Best Way to Clean a Used Tank

[ajones2n]

I bought a used tank, and the back of the tank has some crud caked on it. What is the best way to clean this off? A buddy suggested I fill the tank, then add vinegar and/or acetone? Has anyone heard of this? Or do you have better ideas or methods. I'll post pictures as well to give a better idea of the "crud" I'm talking about.

 

[ajones2n]

 

[Reefing Madness]

Give the vinegar a shot, let it soak in there for a few days, by the looks of it, you'll come close to getting it all out, but not quite all of it. Keep the acetone away from it. Ya don't want that in the plastic.

If its not really coming clean, you can use muriatic acid and water, that'll take care of the rest of it.

 

[solar]

Give the vinegar a shot, let it soak in there for a few days, by the looks of it, you'll come close to getting it all out, but not quite all of it. Keep the acetone away from it. Ya don't want that in the plastic.

If its not really coming clean, you can use muriatic acid and water, that'll take care of the rest of it.

I usually do what reefing madness said. I also usually fill the tank and let it run for 3 days with the vinegar in it. I use about a cup of vinegar for every 5 gallons. After a few days almost everytime i have done it the sludge ie gross stuff just wipes away. And no to the acetone. It will eat the plastic.

 

[J062682l]

I'd follow what reef madness says.

 

[rcmike]

Definately keep the actions away unless you want to clean the silicone out of the seams!

 

[michael brumit]

+1 on the vinegar. Works very well. Let it soak about 3 days then it should wipe right off.

 

[jmann124]

Yes to the vinegar. I've done it the Reefing Madness way several times.

 

[ajones2n]

Great! That's why I asked! Glad I did now.

 

[Saltlife]

My tank looked like that when I got it. I filled it with water and vinegar a let it run for a few days, I don't remember the exact ratio but I did use a lot of vinegar. I then drained it and washed it really really good.


edit: I think I used about 2 gallons of vinegar.

 

[ajones2n]

I heard somewhere 1 gallon vinegar/50gallons water? Sound familiar to anyone else?

 

[Reefing Madness]

More like a 50/50 mix, but you don't have to go that high on the mix itself, ya just want to see how hard its going to be getting some of the old out of the tank, so you may start out with a 10/90 mix and see how it goes. Then add from there.

 

[Kworker]

Vinegar, razorblades and mr clean magic erasers

 

[McAllyn]

I way overdid my 90 when I got it because it was a total trainwreck. I used 3 gallons of vinegar and filled the tank with hose water. Put in all the pumps, powerheads and heaters and let it run for about 20 hours. Drained the tank and everything wiped off. Never scraped anything. Do a search on here for Smith's Reef rescue, I took before, during, and after pics.

Mac

 

[ajones2n]

I way overdid my 90 when I got it because it was a total trainwreck. I used 3 gallons of vinegar and filled the tank with hose water. Put in all the pumps, powerheads and heaters and let it run for about 20 hours. Drained the tank and everything wiped off. Never scraped anything. Do a search on here for Smith's Reef rescue, I took before, during, and after pics.

Mac

Thanks! And if you need a set of extra hands with this whole how to video recordings, I'm interested. I don't really know a lot about what I'd be doing but except any available opportunity to learn.