DIY - Projects & Ideas • How do I remove hard water buildup on old tank trim?

[BullyBuddies]

I was about to go purchase a new 60 gallon tank and stand when my mom told me to just take down her old 55 gallon instead. She was redecorating and running out of space. I drove over and started the task right away. After 3 hours of dismantling and cleaning there is still some hard water residue caked on the brace and top trim. The razor blade worked great on the glass, but not so well on the trim.

I dont want to use any cleaners and the vinegar seems to not be helping. Any ideas?

[Mike_G]

Sand it with 400->600 grit and polish it out with Novus #2 plastic polish.

[BullyBuddies]

Thanks man, sandpaper was the solution

[ssondubs]

Vinegar, razor blade (box cutter blade) and patience.

[shutter72]

i had the same issue, first time i used a scraper with a razor blade attached and that worked great but was a little more muscle than i wanted to use.

The 2nd time i used a squirt bottle with vinegar, and i squited it down about every 15 minutes for an hour and then took a new pot scrubber sponge and it all came off easy as pie.

[gmaschke]

Just heard today that lemon juice also works, I'll try that next time as I hate the smell of vinegar.

[cgmark]

Any of the lime away, clr type products are fine, just rinse thoroughly. They are just acids, mainly oxalic acid that has an affinity for calcium and iron. Leave it on about 5 minutes and the stuff usually just wipes off. Sometimes the products add glycerin to make them thicker or a fragrance, but none of that will hurt the plastics or materials used in aquariums, just rinse thoroughly otherwise it would cause a Ph drop if some got in the water.

[Mike_G]

"Barkeeper's Friend" scouring powder also contains oxalic acid