Anyone On Here Got Plastic?

[Lion007]

Well collected my new setup today - and i was a little shocked to find it was plastic & not glass!
Just wondered if anyone can offer and cleaning advice on this - i dont want mark it.
If theres another thread on this - please point me in the direction
Cheers

 

[confusion]

I'm assuming you mean algae. Certainly the easiest way is to not have to clean it in the first place. If you keep the lights low and do regular water changes (10 to 20% per week), you won't have to clean it much. If you have a bright room, then you may want to get some anacharis to float around and keep the algae at bay.

Beyond that, I have cleaned them with soft sponges and credit cards. It stinks, but almost any other way will scratch it.

 

[Lion007]

Luckly ive not had a problem with algae at present. I mean cleaning in general - i always have done regular water changes etc - but the last one used to get slightly slimy on the inside, however it was glass - so was fairly easy to sort out - hmm credit cards gave me an idea - maybe i can cut an old one to fit my algae scraper inplace of the blade

 

[KhaosInc]

I've had an acrillic tank for about 10 years now, and I can tell you its scarred up pretty badly from me learning to clean it. Credit cards actually work quite well I have found.. be carefull if you have fine gravel or sand as a little bit that gets picked up will leave a mark. After a couple years they do add up.

I haven't been impressed with any of the scrubbers that claim to be good for these tanks either. They do take algea off, but after a few months, in spots you have had to 'scrub' a little bit more than once get a little fuzzy to look through.

one of these days when I have 3-4 people over and a weekend to kill, I hope to flip my tank to the other side and start over. (its a 300 gallon tank)

 

[raptorrex]

Well collected my new setup today - and i was a little shocked to find it was plastic & not glass!
Just wondered if anyone can offer and cleaning advice on this - i dont want mark it.
If theres another thread on this - please point me in the direction
Cheers

i would check the description of the tank, personally i would be pissed if i was sent one. if it does not say Acriylic in the discription, you may have a case for a refund or exchange. don't get me wrong, acrylic tanks are as good as glass, for the fish. its just they scratch if you breath on them.

 

[Lion007]

Thanks for the info! I am quite happy with it at the moment. And it was fairly cheap @ £300 for the tank & stand (190Litres iirc)
It says nothing on the desription about it being acrylic though - Ive got a 30 day money back guarantee so i will see how what its like in just under month & if it has scratched easily then, i will look into a refund.
Ive seen some clear film that they apply to sports cars against chips and scratches - wonder if they will do me tank with it lol

 

[Meds081603]

I would either get a couple ottos for the tank or if the tank cant handle that, an acrylic mag-float.

 

[Chrispixx]

A credit card on a acryic tank? i would think that would scratch it.

I have used paper towels right off the roll with no i'll effects. Just make sure there plain, no prints, flowers etc.

Now i know someone might say paper towels are hard and might scratch, but in the states were i live we have Viva brand made buy Kleenex and they are quite soft, like a cotton baby diaper.

Fold the paper towel in half, then fold it again the other way, that will make it thicker and easier to handle.

 

[Lion007]

Ok cheers! i'll see if theres ought similar here!
What's safe to use on the outside as a cleaner to remove fingerprints etc? I was going to use antibacterial wipes - but i read that some chemicals can cause the acrylic to crack!!

 

[GerardK]

No matter how careful you are you will scratch it. I clean the outside with a soft sponge and plain water.

 

[MojoDex]

can i ask where u got it from?

 

[Lion007]

Sure - Pets-at-home aka petsmart. I only used them because they were local. Biggest mistake i ever did! Theyve even took the payment twice, which i have to sort out monday! I really dont know why i use them for anything!

 

[raptorrex]

Sure - Pets-at-home aka petsmart. I only used them because they were local. Biggest mistake i ever did! Theyve even took the payment twice, which i have to sort out monday! I really dont know why i use them for anything!

if it were me i would return the thing, it was not properly described, and sadly i feel it will look a real mess far too soon. perhaps also use a better seller

 

[Lion007]

I only use them for basic stuff like algae flakes, and cat litter usually, if i could transport a tank and stand in one go, i would have gone elsewhere, but because i had to make 2 trips it was pretty much the only option.

I may just go for the clear protective film you can get & apply that to the front - i dont think the inside will represent a problem.

Oh well another lesson learned - roll on when the place is shut down for good!!

 

[raptorrex]

Oh well another lesson learned - roll on when the place is shut down for good!!

lol you never know
best of luck with the film idea, let us know how it comes out.