Cleaning an acrylic tank

[Jim Barry]

I have an acrylic tank with lots of coraline algae. I have taken the tank down and am cleaning it as I have sold it.

Instead of scraping like a madman with a dull plastic scraper, I was hoping to soak or rinse the tank with something that will breakdown the coraline algae so it will will come off easier.

Any suggestions?.... I was thinking of bleach or vinegar but I am afraid I would dull the acrylic finish or leach chemicals into the acrylic that might cause problems down the road.

Thx


Jim

[jws444]

The bleach will kill the coraline obviously, but i have doubts that it would dissolve the calcium to make your life easier. Vinegar should do it. It's not immediate of course, but I'd use a spray bottle and slap some paper towels over the coraline to keep it moist. This way, you won't have to spray the tank every 5 minutes to keep the coraline patches wet.

[Jim Barry]

What about CLR. Will that work?

[medic_eva]

Originally Posted by Jim Barry

What about CLR. Will that work?

that's what i was thinking... it's all natural product, right? but no idea what the effects are from whatever is in it... are there any chemists/biologists out there?

[rickjames]

Originally Posted by medic_eva

that's what i was thinking... it's all natural product, right? but no idea what the effects are from whatever is in it... are there any chemists/biologists out there?

Not a natural product, i think it mostly sulfamic acid or something along those lines or that name...

I would be worried about it etching the acrylic surface. I would stick with vinegar.

[StirCrazy]

Viniger and water (about 50/50) will work very quick, just let it soak for 1/2 an hour and the dull plastic scraper will remove it in no time.

Steve