Keeping acrylic tank clean?

[AlanM]

I know lots here have acrylic tanks. How hard are they to keep really clean? Seems like it would be difficult to really get up under the perimeter brace to clean the top seam. Also, seems like any little scratch would cause a line of uncleanable algae to form along that scratch. Do they have a limited lifespan because eventually they build up so many little flaws that they look junky?

 

How high do most people run the water line? I would like to not put a hood over mine if I got one, so I'd like to keep it very clear and clean with a water line as close to the perimeter brace as possible and as close to a rimless glass look as possible but without the possible rimless annoyances of jumpers or snails or splashing or needing to put an window screen on the top of your new pretty rimless tank because of things getting out (or kids tossing Transformers or Stomp Rockets in).

 

What I really want is rimless glass, but it just seems like it's possibly more trouble than it's worth, so I'm trying to see if a similar but different sets of trouble exists for acrylic.

[Coral Hind]

What size tank are you thinking of getting? If it is 300g or less I would just get a glass tank. Even though acrylic scratches easy it can at least be buffed out to remove the scratches, you can't do that as easily with glass. The good thing about using LED's depending on optics used is that they are more direct in lighting compared to other light sources and I have seen tanks where the glass is hardly ever cleaned because the LED's do not shine on the sides of the tank. If you run the tank bare bottom you will have far less of a chance of making scratches by getting the sand on the cleaning tools. Soaking the pads in vinegar and washing well between cleanings will help to remove debris that might cause scratches.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I've been there...

 

I've determined the best way to clean an acrylic tank is to throw it away and get a glass tank.

[AlanM]

Way less than 300 gallons. Probably 3 feet wide and either 18 or 24 deep and 24 tall. So either a 65 or 90.

 

I'd love to put a 4x2x2 120g in this spot in my house, but being that this is my first marine tank and my first tank above 20 gallons my household won't support that big of a jump in size. Not socially acceptable and not obvious that it wouldn't be a huge pain to walk around in the spot that has been designated for one. Maybe in the future.

 

I'd likely do a DIY build with a 90 gallon kit of LEDs from RapidLED or something like that and work out the geometry with heatsink placement, sizes, and lens angles to try to keep the light off the viewing surfaces. Would love some Radions for the fun features but the v1 ones with new lenses are still twice as much as DIY. Plus I actually arrived at the WAMAS forums from a member here's LED tank thread on RC, chucelli, I think, when I was searching for more pictures of his nice tank and ended up here. Maybe I should contact him to get his advice since he's local. I like the idea of the ATI dimmable Sunpowers too, and think a 6x24" bulb fixture could be nice since it wouldn't spill off the ends of the 36" tank, but even that's much more than LED.

 

I won't be going bare bottom. A lot of the reason for the tank is that I want my kids to be fascinated by what's going on in the tank, so I want lots of fun activity going on. My littlest gets really excited when the bristlenose catfish or Amano shrimp makes an appearance in my planted tank, so they're easy to impress. 8) I'm thinking a conch pulling itself along the bottom with it's mouth. A bunch of snails. A watchman goby/shrimp pair to make a little house in the sand. A clown pair. A bunch of hermit crabs. I know crabs are opportunistic eaters and will take out a fish or soft coral from time to time, but the kids will like them, so I'll probably get them. Maybe a banggai or pajama cardinal or two. Green mandarin and BTA would be great too, but would wait a good long while for either of those.

 

Once I have the tank and it's wet I'm sure I'll be back for some suggestions for stuff in the tank that kids like.

[Sharkey18]

Sand + small kids + acrylic = get glass

[AlanM]

Sand + small kids + acrylic = get glass

 

OK. I'd figured that small kids would go better with acrylic than with glass. They littlest one sometimes bonks his head on the planted tank (which the fish love, of course). Not hard enough to risk breaking it, but I'd just assumed that acrylic would be less prone to break. Is it the scratch issue with little kids again?

[Coral Hind]

Yes, acrylic is far less likely to break compared to glass. But little ones can scratch the outsides of acrylic more easily. I saw a friend's new tank get scratched really bad by his son running a Hot Wheel across the front of the tank. He was able to buff out the scratches but it took a lot of work. For a tank your size I would just get a glass one.

[ErikS]

OK. I'd figured that small kids would go better with acrylic than with glass. They littlest one sometimes bonks his head on the planted tank (which the fish love, of course). Not hard enough to risk breaking it, but I'd just assumed that acrylic would be less prone to break. Is it the scratch issue with little kids again?

Like every other material is has it's pros & cons. It is easier to scratch it's also much less likely to fail (when properly constructed) as there are no silicone seams to fail. It is also much more impact resistant. It also holds heat more than glass, can be both a pro & con. It's also clearer than glass unless you get starfire (or other).

 

But it will scratch - upside is you can remove them. Cleaning isn't anymore difficult than glass, just requires more care. Mr Clean magic sponges work great for normal algae removal & pieces of acrylic work fine for more stubborn stuff (coraline). You can not use magnetic pads, least I've never found one that didn't leave micro-marks (which magic sponge removes).

 

I've had mine up since 2003 (ish) - looks fine. Does have some minor scratches but nothing viewable from more than 2'. The scratches came from a piece of frogspawn falling over.......minor & cleanable.

 

As others said with a sand bed? Glass. Too much chance of getting something between the cleaning pad & the acrylic. If the kids are likely to run their toy truck along the viewing panel = glass.

 

Pros & cons, pick the one that meets your needs.

[Incredible Corals]

Like every other material is has it's pros & cons. It is easier to scratch it's also much less likely to fail (when properly constructed) as there are no silicone seams to fail. It is also much more impact resistant. It also holds heat more than glass, can be both a pro & con. It's also clearer than glass unless you get starfire (or other).

 

But it will scratch - upside is you can remove them. Cleaning isn't anymore difficult than glass, just requires more care. Mr Clean magic sponges work great for normal algae removal & pieces of acrylic work fine for more stubborn stuff (coraline). You can not use magnetic pads, least I've never found one that didn't leave micro-marks (which magic sponge removes).

 

I've had mine up since 2003 (ish) - looks fine. Does have some minor scratches but nothing viewable from more than 2'. The scratches came from a piece of frogspawn falling over.......minor & cleanable.

 

As others said with a sand bed? Glass. Too much chance of getting something between the cleaning pad & the acrylic. If the kids are likely to run their toy truck along the viewing panel = glass.

 

Pros & cons, pick the one that meets your needs.

 

I went with Arclyic because my kids do run their toys across the front. If it's a light scratch it buffs out easy. I also went with acrylic because my last StarFire tank scratched and there was nothing I can do about it. I also like the idea that I will never have to worry about a leak and if I do damange the inside or outside it can be fixed easily with out having to remove the livestock. It's usually much cheaper for an acrylic tank, lighter and the clarity is awesome! Lots of pro and cons. Just have figure out what is important to you.

Edited November 13, 2012 by Incredible Corals

[AlanM]

Thanks for all of the feedback. So no one with acrylic has trouble getting up into the seam on the top to keep it clean? I'd been picturing that as a big pain with acrylic.

[Incredible Corals]

Thanks for all of the feedback. So no one with acrylic has trouble getting up into the seam on the top to keep it clean? I'd been picturing that as a big pain with acrylic.

 

That is the easy spot. The water line is usually 1-2" below the euro brace so nothing really collects up there. I also use an Acrylic Scrubbing pad and it takes off everything tthat grows on there.

 

What I have learend is to not get an acrylic tank that is too deep unless you have really long arms. When we rebuild the display for the shop it will be 28" tall max. Right now it's 32" + 1" eurobrace and that bottom 3-4 inches is hard to get to.

[ErikS]

Thanks for all of the feedback. So no one with acrylic has trouble getting up into the seam on the top to keep it clean? I'd been picturing that as a big pain with acrylic.

Not really, the magic sponge gets right in there = easy as can be.

 

I will agree on depth, mine's 27" and requires a step stool (stand + tank)...........and I wear 36" sleeves

[AlanM]

Do you put the magic sponge on a stick somehow or get your arm in the tank or what?

 

I'm 6'2", and I'm planning to put a 24" deep tank on a stand of about 40 inches or so. Then I'll put some benches on either side of it and in the front so that the kids can stand on them and check out the action. I'm hoping that I can stand on the benches and reach in down to the bottom comfortably.

 

The bottom of the center back seems like it will be the hardest place to get to to clean, but that's the same for glass or acrylic. I know a lot of people actively try to get coraline on their back wall, but I don't think I'll like it. I'd like to try to keep the minimalness of the ADA planted tanks if I can which is why I'm thinking about rimless glass or acrylic. Maybe my aquascape will be a pyramid in the middle with the sides as far as I can reach from the sides so that I don't have to clean what I can't reach. 8)

 

Maybe a rimless glass tank with a screen made of square acrylic rod and clear mesh sitting just below the top edge of the tank would keep the jumpers and snails in and not disturb the look too much.

[Origami]

I've gone from glass, to acrylic, and back to glass. The reason was all the extra labor involved in keeping the panes clear of hard deposits like coralline. If you can stay on top of keeping the panes clean before these deposits get a toe-hold, then it's probably a lot easier. I wasn't always good about that, though, and when running a high calcium / alk environment, these deposits would start to appear after a few days. Softer deposits come right off with a Dobie pad from the supermarket. Even some of the smaller, harder deposits would come off as well. However, when the coralline takes hold to the point that you're scraping with those plastic scrapers and credit card edges - well, it's then that you wish that you could use a razor blade and wipe it clean in a few minutes. Instead, I would, every few months, find myself up to my shoulder for 2-3 hours scraping deposits out of corners, along the top and along the bottom of the pane. With glass, I can scrape the pane clean with a razor in 5 minutes.

[ErikS]

Do you put the magic sponge on a stick somehow or get your arm in the tank or what?

Arm in the tank, use the magic sponge to remove all but the hard deposits...............but I only keep the front pane clean. It's an "in wall" design = I only do one side. YMMV

 

Same height and 27" tank means I have no way to reach the back corners anyway (not without going underwater)

 

I've gone from glass, to acrylic, and back to glass. The reason was all the extra labor involved in keeping the panes clear of hard deposits like coralline. If you can stay on top of keeping the panes clean before these deposits get a toe-hold, then it's probably a lot easier............

Yep, you must keep up. I do mine once a week & make certain to remove all the hard deposits (or as best I can). Vacation = may take a couple weeks to get back to where it was, keep the time the same just work different corners.

 

Dobie pad used to take longer (1/2 hour or more). Now it's under 10 minutes with a magic eraser. Previous was to use a pad mag cleaner to remove algae (dobie sucks at this, too textured) & then remove most harder stuff with a dobie. Third step was acrylic scraper. A pain. Magic eraser is one step - it removes algae (smooth) and some more stubborn spots. Final step is acrylic to remove bits of coraline. Fifteen minutes all told. Bonus is the magic eraser micro polishes.

 

But I agree, glass & a razor would be even faster (and I could use a magnet with a razor attached)

Edited November 13, 2012 by ErikS

[Origami]

Ah yes, I forgot about the magic eraser. I still have a box of them in my fish room.... My frag tank is still acrylic.

[Coral Hind]

In case someone new is reading this, the plain "Original" Magic Eraser is the one to use. The other types can have cleaners and even Frebreeze in them.

[Origami]

And, regarding the Dobie, it's the original one. There are other versions that may not be acrylic safe....

[AlanM]

I don't know what a Dobie is, but if I get an acrylic tank I'll look for it. I know what the magic erasers are.

 

So some copper Chore Boy pads aren't a good idea? I've got tons of those from brewing. (joke)

[ErikS]

I don't know what a Dobie is, but if I get an acrylic tank I'll look for it. I know what the magic erasers are.

Same area in the cleaning products aisle - labeled "Dobie". It's textured nylon around a foam (sponge) core.

 

And good points on the Magic Eraser - original only.

[AlanM]

Same area in the cleaning products aisle - labeled "Dobie". It's textured nylon around a foam (sponge) core.

 

And good points on the Magic Eraser - original only.

 

Ah. I know what a Dobie is, then. Mom used to used them to wash dishes. I use a dishwasher. 8)

[Origami]

The Dobie has a somewhat unique cover because of the texturing on the nylon. It's different than other nylon netted sponges.

[ErikS]

Ah. I know what a Dobie is, then. Mom used to used them to wash dishes. I use a dishwasher. 8)

That's what we do with the old Dobie pads, once they're done in the fish tank they get moved to the kitchen.

[ArtFully Acrylic (Adam B)]

Wow, just saw this thread title this morning thinking I could come drop some words of wisdom, but you all covered it so well so quickly!

 

I do have a few things to add however...

 

Using acrylic as a scraper on acrylic can be a bad thing. If using a scraper you want one that is made from a plastic that is softer than acrylic, otherwise you may be asking for some of those scratches. Also, when it comes to using scrapers...they can be good as they are less likely to pick up sand and such during cleaning operations, but another big factor here is the thickness of your acrylic. The thinner the acrylic used for the tank the more likely it is to bow. The more it bows the more likely you are to scratch the tank with a scraper. This is because the scraper has a completely flat edge and if the tank is underbuilt with a substantial bow then the middle of the scraper may not meet the acrylic when scraping which causes most people to just want to apply even more pressure to the scraper to get results, many times ending in the result being scratches....especially if the scraper is a material as hard as or harder than acrylic.

 

For normal cleaning operations my recommended go to is the Magic Eraser. As many stated, it works great if you keep up with your maintenance. It doesn't work well at all on Coraline however. That requires either a good scraper or a high quality Acrylic Safe Mag Cleaner (expect to pay $70+ for the right ones).

 

The biggest tip that was missed here however is the process that should be used when cleaning the inside of the tank. Start at the top and work your way around and down "row by row". Side to Side or Up and Down are fine. However, make sure that the bottom 2-3 inches is the last part you do. For this section you are better off going side to side. If using a mag cleaner, once done with this area, pull the outside of the mag clear of the tank and allow the inside part to float up to the top of the tank (so obviously you need a floating mag cleaner here). By following this process you GREATLY limit the chances of any sand or other material picked up from the sand bed scratching your acrylic panels.

 

When it comes to repairing scratches it isn't that difficult. I have shown several people how to do it in a matter of 10-15 minutes in my shop. Scratches inside the tank are more time consuming than outside simply because they have to be done manually, but thankfully don't require any removal of tank inhabitants. A light scratch of a few inches in length can be buffed out from the inside in about 10 minutes. Deeper scratches or longer scratches of course can take longer. Scratches on the outside of the tank can be easier as you then have the capability of using a small orbital sander if necessary for larger scratches.

 

Oh, and for another question you asked regarding algae inside scratches and its removal...Magic Eraser will take care of that. Also with the corners below the water line, as there is no void to the seam due to the assembly process used in building acrylic tanks you should have no problem with the algae in these areas either.

 

Hope this helps...

[steveoutlaw]

Yeah, what Adam said!

 

Although, I don't like the side to side for the bottom part. I find it's easier just to scrape down and not back up. This helps to ensure that there is no sand between the scraper and the tank wall. Going side to side can kick up sand and put it where you don't want it.