Odd Vertical Scratches Acrylic Aquarium

[mmb]

Hello all. Just joined the forum. Really would appreciate insight. I have a 1 inch thick acrylic tank. I am fully ready and able to remove the scratches on the acrylic with my magnet and sand paper. But there are these 2 very odd vertical lines (that easily may have been caused by me) that are not normal scratches. I cannot feel a thing when I go over them with my hand inside the tank. Even with my nails I go over them and it feels super smooth. I have a feeling it may be something on the inside of the acrylic and wondered if others have dealt with the same thing. I attached 3 pictures that will hopefully tell the story.

It is definitely possible that sanding will actually remove them but I don’t want to embark on this project if they are indeed below the surface. Any advice/insight greatly appreciated.

 

[Matt1997]

Algae scraper? Take a picture of that seam as well. I hope it’s a reflection but you may have bigger issues.

 

[Woodyman]

Any white light photos?

Have you reached out to any acrylic manufacturers to see if they had any advice?

 

[piranhaman00]

Pics are useless, need white light photos

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Do you have an urchin? My longspine used to chew marks into my old acrylic tank. He was quickly moved to a glass setup.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Was this tank newly setup recently?

 

[mmb]

Algae scraper? Take a picture of that seam as well. I hope it’s a reflection but you may have bigger issues.

Definitely could have been caused by the scraper. But I can’t feel a thing from the Inside.

 

[mmb]

Any white light photos?

Have you reached out to any acrylic manufacturers to see if they had any advice?

Here are more pics. White light. I have not. I don’t think it’s a critical fault. Just an annoyance.

 

[mmb]

Here are more pics. White light. I have not. I don’t think it’s a critical fault. Just an annoyance.

 

[mmb]

Was this tank newly setup recently?

13 year old tank

 

[mmb]

Do you have an urchin? My longspine used to chew marks into my old acrylic tank. He was quickly moved to a glass setup.

Very Interesting. I have a long spine (big one) and a lot of other urchins too.

 

[vetteguy53081]

13 year old tank

I guess I meant, did you just acquire tank and set it up?

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Very Interesting. I have a long spine (big one) and a lot of other urchins too.

Urchins can definitely damage acrylic. In freshwater some of the plecos can as well speaking from experience. I had a 9" royal pleco chew a line across the front of a 180 acrylic. Had to be buffed to remove.

 

[mmb]

I guess I meant, did you just acquire tank and set it up?

Ah. No. Have had it for its full 13 years.

 

[mmb]

Urchins can definitely damage acrylic. In freshwater some of the plecos can as well speaking from experience. I had a 9" royal pleco chew a line across the front of a 180 acrylic. Had to be buffed to remove.

It’s a great point the urchin is on that side a lot. Which I guess is good news because I can buff it out. And I probably can’t feel a thing because it is that much on the surface.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ah. No. Have had it for its full 13 years.

Yes, then that is odd. I have seen why I was asking used tanks in which there was an overflow box present but removed and replaced by bulkheads leaving that clean mark.

 

[Timfish]

Just FYI urchins will make small star shaped scrapes where their 5 teeth rub against the glass. Tuxedo urchins are probably the safest to use in an acrylic tank. ALgae magnets can pick up a small piece of rust and cause scratches like that. Examine your magnet closely under a bright light and maybe some reader glasses. I've seen pieces of rust lay flat and not scratch then when a magnet is rotated an edge will lift and scratch again.

 

[Matt1997]

Can you take a step back and take a picture of the entire seam from top to bottom? It’s hard to get a perspective when looking at it so closely. It looks like you have seam separation happening on that tank.

As for the lines, I think they are smear marks from an algae scraper. Not quite a scratch but a scuff mark.