How to get white film off glass cover?

Dave & Monica · #1 12/30/2007, 03:34 PM

Sorry for all the posts – I had two fish in the last 2 weeks decide to carpet ride. The glass covers to my tank have a white film and I can’t seem to get it off – I thought it was a calcium deposit so we used CLR (full strength over night), then Coke (mother-in-law remedy), then baking soda, then Vinegar. Nothing takes this white spotty film off the glass – Ideas? I don’t want to use egg crate as it cuts off light and also observed fish jump right through it. (wrasses and fox face)

Dave & Monica · #2 12/30/2007, 03:35 PM

BTW I've had the covers off for more then a year..

Sk8r · #3 12/30/2007, 03:39 PM

Vinegar will get it: totally submerge, pure vinegar overnight. Try the tub.

But covers are apt to kill the rest of your fish and corals from heat.

There are several reasons for jumping:
number one---a predator in the tank.
number two---electrical current.
number three---a high rising current near the edge of the tank.

Consider this: make a false canopy for your tank, about 9" wide, sits on rim, has absolutely no top at all. Plexi, fiberglass, even stretched fabric on a frame: all works.
See this 9" black false canopy on my tank. Lights just sit on it. It's bent formica glued and screwed to a super-light painted pine frame.

ricklee · #4 12/30/2007, 06:19 PM

scrape it off with a razor blade

artful-dodger · #5 12/30/2007, 09:04 PM

Or even have new glass cut.

Consider just putting glass across the back several inches assuming you have a canopy that will bounce 'em back from the sides and front.

Frankly, the eggcrate will probably block less light than glass (even clean glass). I agree with the ventilation/cooling concerns...depending upon your lighting...you might try the current "dirty" glass for a couple of hours during the middle of your light cycle to see...if the temp goes up even a degree I'd abandon them.

Also, I've been testing some tank covers recently using netting stretched over a frame of acrylic rod. Smaller grid than eggcrate but virtually no light issues. (I was initially worried about the possibility of catching a jumper by the gills/fins but so far no problems--knock wood.)

Dave & Monica · #6 12/30/2007, 09:54 PM

Artful-dodger - what netting did you use? - I've scoured HD and Lowe’s to no end looking for netting, screening or anything that I can spread over a frame. That is my preferred route.

I have tried everything mentioned here except vinegar overnight. Man I hate the smell though and would rather buy new glass before I subject myself to that. I was also planning to go to PetCo as they sell the glass cover. But again, if I can find a good source to buy netting that would be golden, I have pics in my gallery of my setup and it wouldn't accommodate some of the custom tops.

Appreciate all your input.
- Dave

spleify · #7 12/31/2007, 09:32 AM

Dave if the vinegar doesn't work (but it should). I have always had very good luck with steel wool. Make sure when buying it you get 4 ot, that is 0000. Make sure you get the one with four 0's. It is the finest steel wool, and will not scratch the glass at all, I have used it for decades on tons of stuff.
HTH, good luck
Spleify

aqua_obs · #8 12/31/2007, 09:50 AM

This could be expensive, but you could go to a fishing store and buy nets. Maybe walmarts sporting goods?

Maybe a fabric store would have some netting for curtains or stockings or stuff women wear or rockstars? ;-) You could build the frame out of PVC pipe.

Dave & Monica · #9 12/31/2007, 11:20 AM

Good point on the fabric store. A lot of the netting I've seen is either too big (holes) or to thick and I think it will block out too much light (and it was plastic and I thought the HQI's would melt them...) A fabric won't last long so if I use PVC or the like with the frame with hooks, could just replace or take off and hand wash
Thanks for the idea Aqua_obs

-- Dave

aqua_obs · #10 12/31/2007, 12:22 PM

What ever you do, take photos! I'd think the .5" fish netting would work. Weatherson used some type of nylon mesh, maybe he could tell you where to get it?

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...&pagenumber=30

http://www.weatherson.com/index.htm

Here is a photo in this thread.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1254986

stugray · #11 12/31/2007, 03:26 PM

I just put up curtains inside my hood made of fiberglass window screen. the bottom bit bends inwards to make a slide of sorts.

It saved my 1 day-old 3" trigger already. We watched him get spooked & jump out the back to bounce off the curtain & fall on the overflow cover where he just flipped back in to the tank.

I had a few carpet surfers before, and none since the netting.

Stu

Dave & Monica · #12 01/01/2008, 01:35 PM

I have a bow front so the curtain seems to be a good idea. My wife and I are exploring a few options at this point. (1) Glass top - Cleaning the glass which is turning out to be hopeless. Glass advantages are keeping the fishies in while creating less evaporation; I generally don't have heating issues, more so in winter so it’s a short term fix if anything. (2) Fiberglass mess top: Finding the mesh is more the problem, still looking and it was good to see the links provided. (3) A curtain to just keep the fish in. I really just want that and not block the light.... Light is good. Thinking how to put a curtain and keep it out of sight. hmmm

Appreciate everyone's feedback. I'll be sure to do before and after pics... That reminds me I need to do that anyway for the sump (with fuge) and overflow mods we did last week. As any DIY project, sometimes things don't work out as planned and we spent almost a whole week on the sump/fuge project – leaks, breaking pieces.. two steps forward, one step back but ultimately to the finish line. Sure glad that’s over with.

artful-dodger · #13 01/01/2008, 03:13 PM

I've been somewhat constrained from posting for a bit by mother nature (stuck in Winter Park...tough duty, but somebody had to do it!)

The netting I've been working with is plastic with a grid about the same size as eggcrate. I've been playing around with using more than one layer to cut the hole size down.

Anyway the stuff I'm using came from the big box (Lowes or HD--sorry I don't remember) and is sold as bird netting...to keep birds away from cherry trees or strawberry plants or ???

The material is great but I would like to find some from another source that had a smaller (about 1/4") grid. The good news is that the acrylic frame survives the experiments and the netting can be replaced or turned or supplemented or whatever very inexpensively.