Can anyone help?

[Bal]

I'm hoping there is an answer to my problem, but I'm fast losing hope that I'll find it.

We bought a used tank, that the former owner had purchased used from Big Als when they moved from Bells Corners. Its a 136, so very heavy, and was bought when snow was still on the ground so it wasnt possible to set it outside to clean it. It was brought down into our basement to be set up in the family room, but placed in a spare room until the stand was ready. Okay, this is my excuse for not noticing the residue on the outside back of the tank. We used a python to clean the inside, but only wiped the outside well, and once set up and filled is when we noticed a whitish residue on the outside of the back.
As awkward as it is to get at, with the back only inches from the wall, I've tried just about everything to remove the residue. It is dead center, from the top down to about the middle area, and it simply will not come off. There is a smaller area of residue on one side, so that was the area I tested numerous things on that might remove it. Nothing has at all. I've tried everything from lemon juice, vinegar, toilet bowl cleaner, brake fluid (thinking it might be  old latex paint residue), lighter fluid, dishwasher soap, and yesterday I bought something called Rydyt2 from Big Als that is supposed to remove lime/calcium. Nothing has worked.

Has anyone any idea what might remove this confounded residue! It is discouraging to me, because no matter what I try to do to camoflage it, it still shows up like a beacon. I even handpainted a realistic rift lake scene on canvas as a background, hoping it would make it less noticeable, but even that didnt work.

I do know that whatever the marks are, they are not etched into the glass. I can't figure out what they were caused from, and have run out of ideas to eliminate them... short of buying a brand new tank!

Has anyone else experienced this, and found a solution?

Bev

[Ron]

Hi Bev,

Try CLR (available at Canadian Tire and Home Hardware stores I think), just don't get it IN the tank!

Good luck,

Ron

[dpatte]

I have an identical tank, and it also has some lime residue (or is something else). The product that worked the best for me was CLR as Ron suggests, each time I use it it removes only about 10% the marks.

Let us know your results.

[Bal]

Thanks for your help, Dave and Ron

I'll guess I'll have to try CLR. I didnt buy it because I assumed the Rydyt2 would work the same, seeing it is especially for tanks and is supposed to get rid of calcium and lime residue. Maybe the CLR will have something more in it that will do a better job?
Its a very faint residue on the side of the tank, but the one on the back is large and quite opaque. Almost looks like a very light greyish blue..(like the colour of this page that I'm typing this message in, matter of fact)... thats why I thought it might be left from the former owner removing the paint. But knowing how well brake fluid removes paint I gave that a try and again, no result. At any rate, it is really making it hard to have a nice looking tank with those marks there! I tried using plastic plants to hide them, but that just looks odd because I need such a thick plant to hide them.

Dave, did you find that the marks seemed to disappear while the area was wet, but then soon as you dry it they appear again?

If all else fails, I suppose I could pile my rocks high in the center.

Bev

[dpatte]

it disappears when wet and comes back, but each time it comes back its a smaller area.

was your tank frame blue? Did you change it to black? What did you use to colour the tank frame without disolving it?

[Bal]

It seems the former owner took off all the blue paint. The frame is now black, but now that you mention it, it looks like it had been stripped of the blue paint. The silicone is quite blue, too, or at least the thick glass makes it appear blue.

I was thinking that maybe the residue was from something the previous owner used to remove the paint. However, I'm sure the paint would have been latex so I hoped that anything that would take off latex would work.. but it didnt. A razor wont take any off, either. Sounds like we have the same sort of marks.. but I wouldnt mind so much if mine werent dead center on the back and so large and prominent. It has to cover about a foot wide and 15 inches top to bottom, and definitely looks like it was caused by something liquid.

Bev

[manytanks]

You might try calling (or visiting):

=> Speedy Auto & Window Glass
=> 500 Eagleson Rd., Kanata
=> 599-8711

...for some advice. These folks cut a few pieces of glass nicely, quickly and cheaply for the top of one of our tanks and seem to know an awful lot about glass. Worth a call.

//Manytanks

[artw]

I have the exact same tank (used from big als, 135 gallons, with blue paint and blue plastic)
I used vinegar to take the white stuff off, with a razor blade it worked very well
I used non toxic paint stipper to take the blue paint off.
I repainted the trim black
I resealed the tank to take off the blue silicon
now if it wasnt for the ten thousand scratches it would be almost a brand new tank

[Bal]

Thanks, Manytanks, that sounds like a good idea. We are only a few blocks from Speedy Autoglass.

Art, vinegar and razor blades didnt work for me unfortunately. I havent tried actual paint stripper. But if brake fluid didnt work for this particular stain, I dont know that stripper would. I think I have some somewhere.. I'll give it a test try.

There are only a few minor scratches on this tank. A couple on the front, but not noticeable unless a bit of algae forms in them.. the algae pad takes care of that easily enough. Wish it were so with the residue!
Bev

[saltydog]

Is it like a lime deposit which seems to be etched into the glass? In my experience, some of these white marks just never come off, even with CLR. Hopefully, the fish & tank decor will distract the eye. If not, you will get used to it.

If you do find something that works please let us know.

[Bal]

Thanks for your input, Saltydog. I dont know if its lime at all, nor can I tell that its etched into the glass. It may very well be, although it doesnt look like it is. Maybe just enough to cause this kind of problem?
I am pretty much resigning myself to the fact that it will always be there. If I do discover something that works, I'll be sure to post about it.. I'm hoping for that magic potion that will do the trick. Too bad so many things that *might* work are too darn toxic to try on an already set up tank! Someone on another board recommended muriatic acid to someone, saying it worked very well- however it is extremely toxic, and creates a vapour so caution must be used. It didnt work for the person he gave the info to, however, and it is so awful to use you must do it outside with a hose handy. So even if it could work, I can't try it at this point in time.

My solution.. and hopefully this will at least help to hide the marks, is this painted background I just completed. I put the background grey rocks right about where the marks are. I will install it tonight and see if it helps.

Bev

[dpatte]

Art, what type of paint stripper and what type of paint did you use on the trim - want to do mine?

as an aside, i think muriatic acid used to be called hydrochloric acid. You can buy it at Canadian tire, so it cant be TOO toxic (its diluted) - but id still try C-L-R first.

[artw]

I used some white stuff with the consistency of glue.  I'll bring it to the bbq.
maybe it will make a good topping for the BBQ'd port cichlids.

and the answer to your question is "no" unless you'd like to turn your tank over for me,  (works best if the stripper is applied perpendicular to gravity)