Need advice on cleaning coralline on a used tank.

[chiromanta]

Hi everybody.
I have recently bought 165G tall tank, glass. Just finish redoing all the plumbing. The tank has moderate amount of coralline algae on the back glass and on the overflow. Overflow is plastic. How can I take it off. Some of my reefer friends told me to fill it up with regular watter and add vinegar to it, ran in for few days and then drain it. If so, how many gallons of vinegar do I need to add to the total volume.
The tank is empty but very heavy to be laid down on its side.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, need to remove some water marks.
Thank you all a head of time.

 

[Jazeel55]

Razor and scrap Away

 

[Widdy]

Since tank is empty. Fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar and spray all the sides. Let it sit and scrape it off. Razor blade or credit card should do the trick depending on how stubborn the coralline is stuck on.

 

[chiromanta]

Razor and scrap Away

Thanks

 

[chiromanta]

Since tank is empty. Fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar and spray all the sides. Let it sit and scrape it off. Razor blade or credit card should do the trick depending on how stubborn the coralline is stuck on.

What about plastic overflow? Same thing?
Thanks for response.

 

[Widdy]

What about plastic overflow? Same thing?
Thanks for response.

Yup, same thing. Go easy scraping the plastic. If soaked long or frequent enough, the coralline should slide right off.

 

[chiromanta]

Yup, same thing. Go easy scraping the plastic. If soaked long or frequent enough, the coralline should slide right off.

Thanks

 

[chiromanta]

Yup, same thing. Go easy scraping the plastic. If soaked long or frequent enough, the coralline should slide right off.

What about water marks?

 

[Widdy]

What about water marks?

Same method. May require some more elbow grease. You can also soak a paper towel with vinegar and sit it on the stain for awhile.

There's links that'll suggest other products, I can't recommend them as I'm not sure what it'll leave behind.

 

[chiromanta]

Cool. I will give it a try this weekend

 

[n3hihz]

I was kind of lazy and used 1:5 ratio of vinegar and water filled it up and put some power heads in and left it for a few hours. Most of it came off and did some touch up with a razor.

 

[chiromanta]

I was kind of lazy and used 1:5 ratio of vinegar and water filled it up and put some power heads in and left it for a few hours. Most of it came off and did some touch up with a razor.

Thanks.
If it is a nano it is doable, but at 165G of water 1:5 ratio is a little bit costly. Lol

 

[n3hihz]

Did it in a 125... Guess laziness has its price lol

 

[Tonyscoots84]

I was kind of lazy and used 1:5 ratio of vinegar and water filled it up and put some power heads in and left it for a few hours. Most of it came off and did some touch up with a razor.

This is what i do

 

[chiromanta]

This is what i do

Hi. Are you telling me that you would put 30 gallons of vinegar to clean coraline algae in 165 gallon tank??!!!

 

[ming]

If you want to do it more cost effectively, then go buy some muriatic acid at the hardware store. You'll probably want to dilute it a LOT more then vinegar.

Just be careful as it is acid and can burn your skin. Its essentially hydrochloric acid (same stuff your stomach uses to digest your food)
It'll also be great if you have clogged pipes lol
But to be safe, once you're done running the muriatic acid/water mixture in your tank, I'd throw in a pack of baking soda to buffer to a higher pH it before you drain it. (as a safety)

I'd guess 1 gallon can be diluted to somewhere between 50-100 gallons. Diff bottles will have diff concentrations

Should also add, you'll want to open the windows for the fumes

 

[Tonyscoots84]

No but 1 gallon of vinegar in a empty tank full of freshwater should do the trick. I wasn't looking at the ratio..... But spraying the solution and then scraping is not something i would want to do

 

[n3hihz]

The ratios is kind of whatever. You can use less just soak longer.

 

[salpet]

why not just leave it it will regrow

 

[jonb27]

If you're redoing a saltwater tank that's what I'm thinking leave it there and it will regrow why you want to get rid of coralline algae that's stuff good in your saltwater tank that means your water parameters are spot on