How to get minerals off from old tank?

[anchor]

Hello everyone! :soapbox:
Anchor here from Illinois is fighting with an old aquarium.It is covered in white stuff, that is hard to get off. What kind of soap or other stuff can I use to remove it. Does someone have a good idea how to dissolve it?
I hope you excuse me if there is funny words in my text. I am from Finland and learning this language yet.

[Tkuemmet]

razor blade and some vinegar or lemon juice, followed by an isopropyl alcohol wipe after.

[Abercrombie6202]

As long as the tank is empty i'd clean it with bleach! then wash with warm-hot water till you can't smell the bleach anymore! I'd wash the tank out like 8 times a day over a few days to a week!

[RandalB]

Anchor,
I agree with Travis, Here's the exact procedure I use:

Get a gallon of white vinegar and a couple of green pot scrubber pads (the ones for teflon pans). Lay the tank on it's side and pour some vinegar in. Just enough to cover the glass and not go over the lip of the top trim. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so and scrub with the pot scrubber pad. The Acetic acid dissolves the mineral crust. If you still have problems, repeat as necessary. Use the same procedure on all sides of the tank. For really nasty stains use table salt as an abrasive. No need for bleach IMO, Just a PITA to clean out afterwards. I normally don't bother with alcohol either.

RandalB <---- Also from Illinois

[Abercrombie6202]

LOL DON'T TAKE MY ADVICE I LIKE THEIR WAY BETTER, LOL!!!

[Carol_Roberts]

Hi Anchor - Welcome to SimplyDiscus :wave:

I use razor blades first and get off as much as I can - then try the vinegar and pot scrubber on the residue.

[Not2Day]

Have any of you tried Lime Away?

[anchor]

Thank you all for the information. I used winegar and got some crust off but this tank takes a lot of work. I dont think it has been washed last year. :( I was hoping to get it clean without scrubbing and scratching the glass. Well, I better get to work if I want to get any discus in my tank ever. :P
Bac to scrubb. Thank you all :D

[RandalB]

Never tried Lime away or CLR, vinegar's much cheaper...


Anchor,
Let the vinegar sit longer, a day or so, changing it out a couple of times. It's a pretty weak acid and real nasty deposits will take longer.

RandalB

[mtwinn]

It's funny that Lime away or CLR was mentioned. I've thought about using these products to remove the hardened mineral deposits on my aquarium. However, what do I use to remove the chemicals found in the product itself? It can't be safe for the fishies if it can remove the hardened minerals.

[Debbie]

I had gotten a tank given to me that had been used as a reef tank and had coraline algae all over it. Talk about a tough cleaning job, all those calcium deposits! I just used the aquarium cleaner sold at one of the LFS and most came off without a struggle.

[shamsoo]

if you feel easy to work with hydrochloric HCL acid, it will clean it in few minutes HTH

[GulfCoastDiscus]

For stubborn deposits, I use muriatic acid that you can buy in your hardware store for pools. Make sure to wear glove and a mask. I dampen a piece of cloth and just wipe on the calcium deposit, then rinse with water. Make sure not to get it on the silicone. Acid will peel the silicone from glass.

Dan