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Re: Mineral deposits on glass
> A strong acid like hydrochloric will work, but I don't know about
> battery acid (sulfuric); sulfates are not very soluble. A razor blade
I don't normally clean mineral deposits from inside aquariums while fish are
still in the water. However, I have used a diluted solution of Sulfuric Acid
(H2SO4) to wipe off the encrusted minerals that build up from years of
accumulation, and it works in minutes. I usually carry the aquarium
(provided it's a 10-20 gallon) to the bathtub. I pour about 1/2 gallon of
water in the aquarium and pour in a glug (I don't measure) of concentrated
Sulfuric Acid. Wearing rubber gloves, I dip a sponge that I keep just for
this sort of work in the solution and wipe all along the accumulations of
crud, inside and outside the tank, along the rim. I leave it to soak for
about 5 or 10 minutes, then come back. The crud wipes right off like butter.
A few wipes of stubborn spots, and in 5 minutes the aquarium looks like
brand new, all traces of mineral deposits gone. Now, as for cleaning an
occupied aquarium, I would be exceptionally careful not to do anything that
might drip strong acid into the aquarium. If the KH was low, even 1 or 2 ml
of acid might cause a disastrous pH crash. I use my method only with old,
unoccupied aquariums that I wish to refurbish before putting them back in
service.