What do you clean your glass tanks with?

[sea keeper]

Im a newbie at all of this.. My Son who is in College got me hooked! I have a ? on cleaning the glass tank on the outside.. The young man at the fish store told me to not use Windex to clean the tank with. He said that the ammonia can leak through the glass and into the water . I was wondering if any of you had heard this and how you keep your glass clean on the outside.
Thanks so Much! :happyfish

 

[tizzo]

I use windex wipes. Ammonia will not leak through the glass. But if you use a spray there is a chance it will find it's way into the tank but even at that, the ammonia will break down as any ammonia does (i.e. fishes pee) LOL...

 

[bigarn]

lol ... I don't think the ammonia will leak through the glass ... you can use plain water on a paper towel or if you want to use windex just spray it on a paper towel away from the tank and it'll be fine.

 

[johnny84]

lol it will not leak through the glass. I use windex but I spray it on a paper towel first, I dont spray it on or around the tank.

 

[team2jndd]

lol i spray it right on the tank i guess im just

[hr]
like that. if any of it does get into the tank it will be a very minimal amount if you think about the amount of waste and unwanted nutrients your tank breaks down and then compare it to a few little drops of windex, i think it can handle it

 

[madison]

diaper towels I got from Walmart...it comes in 7 to 10 per pack...great towels...no lint at all..
1 pretty wet towel...go over 1 pane at the time and 2 dry towels to dry off and remove the streaks...you might not have to use so many towels...my tank is pretty big....
I use a barely damp towels to wipe off finger prints and nose prints

 

[sea keeper]

Thanks for the speedy replys! Well im going to keep using the Windex then.. I know what you mean about lill nose and fingerprints on the glass. I run a daycare and the kiddos love to watch the fish so im always wiping the tank down.

Thanks to you all for your Help! :happyfish :happyfish

 

[unleashed]

white vingar works the best to remove streaks and salt residue I also use this to clean the salt creeep from my lights.the problem with windex even the wipes if you clean around the tops of your tank (the black trim)which I do regularly windex wipes cannot be used in this area.

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Sea Keeper
The young man at the fish store told me to not use Windex to clean the tank with. He said that the ammonia can leak through the glass and into the water . Thanks so Much! :happyfish
Have you ever had the middle of your glass windows leak?

This just further proves to me that we have to worry about who is employed in this hobby. Like you just read, it is the actual spraying of Windex that can get into the tanks and create problems.
I use Windex and wipe the glass with it - but no sprays go near my tanks.
Denise M.

still laughing at the LFS you spoke with.

 

[27mtaylor]

I've used windex, but it can leave streaks. Now I use a paper towel that I dampen with water. Then I take a dry towel and wipe the glass dry.

 

[pfitz44]

Newspaper and windex!!!
Streak free, spotlessly clean!!
jee.... sound like a commercial...

 

[stanlalee]

lol I've never used anything but the saltwater that I drip on it when doing maintanence. I buff with paper towels until the salt/white streaking is gone and call it a day. on rare occasions I might do a freshwater dab/buff.

 

[mudplayerx]

I use a dry towel to clean the outside of the tank, which works fine. If you need some sort of cleaning agent... 1 part vinegar 3 parts water will work fine.

 

[chipmaker]

Wiping any surface that may have had salt water on it always leaves a film on it for me, and all I ever use is plain old RODI water and a paper towel......no water spots and I have never had anything on the outside glass that water alone would not remove......

 

[ophiura]

I personally would not take a chance with windex or other cleansers. Vinegar or water works for me. If you think that windex or other cleansers won't hurt in small amounts, you have never worked in an LFS and had to try and solve mysterious fish deaths Any smell that can get into the air, can get into your tank, and cause trouble. No point, IMO, in risking it when non-toxic things work just as well. Fish waste is a natural thing. It is not comparable to a lot of cleansers that contain toxins and may be extremely fatal even in small amounts. I am even wary of using soap to wash my hands before I put them in the tank.

 

[mudplayerx]

Ok ok I'm going to tell the truth. It's gross, but it's the truth. I use a dry towel to clean my tank. On the rare occasion where I get a salt streak that I can't wipe away with the towel alone, I lick my finger and moisten the salt streak, then use the towel.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by mudplayerx
Ok ok I'm going to tell the truth. It's gross, but it's the truth. I use a dry towel to clean my tank. On the rare occasion where I get a salt streak that I can't wipe away with the towel alone, I lick my finger and moisten the salt streak, then use the towel.

Have you thought of marketing your saliva? People sell all sorts of stuff in this hobby and a lot of it is "don't ask what's in it, it just works!" I think you could make some $$

 

[tizzo]

I ain't buyin' his spit! No way, huh uh...

 

[ophiura]

Oh sure. Be that way. People buy Sprungs far more expensive sea veggies instead of nori in large part due to the name. People buy miracle mud which could be some soil from a ditch. People buy all sorts of stuff without needing to know what is in it and then swearing by its superiority! If muds spit works, and he called it something snazy like "Mud Player X Glass Clarifier" and put ingredients like water, enzymes, etc...it would sell.

 

[tizzo]

Oh well maybe if he called it "mud player X glass clarifier" then yeah, of course I would buy it!! Who would be dumb enough to pass on a product with a name like that!!
But spit!... no way! I wouldn't take it if he gave it to me... :thinking: