# [HELP] Removing limescale from extra clear glass



## Ddddp (17 Aug 2020)

Hello guys,
I need help cleaning my glass.
I already used Vinegar and window cleaner but with no effects.
Do you know any way to remove these white residues from my extra clear glass?


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## revans (17 Aug 2020)

I normally use white vinegar and have to go over an area several times but failing that I would try a new stanley or razor blade and carefully remove it whilst wet

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## lilirose (17 Aug 2020)

I use white vinegar, and I have a sponge called a Dennerle Cleanator which has steel wool mixed in on the scrubby side. It takes hard water marks off straightaway.


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## ian_m (17 Aug 2020)

As you have no fish, try Kilrock or hyrdo-chloric acid, both should work well.


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## Melll (17 Aug 2020)

If you have access to a clean spray bottle and some RO water and a sponge, spray wipe, spray wipe until it has gone.


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## Jerme (17 Aug 2020)

If nothing else helps try oxalic acid boat cleaner.


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## lazybones51 (17 Aug 2020)

I haven't found a stronger "limescale" remover than this stuff, I use it in the bathroom on our taps and they come up like new. I haven't used it in an aquarium though. https://www.screwfix.com/p/zep-commercial-calcium-lime-rust-stain-remover-1ltr/8679f


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## Krzysztof 82 (Kris) (17 Aug 2020)

Hi @Dddp,

Great stuff what I'm using to clean glass of algae and lime is Seachem AquaVitro pad. Non toxic and really doing good job. It's flat square scraper size about 5x5 inch and about 3-4mm thick. Nothing is scratched unless sand will be catched on the surface. I think much better than razor.
https://www.aquavitro.com/pad.php

Regards.


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## Ddddp (17 Aug 2020)

I have bought today 2 cleaning products made for calcium removal. Will try them today and will let you know. I have also bought citric acid.


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## Ddddp (17 Aug 2020)

[Update]
I have used:

1. Vinegar
2. Citric Acid
3. UHU calcium removal for bathroom glassware
4. Bleach

Doesnt seem to be any difference. I have used a sponge for the cleaning.


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## Luketendo (18 Aug 2020)

Ddddp said:


> [Update]
> I have used:
> 
> 1. Vinegar
> ...



If you can soak the tank in dilute acid or dilute bleach for a few hours that should help. Make sure you have a safe way to dispose of 100s of litres of these chemicals however. 

Otherwise a metal dish scourer might work. Don't use it in combination with bleach but should think it would be ok with vinegar. Also make sure it doesn't scratch the tank.


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## rebel (18 Aug 2020)

Citric acid with magic sponge.


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## jacquieb (18 Aug 2020)

Another vote for Kilrock from the South Coast although I am going to try the Zep recommended by Lazybones51 - it's a war down here!


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## lazybones51 (18 Aug 2020)

jacquieb said:


> Another vote for Kilrock from the South Coast although I am going to try the Zep recommended by Lazybones51 - it's a war down here!


Wear gloves and work in a ventilated area, it's very strong stuff. Good luck!


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## ian_m (18 Aug 2020)

I have just cleaned a nice set of 3 stainless steel pans (Ikea) my wife got from local Facebay for £5. All badly scaled, as we have very hard water in our area. Kilrock, shifted most scale, but a wipe round with 10% hyrdochloric acid and pans look like new.


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## Luketendo (18 Aug 2020)

ian_m said:


> I have just cleaned a nice set of 3 stainless steel pans (Ikea) my wife got from local Facebay for £5. All badly scaled, as we have very hard water in our area. Kilrock, shifted most scale, but a wipe round with 10% hyrdochloric acid and pans look like new.


If you can get hydrochloric acid and soak that would 100% work. Used that to remove coralline algae at work. Best use a respiratory mask and goggles though.

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## Aqua sobriquet (18 Aug 2020)

I’ve not tried it on a fish tank but this works really well around the house.

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui...P9JZXxdSt7hiOIIXvdQaAmJ8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## Conort2 (18 Aug 2020)

Dennerle cleanators are pretty good at removing limescale.

Cheers

Conor


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## Melll (18 Aug 2020)

Conort2 said:


> Dennerle cleanators are pretty good at removing limescale.



I have one of those and the JBL cleaning glove which is also good,


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## Ddddp (18 Aug 2020)

[UPDATE]

Tried 15% muriatic acid solution. No effect taken!!!


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## JManuelJB (19 Aug 2020)

I noticed in my weekly maintenance that the razor blade I use for cleaning the glass is really effective, I just need to let some water touch the white lines for a few minutes and the I pass the blade first vertically and then horizontally!!! Hope it is effective with you!! 


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## sparkyweasel (19 Aug 2020)

How long are you leaving the (eg) citric acid in contact with the limescale? Old-established deposits can take a long time to dissolve.


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## Greenscapes (19 Aug 2020)

A thing I like to do is scrub the glass with a sponge soaked in lemon acid, let it sit for an hour or so. Then  mix a paste in a small bowl made up of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts baking soda and place it on my calcium stain; let it sit for about 2 hours. Then, just wipe off the paste and thoroughly rinse the aquarium. I know this sounds a bit extreme but I have used this method for years and as long as you are careful and rinse the tank afterwards, there should be no threats.

Hope this helps,


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## Jerme (19 Aug 2020)

As mentioned you need oxalic acid based cleaner. I had a much worse situation with my 600 l tank and tried everything I could think of. 
Finally I used Hempel Gelcoat Cleaning Powder. (https://www.mbfg.co.uk/hempel-gelcoat-cleaning-powder.html)
When you mix the powder with some water it is easy to leave on the vertical glasses to soak.


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## ian_m (19 Aug 2020)

Ddddp said:


> [UPDATE]
> Tried 15% muriatic acid solution. No effect taken!!!


Then it's most likely sulphate salts, which generally can't be removed by common chemical methods.

So, scourers etc is a good start, but beware of scratching the glass.

Next stage is fine polishes. Brasso can work, but a lot of elbow grease is required.

Jewelers rouge and/or cerium oxide can be used, again elbow grease or some form of mechanical polisher will work.


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## Melll (19 Aug 2020)

@Ddddp are the marks still visible when the tank is filled with water?


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## Aqua sobriquet (19 Aug 2020)

I used to be plagued with limescale on my old tanks but I use mostly rainwater now so it’s not so much of a problem. Good luck with removing it.


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## Ddddp (19 Aug 2020)

I soaked the glass and continuously passed the sponge for 20 minutes.
what if it is not limescale.
I had many seiryu stones inside the tank. What if they are remains of the seiryu stone that attached to the glass?

With the tank full, the marks are not visible.


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## dw1305 (19 Aug 2020)

Hi all, 





Ddddp said:


> Tried 15% muriatic acid solution. No effect taken ........





ian_m said:


> Then it's most likely sulphate salts, which generally can't be removed by common chemical methods.


That means the marks aren't "limescale" (calcium carbonate (CaCO3)).

I guess @ian_m is right but I'm not sure if there is anything else they could be, @X3NiTH night know?

cheers Darrel


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## ian_m (20 Aug 2020)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all, That means the marks aren't "limescale" (calcium carbonate (CaCO3)).
> 
> I guess @ian_m is right but I'm not sure if there is anything else they could be, @X3NiTH night know?
> 
> cheers Darrel


Many years ago my Dad scraped some chemically unremoveable limescale from my shower cubicle glass at home and got it analysed at his work. Mainly calcium sulphate along with other calcium & silicate based compounds.

Best I did was polish it out using fine silicon carbide grit and cerium oxide (Ebay) on an electric drill polishing pad. In the end it looked like it had etched into the glass as well, as I removed the "whiteness" but the glass was no longer completely smooth. All sorted when shower cubicle was replaced and then making sure that our whole house water softener is always working, so no longer get limescale deposited on anything.


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## dw1305 (20 Aug 2020)

Hi all, 





ian_m said:


> Mainly calcium sulphate along with other calcium & silicate based compounds.


Perfect, I think @Oldguy wrote about silicate formation in warm water systems somewhere on the forum?





ian_m said:


> All sorted when shower cubicle was replaced and then making sure that our whole house water softener is always working, so no longer get limescale deposited on anything.


We've got a water softener (and rain-water in the tanks), so  it isn't an issue for me.

cheers Darrel


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## X3NiTH (20 Aug 2020)

I would suggest first using Diet Coke to shift the stains, you need to let it sit on the surface rather than just wiping on, needs a good steeping so you’ll need to create a dam around the area you want to treat, make sure you use the caffeinated version and not caffeine free because you want the chelation ability of caffeine to mop up any dislodged  compounds that may recombine with the surface you are trying to clean. If this doesn’t work then try repeating again but adding Sodium Bicarbonate and mixing on the surface, the reaction will become more Alkiline and this may be needed instead of Acid pH.

Obviously you have experimented using stronger Hydrochloric acid so I would like to point out that since the talk has evolved to possible Silicate deposition under no circumstances should you try to source or use Hydrofluoric acid to do the Job, no tank stain is worth a life, just don’t go there.

Piranha solution though is used to treat Archaeological glass to clear staining (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1296207412000593) but I wouldn’t recommend that either even as a weak solution because If it ends up somewhere you don’t want it will eat organic compounds quite vigorously generating a lot of heat and irreversible destruction.

A safer method for removing silicate deposits (still hazardous) would be using Sodium Hydroxide in conjunction with Sodium EDTA, the need to mix the hydroxide with a chelate was pointed out above as to reduce the possibility of recombinative chemistry back onto the glass surface being cleaned. Here’s a paper discussing this (Improved Methods for Removal of Silicate Deposits) but note the substrate to be cleaned is Carbon Steel and not Glass, however if you note from the abstract of the Archaeological glass cleaning link that Sodium Hydroxide was deemed too aggressive on some surfaces (not sure what type surface you would classify aquarium glass certainly not something from antiquity that needs to be handled like it will turn to dust if you look at it the wrong way), they did use EDTA as a chelate though.

Sometimes it’s just easier to get a new tank or live with what you’ve got!


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## Melll (20 Aug 2020)

X3NiTH said:


> live with what you’ve got!



Personally speaking if it was my tank and the deposit line doesn`t show when the tank is filled, I would live with it.



X3NiTH said:


> Diet Coke to shift the stains




Full fat, sod the calories cola works better than diet in my experience.


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## X3NiTH (20 Aug 2020)

Melll said:


> Full fat, sod the calories cola works better than diet in my experience.



If the surface to be treated is warmed to improve reactivity (hairdryer, heat gun, blowtorch) then sugar caramelisation gets a bit messy.


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## Melll (20 Aug 2020)

X3NiTH said:


> If the surface to be treated is warmed to improve reactivity (hairdryer, heat gun, blowtorch) then sugar caramelisation gets a bit messy.




Good point well made 👍


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## Chrisjb330 (21 Aug 2020)

You could try a clay bar used for car detailing? Search for built hamber clay bar. You can use water as a lubricant with it.


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## Ddddp (9 Oct 2020)

[UPDATE]

I decided to forget the limescale issue and made a new setup.
A few days ago, I noticed a grey/white particles/dust on the surface of the water. I believe it comes from the seiryu stones that I have. Is it possible that the white marks on the glass are in fact seiryu stone particles that build up and attached permanently to the glass?


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## Andy Taylor (10 Oct 2020)

If all else fails try dynamite, it worked for me


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