i cant clean this film off my glass help please.

Hydroflouric acid is the acid used to etch glass. To my knowledge there is no other acid or acidic compound that can have this effect. This is why in chemical laboratories almost every acid stored, is done so in glass containers.

Acid, however, is probably not necessary for our needs with aquariums, since the toughest glass-fouling culprits are usually calcium or alkalide based. An example of this is when glass becomes frosted (in appearance only--not a physical change) from precipitation of calcium or alkalinity or both. A simple wipe with a vinegar-soaked cloth or cotton ball will readily take this off. CLR will also remove such sediment.

Just a thought, using a razor blade is not as easy as it might seeem. The blade must be held at an acceptable angle and appropriate pressure must be maintained lest the glass be scratched, or no results achieved. If one holds the blade too obtusely (closer to perpendicular) to the glass, then scraping will be impossible. If held too acutely to the glass, the blade might ride over the sediment without gaining a bite. Finding the correct angle is most of the battle. The other major point is preparing the haze for removal (softening).

If you go the razor blade method, use leather gloves! First clean and dry the tank to the best of your ability. Use a spray bottle with vinegar to moisten the walls, and carefully scrape the sediment off the glass. If this doesn't work, it's almost certainly damage to the glass--but as mentioned before, if the glass was clear to begin with, and the haze appeared while the tank had inhabitants--it's almost a sure bet it's a surface film of some sort and NOT physical damage to the glass. An example of physical damage would be the result of somebody attempting to clean glass with steel wool or something similarly abrasive, like Comet.

Again, Good Luck!!

 

Wrong!

You don't want to create a chemical cloud that will kill every breathing organism within 50 feet.

Also some chemicals when mixed will burn.........reminds me of my childhood.............. forget I said that. lol

 

It's a joke, I don't think a blender could survive that.

 

have you tried lemons

 

thanks for all the input. and yes i tried lemons and lemon juice. ive tried everything everybody has said several times as well, everything except the muriatic acid. at this point i dont care im going to try the muriatic acid, and if that dosnt work then bye bye tank. its not damage to the glass, i promis. i will update after the acid but unless anybody has any other ideas to try, i still think the torch may help to soften it up but nobody has told me if that is a bad idea or not, im sure it is, but anyway thanks again

 

Tourching it may shatter the glass...like putting a hot glass into a sink of cold water.they have an equipment cleaning solution at your lfs mabe try that? Mabe its hydor makes it?

 

I've been very happy with Barkeeper's Friend. I get a hazy build up in my stainless steel cookware and tub and shower walls... and this stuff on a papertowel cuts through ALL of it in a matter of seconds. It's around $2.50 at Wal-Mart

 

I brought a used 90 that had one end panel that way, above the sand line. I tried everything, including swimming pool acid. If it is algae, or something like that Lysol toilet bowl cleaner will work. Try a small amount of swimming pool acid in a small place. If that doesn't work, the glass is etched and nothing can be done. Another reef forum has a rather lengthly thread on this. I worked 2 days on mine, without any good results