Spink Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Can anyone give me some tips on cleaning up an old glass fish tank>? It's second hand but well built, sturdy etc but it has a few marks and scratches etc that I would like to remove if i can. Is there anything I can use that will give the tank a bit of a new look, maybe polish it up a bit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Others will have advice regarding cleaning up the scratches etc, but my main way of getting even the roughest tank looking nice is to 'frame' it with black electrical tape. (you can even get 2" wide stuff that looks great on big tanks) The silicone is what lets old tanks down the most, and once it is covered up the whole tank looks a lot neater, even with all the scratches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I've done something similar to Stellas tape idea. I made a frame by glueing wooden louvre strips to an old 4 footer. It came out looking almost new again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Now that could look really nice, Mark! Did you just happen to have an old wooden louvre sitting around, or where did you get them from? A less permanent solution could be to blu-tack them or similar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Did you just happen to have an old wooden louvre sitting around, or where did you get them from? I got them from Bunnings. I sprayed them with clear polyurethane and glued them on with Gorilla Glue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Now that could look really nice, Mark! Did you just happen to have an old wooden louvre sitting around, or where did you get them from? A less permanent solution could be to blu-tack them or similar... does look great, had a look the other day. Better than the black tape i had on some tanks in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaVitamins Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I got them from Bunnings. I sprayed them with clear polyurethane and glued them on with Gorilla Glue. Could you post a picture ? PLEASE!!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Hi AquaVitamins. I'll post a pic as soon as Photobucket gets it's act together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Can anyone give me some tips on cleaning up an old glass fish tank>? It's second hand but well built, sturdy etc but it has a few marks and scratches etc that I would like to remove if i can. Is there anything I can use that will give the tank a bit of a new look, maybe polish it up a bit? soak the tank and use a stiff back razor blade to remove any removable mark while still filled with water Scratchs... forget about them If you need a couple of blades let me know and I will bring them down with me to the special meeting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaVitamins Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Ohh nice ! that looks great. Im buying this tank off trademe, and i was wondering what i could do to neaten it up. ( cas of the messy silicone) I love what you have done to it. I think i might get some wood with a carving in it and paint it to give a French kind off look. 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Vinegar and baking soda are my favourite cleaning products - and those brilliant non-chemical cleaning cloths! Vinegar is wonderful for dissolving any hard-water residues around the surface of the water. Baking soda mixed to a paste with a little water is very gently abrasive and will help you scrub the glass and the silicone without scratching. But my best discovery ever is the "Oates Clean" Enviro General Purpose Cloth. I got it from the cleaning aisle in the supermarket. It's just a white micro-fibre cloth that doesn't need any chemicals added because the weave of the cloth does all the hard work! It is now the only thing I use for cleaning my tank glass (in my set-up tank) because it is chemical-free and leaves the glass sparkling! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaVitamins Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Oooh ill try that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I was going to say vinagar too for cleaning up the hard water marks. Soak a piece of news paper and lie it flat on the glass. Wait an hour or so and then remove and wipe clean. I like the baking soda idea and I must try the "Oates Clean" Enviro General Purpose Cloth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Does the Oates cloth do as well as the Enjo ones are supposed to? I have a friend who works as a motel cleaner and she swears by the Enjo cloths, also no cleaners involved, but they are very expensive. I wondered if the Oates one was a similar cloth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Does the Oates cloth do as well as the Enjo ones are supposed to? I have a friend who works as a motel cleaner and she swears by the Enjo cloths, also no cleaners involved, but they are very expensive. I wondered if the Oates one was a similar cloth. Dunno - I've never tried the enjo ones. Mine were just cheap from the supermarket and they seem to work fine. I wonder if someone has tried both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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