DIY Cleaning solution

Tank Man · 02-05-2013, 05:18 AM

Does anyone know of any good formulas for a tank cleaning solution? I know vinegar is good on hard water stains but is there anything else? I see cleaning spray at lfs's and always wonder if it is any better than elbow grease and a scrubby.

If I was going to wing it I guess I would start off with vinegar and maybe some excel for the algae killing properties?

aznartist34 · 02-05-2013, 06:23 AM

Bleach

GOJIRADOR · 02-05-2013, 06:27 AM

I use rubbing alcohol to clean the outside glass of my tanks, glass cleaners seem to leave streaks

CrypticLifeStyle · 02-05-2013, 10:53 AM

Inside or outside of the tank, you mentioned algae so I'm not sure what side you meant. For inside I threw my scrubbies away awhile back as it eventually started scratching the glass. Started using a plastic backery cutter, and used it as a scraper tool, never scratched, but 2 weeks ago I picked up a plastic scrapper that top fin makes for $4- best thing ever. It gets the real deep cement like algae inside, and anything outside.

lochaber · 02-05-2013, 08:22 PM

vinegar, or ammonia (just not together), and a razor blade.

Monster Fish · 02-05-2013, 08:37 PM

Vinegar and a paper towel for hardwater stains. For rust and other stuff vinegar can't take off, I use a paste of baking soda and a little bit of water. Rub with your fingers until it comes off. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't do much IME and with bleach you have to deal with the smell and rinse well before using the equipment again.

crowndroyal · 02-05-2013, 10:46 PM

a steamer !!! you can get small hand steamers pretty cheap these days

AirstoND · 02-06-2013, 12:49 AM

plastic mesh, baking soda, distilled water, and clear liquid dish soap

Diana · 02-06-2013, 05:24 AM

Salt:
Warm some water in a pot and dissolve in it as much salt as you can.
Wet a cloth in this water, then add dry salt to the cloth.
The dry salt is abrasive, and will remove dried, stuck-on algae. The strong salt water solution on the cloth will kill many fresh water organisms.
After a good rinse any lingering trace of salt is not a problem for even the most sensitive fresh water fish and plants.

Hard water stains. Mineral build up:
Wet the area with lemon juice.
Sprinkle on Citric Acid (sold in the grocery store as "Sour Salt")
Keep it damp with a paper towel soaked in lemon juice.
About every 15 minutes try removing the minerals, then repeat the citric acid and lemon juice application.

Other acidic material to help with minerals:
Cola, try any sort of soda pop, but Coke or Pepsi are supposed to work best.
I had some Shasta Cola that was not as good as Citric Acid and Lemon Juice method.

Vinegar was even worse. Did not do a good job at all.

I used all the same way:
Pour it on, keep it wet with paper towel soaked in that product. Return every 15 minutes to scrape loose whatever would budge, then re-apply the product.

02-05-2013, 05:18 AM	#1
Tank Man Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Philadelphia suburbs Posts: 69	DIY Cleaning solution Does anyone know of any good formulas for a tank cleaning solution? I know vinegar is good on hard water stains but is there anything else? I see cleaning spray at lfs's and always wonder if it is any better than elbow grease and a scrubby. If I was going to wing it I guess I would start off with vinegar and maybe some excel for the algae killing properties?

02-05-2013, 10:53 AM	#4
CrypticLifeStyle Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Boston / Leominster Posts: 564	Inside or outside of the tank, you mentioned algae so I'm not sure what side you meant. For inside I threw my scrubbies away awhile back as it eventually started scratching the glass. Started using a plastic backery cutter, and used it as a scraper tool, never scratched, but 2 weeks ago I picked up a plastic scrapper that top fin makes for $4- best thing ever. It gets the real deep cement like algae inside, and anything outside. __________________ 1x 180g - 1x 75g - 4x 55g - 1x 29g - 1x 20g - 1x 15g Geo's - Cory's - Loaches - Ram's - Firemouths - Convicts - Endlers - Tetras - Plants - Jack Dempsey's - Shrimp

02-05-2013, 08:37 PM	#6
Monster Fish Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (24/100%) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 1,821	Vinegar and a paper towel for hardwater stains. For rust and other stuff vinegar can't take off, I use a paste of baking soda and a little bit of water. Rub with your fingers until it comes off. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't do much IME and with bleach you have to deal with the smell and rinse well before using the equipment again. __________________ 5.5 gallon grass tank\|5.5 gallon Rili tank RAOK Club #77\|*The Fraternity of Dirt #112*

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02-05-2013, 06:23 AM	#2
aznartist34 Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 356	Bleach

02-05-2013, 06:27 AM	#3
GOJIRADOR Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 65	I use rubbing alcohol to clean the outside glass of my tanks, glass cleaners seem to leave streaks

02-05-2013, 08:22 PM	#5
lochaber Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 742	vinegar, or ammonia (just not together), and a razor blade.

02-05-2013, 10:46 PM	#7
crowndroyal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: sarnia Posts: 34	a steamer !!! you can get small hand steamers pretty cheap these days

02-06-2013, 12:49 AM	#8
AirstoND Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Posts: 1,189	plastic mesh, baking soda, distilled water, and clear liquid dish soap

02-06-2013, 05:24 AM	#9
Diana Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Contra Costa CA Posts: 5,013	Salt: Warm some water in a pot and dissolve in it as much salt as you can. Wet a cloth in this water, then add dry salt to the cloth. The dry salt is abrasive, and will remove dried, stuck-on algae. The strong salt water solution on the cloth will kill many fresh water organisms. After a good rinse any lingering trace of salt is not a problem for even the most sensitive fresh water fish and plants. Hard water stains. Mineral build up: Wet the area with lemon juice. Sprinkle on Citric Acid (sold in the grocery store as "Sour Salt") Keep it damp with a paper towel soaked in lemon juice. About every 15 minutes try removing the minerals, then repeat the citric acid and lemon juice application. Other acidic material to help with minerals: Cola, try any sort of soda pop, but Coke or Pepsi are supposed to work best. I had some Shasta Cola that was not as good as Citric Acid and Lemon Juice method. Vinegar was even worse. Did not do a good job at all. I used all the same way: Pour it on, keep it wet with paper towel soaked in that product. Return every 15 minutes to scrape loose whatever would budge, then re-apply the product.