Cleaning Alkaline (Carbonate) Buildup from a Dry Tank

Vinegar helps. I use lime remover (any brand) from Walmart/Homedepot. Works much better.

Yes vinegar and try Bar-Keepers Friend . Can get it at Home Depot and others .

I was wary of using harsh chemicals, but I assume with enough rinsing then these could be made fish-safe?

We have Barkeeper's Friend under the sink, so good to know. Is it not too abrasive for the glass?

Forgot to ask originally: can any of these cleaners be used on light fixtures and similar electronics? Somehow the buildup even got on the plastic shield for the neon tubes (there was a glass canopy in between...)

Jeff B. said:

I was wary of using harsh chemicals, but I assume with enough rinsing then these could be made fish-safe?

We have Barkeeper's Friend under the sink, so good to know. Is it not too abrasive for the glass?

Forgot to ask originally: can any of these cleaners be used on light fixtures and similar electronics? Somehow the buildup even got on the plastic shield for the neon tubes (there was a glass canopy in between...)

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Shouldn't hurt the glass , but try in a spot on the back of tank at bottom just to be sure and do a small spot on the light cover . It may scratch plastic .

I try not to go any stronger than works well so I would give vinegar a first try before moving to stronger. If there are really big lumps, there are a couple other things that may help. A scraper like designed clean paint off windows will be a real time/work saver. these come in dozens of types and designs but I like those which use single edge razor blades. I find that I get much better value if I keep a fresh blade as it gets down to get under the really thin layer at the surface. Then after scraping, soaking paper towels in vinegar and laying them on any tough stuff will usually be enough.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Warner-Too...t-Scraper-Common-1-5-in-Actual-1-5-in/3168621
Some chemicals that I have used will leave a bit too much residue and effect the PH at times. Acid Magic is one that does a great job but it also gives me fits to get it all off. Vinegar is great for most stuff. I once bought a repot house with tank and dead pleco carcass!

Vinegar solution + heat to speed up the chelation

PlantedRich said:

I try not to go any stronger than works well so I would give vinegar a first try before moving to stronger. If there are really big lumps, there are a couple other things that may help. A scraper like designed clean paint off windows will be a real time/work saver. these come in dozens of types and designs but I like those which use single edge razor blades. I find that I get much better value if I keep a fresh blade as it gets down to get under the really thin layer at the surface. Then after scraping, soaking paper towels in vinegar and laying them on any tough stuff will usually be enough.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Warner-Too...t-Scraper-Common-1-5-in-Actual-1-5-in/3168621
Some chemicals that I have used will leave a bit too much residue and effect the PH at times. Acid Magic is one that does a great job but it also gives me fits to get it all off. Vinegar is great for most stuff. I once bought a repot house with tank and dead pleco carcass!

Click to expand...

+1 about the paint scrapers. Truly a lifesaver.

A small point to add on the scraper is that I find it works far better to keep a stock of the blades handy. Blades are super cheap when you buy them in bulk so I keep a small stack near the scraper. That leads me to change the blade more often and avoid having a rusty blade. An old, rusty blade makes it less effective but can also make rough spots on the blade that I don't want to run across the glass. Many don't trust the scraper but it is designed for cleaning glass and works really well. But it is also true that we have to know how to use a tool before the tool can do the job!

I saw a video where a guy tested a few chemicals and things like vinegar and the barkeepers friend won hands down.
You can use cheap common automotive rubbing compound for tough bits that won't come off. The abrasive bits in it is softer than glass so will do no damage and it washes off very easily.

Thanks for the great advice, everyone. I spent a couple hours yesterday with a scraper, and managed to get most of it. Because I did not want to risk hacking up the softer plastic I soaked the Bio-Wheel filter housing in a vinegar wrap as suggested, which did loosen it up enough.

I'm sure Barkeeper's Friend would have saved me a good bit of time, but I wasn't sure I trusted it so did things the hard way. The biggest problem was rinsing the thing in the narrow bathtub, which was quite awkward...

Some of the glass is still cloudy so today I'm planning on going over it again w. a soft cloth. But I might actually be able to get the tank filled this week, depending on whether I decide that the soil needs replaced.

Which raises a related question: will the carbonate buildup from the evaporated water alter the existing substrate to the point of endangering the new setup?

Always a guess when dealing with nature but I would say no problem. If you have hard water, the sub will be a bit different as the minerals from the water will often be left but what is there now is not likely to have a big overall effect. I feel it more theory than actual problem.
But then that is also just a guess?

As far as I understand, barkeepers is oxalic acid (highly toxic). I tried using straight oxalic acid, but it was completely ineffective.

My wife is going to need a hazmat crew to safely get rid of all the dangerous substances I accumulated over time in pursuance of one hobby or another, when I croak.