# Cleaning empty tank..suction cup marks



## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

Preparing am 80 gallon tank by cleaning off dried algae and gunk with freshwater and a tank scrubber, it is quite clean, BUT i notice that there are marks remaining from where the previous owner has suction cups holding the heater and other item on the back glass( inside). Ive used the scrubber pretty briskly, but they dont seem to budge, it there a trick to getting these off? 

My equipment wont be in the same spots and don't want to have these marks


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## Mark13 (Oct 21, 2010)

If the tank is glass, use a single edge razor blade and gently scrape the stuff of. Hold the blade at a low angle, or very close angel to the glass, and be gentle and slow.

If the tank is acrylic, use lemon juice and a 100% cotton T-shirt, and buff gently in a circular motion only. You can squeeze a lemon, or buy 100% lemon juice in a yellow lemon-shaped container in the baking aisle of a grocery store.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Vinegar might do the trick too.


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## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

ill try the razor in the morning, then vinegar, any harm in trying lemon juice on the glass?


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

Vinegar will get it off.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Would you get that tank up and running already, lol!!!! j/k Do you have all your equipment purchased and ready to go? What was your lighting decision?


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## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Would you get that tank up and running already, lol!!!! j/k Do you have all your equipment purchased and ready to go? What was your lighting decision?


LOL..i know i know:
this is what started the process and took so long i started with the left and ended with the right...never refinished anything in my life, it was a learning experience for sure. Things should go quicker now. 


All the equipment is sitting in the cart at foster and smith, going to order so it will be here next weekend. Lighting, i am going with a 4x2 T5HO fixture im getting from fishneedit , they are going to sell me a scratched unit( it will be under the canopy) at at discounted price.

I tried the razor, and vinegar and 0000 steel wool to no avail so i tried a little muriatic acid , still nothing with the suction cup "stains" i would guess that these are not organic based and some how has something to do with the rubber in the suction cups...
any other thoughts on removing these? maybee like googone or something? I can really be careful and clean the tank thouroughly.
The tank is completely empty and outside in back on a concrete slab


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Wow dude, you made that stand? If you did, you got a future in that stuff. Sure makes the homemade one for my 75 look pretty pale. It looks awesome.

Let me know how the fishneedit light works. I have been torn between catalina and the fishneedit light. The fishneedit light is so much more inexpensive and essentially the same thing. The ballast are warranted longer at catalina, but a new ballast is cheap and they sell replacement ballast on both sites.


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## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Wow dude, you made that stand? If you did, you got a future in that stuff. Sure makes the homemade one for my 75 look pretty pale. It looks awesome.
> 
> Let me know how the fishneedit light works. I have been torn between catalina and the fishneedit light. The fishneedit light is so much more inexpensive and essentially the same thing. The ballast are warranted longer at catalina, but a new ballast is cheap and they sell replacement ballast on both sites.


OH no, I didn't make it !
I bought the the blond maple cabinet and tank off of craigslist, because i was looking for a furniture grade stand, but it didn't match anything in the house so i thought, hey how hard can this be to stain....if id of only known then what i know now. LOL

Took all the hardware off, then i striped the old clear finish that had yellowed, then i sanded down the whole thing. 
I dyed the unit with a dark walnut dye( as opposed to stain as maple is very hard to stain), found out i hadn't sanded it down enough because the dye was not taking correctly had to re-sand the whole thing down again and re-dye.
THEN i applied several coats of Arm R Seal satin clear coat.
To which i hadn't let dry enough between coats, it was hazing, so i had to sand THAT off, correct any dye that was removed and then applied the clear coats again, 6 of them with 30 hours between each.

I think the fishneedit light is a better deal, like you said the balasts are cheap enough.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

lol, I see what you mean by a learning experience.


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## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

HELP...
this is what im talking about, i cannot get these things off, there are 4 or 5 of them...


So far i have tried:
razor, vinegar, 0000 steel wool, lemon juice, glass cleaner, muriatic acid, lighter fluid, opps ! tar remover.

have no clue how to get rid of these spots.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Lay the tank on the side and pour straight distilled white vinegar on it and let it pool. Come back the next day and scrub.


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## AbadHabit (Sep 9, 2010)

I learned how to re-finish wood like you did Brando, but with my mothers 6' eagle foot kitchen table 30 years ago. Hand sanded all,(to many times) but turned out beautiful. So heres what I had to do to a 55 gal used I bought. Know it was a reef tank at one time cause all the light scratches at the bottom. But had some ones where I could see them when the light hit it just right. Along with hardness and other crap on it. Soaked everything with vinegar. Went thru 2 gallons and 4 towles, and a box of razor blades. Got most all the hardness off, but ther was some suction cup marks. Thought about caustic acid,( I worked in the oilfeild for years), but that would be the last resort. Did some researching and came upon cerium oxide. What jewelers use to smooth stones and dimonds. I had to really make some calls to find it because most jewlers send their jewlery off to have it cleaned or fixed. Jeweler supplies is where I found it. Now it takes time and a rotory tool with buffing tips. I went thru 6. Worked like a charm on the suction marks, but the scratches ..well time. You just have to keep the cerium in a thin paste form. Most pain is that. Just keep working it and it will buff down or off. If you don't keep it wet enough it will burn your buffing tip up. I gave 50$ for the 55, heavy iron stand, recessed hood, and 48" light. My fish and I can live with a few scratches for that. But I like it when I can say " I bought this, but made it look like that." I sanded the stand and painted it. Look's new to me. No else even sees any of the spots I buffed on but me. But I would not advise you to use caustic unless you really know what you are doing. Caustic is usually containd in plastic,(bottle or bag) because it can etch glass. I'll see your picts when you post. Power to the fish keepers.*us flag


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## MikeWilkins (Jan 5, 2011)

I've been having exactly the same problem so thanks for the advice guys!
Mike


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## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

AbadHabit said:


> I learned how to re-finish wood like you did Brando, but with my mothers 6' eagle foot kitchen table 30 years ago. Hand sanded all,(to many times) but turned out beautiful. So heres what I had to do to a 55 gal used I bought. Know it was a reef tank at one time cause all the light scratches at the bottom. But had some ones where I could see them when the light hit it just right. Along with hardness and other crap on it. Soaked everything with vinegar. Went thru 2 gallons and 4 towles, and a box of razor blades. Got most all the hardness off, but ther was some suction cup marks. Thought about caustic acid,( I worked in the oilfeild for years), but that would be the last resort. Did some researching and came upon cerium oxide. What jewelers use to smooth stones and dimonds. I had to really make some calls to find it because most jewlers send their jewlery off to have it cleaned or fixed. Jeweler supplies is where I found it. Now it takes time and a rotory tool with buffing tips. I went thru 6. Worked like a charm on the suction marks, but the scratches ..well time. You just have to keep the cerium in a thin paste form. Most pain is that. Just keep working it and it will buff down or off. If you don't keep it wet enough it will burn your buffing tip up. I gave 50$ for the 55, heavy iron stand, recessed hood, and 48" light. My fish and I can live with a few scratches for that. But I like it when I can say " I bought this, but made it look like that." I sanded the stand and painted it. Look's new to me. No else even sees any of the spots I buffed on but me. But I would not advise you to use caustic unless you really know what you are doing. Caustic is usually containd in plastic,(bottle or bag) because it can etch glass. I'll see your picts when you post. Power to the fish keepers.*us flag


Thanks for the lead, i am in the process of tracking down jewelers rouge and or some cerium oxide, Ive found a paste/bar form and a powdered form, which did you use?
will test on a scrap piece of glass, just curious, does this stuff rinse clean, no harmful residue i assume.
just to clarify, did the suction cup marks run you through 6 buffing wheels or was that for the scratches?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Have you tried plastic polish? We use it in the Navy to clean plexiglass status boards, but it works good on glass. It's a mild abrasive.


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## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Have you tried plastic polish? We use it in the Navy to clean plexiglass status boards, but it works good on glass. It's a mild abrasive.


No i hadn't heard of it either, where do you find something like that?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Meguiar's® Plastx® Plastic Cleaner & Polish (G12310) - Windshield Chemicals - Ace Hardware

You could also try Meguires scratch-x that you can find in just about any auto parts store. The stuff we use in the Navy is probably not available online.


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## Mark13 (Oct 21, 2010)

Since nothing else has worked, go to ACE/ACO Hardware and get "Bon Ami" powder in a can. Sprinkle it on a wet paper towel to scrub the spots off. This will polish the glass in those spots. Rinse off very well.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Mark13 said:


> Since nothing else has worked, go to ACE/ACO Hardware and get "Bon Ami" powder in a can. Sprinkle it on a wet paper towel to scrub the spots off. This will polish the glass in those spots. Rinse off very well.


You know, great idea! I have used Bon Ami to clean my windshield on my vehicles for years. Could work.


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## Brando (Oct 6, 2010)

Mark13 said:


> Since nothing else has worked, go to ACE/ACO Hardware and get "Bon Ami" powder in a can. Sprinkle it on a wet paper towel to scrub the spots off. This will polish the glass in those spots. Rinse off very well.


I just picked up a can of Bon Ami at Ace hardware, i didn't read the label till i left, but it says specifically, "do not use on glass". Does it specify "no glass" on your label? 
reason being is that they have updated the product, maybe there is something new it it?
Ill probably try it on the brace across the top and see what it does to the hardness stains present there...don't really mind if it.

Also ...you mention it will "polish the glass in those spots" does that mean there will be some sort of difference in the appearance from the areas i haven't used the product on?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I have used it on my windshileds for years and no problem. I would just wet a rag and put a little on it and rub lightly.


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