Cleaning Old Tank

[mclayton10]

I recently bought a 55 gal off craigslist and the tank is in good condition (no scratches, no leaks) but the inside walls of the tank are cloudy looking without water in it! Is there anyway to clean these walls safely without harming my fish later on??? please help!!!

[Judge]

I see...covering all bets by placing in more than one section!! very smart. I answered above, but it's worth repeating (and work is boring today) so try some Vinegar and elbow grease.

[louistheloach]

If you are careful you can add a straight edge razor to those stubborn spots.

What about the plastic frame. Are there any cracks in that. One way to check it is to fill it with water (if you have never seen it full of water you would also want to do this outside, just in case there are leaks) When the tank is full of water, inspect the entire top and bottom plastic frame for cracks, let it sit for a few days to make sure there are no small leaks that will turn into big ones. It may not seem like it is doing much but the frame actually adds support to the tank. When I started to work with my fathers 125, the cracks were not really visible until it was full of water - thus telling me there was pressure put on it from the weight of the water.

Now would be the time to find out and change it. It takes a little work, but worth it in the end.

ltl