Smudges?

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axs377

axs377

Polypterus
MFK Member
Dec 17, 2006
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A few months ago I bought a tank used, that was a salt water tank. It had minimal scratches in it, but was somewhat dirty. Anyways there seems to be smudges on the glass that I can't remove. They look like someone made a smudge with a greasy finger(whitish/translucent). I have no idea what these smudges actually are, but they appear to be inside the tank. I tried a razor blade with no success...Any ideas of how to get rid of them? thanks

Unfortunately I'm getting an error message every time I try to upload a pic.
 
Is the tank currently full of water and being used for fish? If so, the razor blade is the only option. If the tank is empty, you can try using vinegar, letting it soak with a paper towel for a couple hours and then try the razor blade. Another choice is baking soda and water, make a paste and try and buff the stain.
 
deeda said:
Is the tank currently full of water and being used for fish? If so, the razor blade is the only option. If the tank is empty, you can try using vinegar, letting it soak with a paper towel for a couple hours and then try the razor blade. Another choice is baking soda and water, make a paste and try and buff the stain.
Click to expand...

It is full, but no fish, so I can drain it and try. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Don't be too hopeful, I have a couple used tanks that are permanently discolored, either with cloudy stains or oily looking stains. Once the glass is etched, it's permanent. Oftentimes the stains aren't noticeable when the tank is filled with water but other times they are always noticeable.

You might also want to try paste toothpaste, some people have had luck with it since it is a light abrasive.
 
I have an old tank like this, I have tried razor blades, and acids, I sometimes appears to be gone, but a few seconds later it is back.
It is really only good to be a sump.

 
Well tried vinegar, baking soda, and tooth paste. Unfortunately, Duane's I'm in the same boat as your experience. Disappered while cleaning, then came back....oh well thanks for the ideas everyone
 
Because I usually avoid the area where it is the worst, and delete photos with the smudge, I wanted to show the true extent of it, and took these today.
The tank is 50 gal+.

 
Looks like some sort of chemical reaction on the glass?

I was working on a peoject using marine 2 part epoxy putty. I had some on my hand and smudged it on an empty tank. Looked very similar to the pic above.

Being a reef tank maybe its the work of some kind of coral glue or some underwater solvent? Who knows

Sent from my SCH-R950 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
Yeah, fortunately it does not cover any significant portion of the tank, but drives me nuts because the water inside is super clear and it just stands out like a sore...thumbprint
 
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