MISTAKES WERE MADE!!!

[gesock]

I won't lay the blame on anyone but in someone's desire to help me make progress on my new build they decided to clean my tank for me while I was at work. While I appreciate the effort, and love them dearly for it, they used windex to give the glass that final cleaning. Now I know this is not good but how worried should I be if I'm still weeks away from completing my build? Also is there any recommendations on what I should do?

 

[Azedenkae]

I won't lay the blame on anyone but in someone's desire to help me make progress on my new build they decided to clean my tank for me while I was at work. While I appreciate the effort, and love them dearly for it, they used windex to give the glass that final cleaning. Now I know this is not good but how worried should I be if I'm still weeks away from completing my build? Also is there any recommendations on what I should do?

What size tank is it? Could just fill up with water and let it dissolve in the water, and do that a few times. Painful if it's a big tank, not very if it is a small tank.

 

[gesock]

What size tank is it? Could just fill up with water and let it dissolve in the water, and do that a few times. Painful if it's a big tank, not very if it is a small tank.

125 gallons. I was thinking of scrubbing it down with water and citric acid. Maybe that would keep it from killing anything.

 

[Tiger Brown]

Inside glass or outside glass? If it is outside I wouldn't worry about it, I use cleaner all the time. If inside it must be empty, so just rinse it really well and you should be fine. IMO

 

[gesock]

Inside glass or outside glass? If it is outside I wouldn't worry about it, I use cleaner all the time. If inside it must be empty, so just rinse it really well and you should be fine. IMO

Both sides of the glass. I use it on my current tank on the outside (but spray the paper towels really far from the tank lol). It is empty so I'll give it a good scrubbing.

 

[Brady4000]

Inside glass or outside glass?

Was wounding the same thing.

If it is outside I wouldn't worry about it, I use cleaner all the time. If inside it must be empty, so just rinse it really well and you should be fine. IMO

+1 I also clean the outside as well, with windex.

 

[gesock]

Inside glass or outside glass? If it is outside I wouldn't worry about it, I use cleaner all the time. If inside it must be empty, so just rinse it really well and you should be fine. IMO

By the way your avatar is displaying my favorite fish. I've tried three times to keep one but they always seem to die and they are the only ones to die in my tank. I never see anyone picking on them either.

 

[Azedenkae]

125 gallons. I was thinking of scrubbing it down with water and citric acid. Maybe that would keep it from killing anything.

Oh 125 gallons is a lot then lol. Yeah nah just wipe it down with water over and over again. Honestly after a couple of rinses, even if there is any left it should not be much, and then once you add water it will be extremely diluted.

 

[Brady4000]

Just going to add this in here. Don’t use the green side of the sponge when scrubbing it down. You’ll scratch the glass. Use a micro rag.

Edit: not saying you would have, but I tend to go all out when I think something is going wrong and that’s when I myself start making mistakes.

 

[ReefBeta]

It sounds like not really a big deal. Sounds like Windex mostly consists of some form of alcohol, ammonia, surfactant, coloring. None of those are particularly poisonous to the fish tank, especially in trace amount. I think just use water to spray it down and wipe it out several times would be fine.

 

[sharpimage]

The bad stuff will dissipate all on its own, in a few minutes/ hours. You don't need to do anything

 

[gesock]

Just going to add this in here. Don’t use the green side of the sponge when scrubbing it down. You’ll scratch the glass. Use a micro rag.

Edit: not saying you would have, but I tend to go all out when I think something is going wrong and that’s when I myself start making mistakes.

So very true. I find myself doing the same thing!

 

[Discordian]

I used to do professional work with environmental toxicology (I am not a PHD toxicologist, but worked along several doing statistical data analysis and health safety assessments). I took a very quick look at the ingredients and the SDS. I would second the don't worry too much sentiment. Personally a quick rinse with water, is all I would do. If I were to give a best practice for an empty tank with an unknown chemical exposure it would be to do a good rinse followed by a cleaning with rubbing alcohol, followed by two more rinses.

 

[Tiger Brown]

By the way your avatar is displaying my favorite fish. I've tried three times to keep one but they always seem to die and they are the only ones to die in my tank. I never see anyone picking on them either.

Yeah, I love the Coral Beauty. I have had several, and to be honest, I had my first one last for years, but I've also had a few die off fairly quickly as well for no known reason that I could see. I know the Flame gets most of the love, but I think the CB has a better personality.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I made sure my wife knows to stay far from my tank with cleaning stuff, she's not even allowed to touch the tank, she can only look with her eyes

 

[Brady4000]

I made sure my wife knows to stay far from my tank with cleaning stuff, she's not even allowed to touch the tank, she can only look with her eyes

Man, I got the opposite problem. I would love to teach my wife how to make RO water, mix salt, clean the inside and outside of the tank. Do a water change, test the water for whatever...

I just can’t fathom why she wouldn’t want to do all these awesome task. Lol