONT
Hold the buffer/dremel in 1 place too long.
Use dry powder.
Inhale the Powder
Sell the Powder on the corner
Use the powder for world domination


Cerium Oxide is inert. If some gets into your tank it should not do anything. Cerium oxide is sometimes sold as diamond powder. Get the purest cerium oxide you can find. It might sound daunting but repeated treatments of cerium oxide can remove most scratches.. including the dredded can feel with finger nail scratch

 

[Lorenz725]

Thanks seems like a pain but worth it if I get more then I got. For now I can deal with the 1 or 2 I have.

 

[SoLiD]

Purchase Cerium Oxide from Vulcan's Work Shop on Ebay. Mix it with RODI water to make a paste similiar to pancake batter.

1. Turn off your pumps Lower your water level to the scratch.
2. Use Tape to lay a garbage back over your water On TOP of the water and tape it around the scratch.
3. Get a neon orange uv marker and circle the scratches. Turn on your actinics.
4. Load up a felt buffer pad with Cerium Oxide paste and kiss away 15 minutes of your life as you buff the area with the Cerium oxide mix while rotating in a circle and swearing like a pirate at the awkward angle, tank frame cutting into your armpit.. occasionally burning your self on your actinic bulbs..


for the first 6 minutes.. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
for the next 6-10 Minutes.. The Scratch will fade.. and start to look less and less..
Keep going and after a couple more minutes it should be 100% invisible when filled with water.


DO Tape well. Tape MORE.. Keep taping until you think nothing will get into your tank at At all.
Corals should be fine out of water for a while.. if your like me... Drain your tank half way into a rubber maid bin and pry off the plugs that corls were on in the top half of my tank and placed them into the rubber maid with a heater and maxijet.

DONT
Hold the buffer/dremel in 1 place too long.
Use dry powder.
Inhale the Powder
Sell the Powder on the corner
Use the powder for world domination


Cerium Oxide is inert. If some gets into your tank it should not do anything. Cerium oxide is sometimes sold as diamond powder. Get the purest cerium oxide you can find. It might sound daunting but repeated treatments of cerium oxide can remove most scratches.. including the dredded can feel with finger nail scratch

Good to know and Thanks