Ok my son used my scrapper to help me out to be "helpful". In doing so "somehow" he picked some sand up and scratched the front glass in my new tank. This is my first acrylic tank. What can I do if anything. Thanks in advance....
Acrylic tank scratched on inside
- Thread starter doublenut
- Start date
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OUCH!! Acrylic tanks can be buffed out, but it takes some work. There are acrylic repair kits available at some LFS and online. I can't give you much more information about this since I've never owned an Acrylic SW tank. My only Acrylic has been freshwater...for a reason...lol. I wish you the best of luck!!
remowillams
Active member
How big is the scratch
I periodically buff mine out without emptying water or removing inhabitants.
I use a fairly powerful cleaning magnet, and attach the abrasives to the inside part instead of the cleaning cloth (using velcro). I start with 30-micron, and work smaller (down to about 5 micron). I prefer to go one direction with the first abrasive, and then the perpendicular direction with the next. Just don't get too close to an edge or corner.
I use a fairly powerful cleaning magnet, and attach the abrasives to the inside part instead of the cleaning cloth (using velcro). I start with 30-micron, and work smaller (down to about 5 micron). I prefer to go one direction with the first abrasive, and then the perpendicular direction with the next. Just don't get too close to an edge or corner.
mike1441
Well-known member
i have not tried this kit but i heard it works
http://www.algaefree.com/acrylic_scratch_removal_magnet_kit.html
http://www.algaefree.com/acrylic_scratch_removal_magnet_kit.html
remowillams
Active member
Hey mike hows the little one doing,,, Jim Is it a deep scratch! can you run you figure nail over it to find out how deep it is
I ordered the abrasives from woodworking catalogs. The 30-micron was available as a hook-and-loop disc for an orbital sander http://www.japanwoodworker.com/dept.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&dept_id=12636, and the finer abrasives were in the form of acrylic-backed "sandpaper" sheets http://www.japanwoodworker.com/dept.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&dept_id=12637. Sometimes you can find them adhesive-backed (peel and stick orPSA) and other times just plain. I bought adhesive-backed velcro from a fabric store.
Be sure your cleaning magnet is strong. I can't use anything coarser than 30micron because the magnet I have is not strong enough to move the part inside the tank (and the 30-micron comes off sometimes if I go too fast).
vinny2261
Well-known member
If the scratch is pretty deep you may have to start off with a more aggressive grit of the sand paper. I always start with the least abrasive first, so I don't make extra work. Also, you can go to a auto paint supply store or an abrasive supply store to get the " wet/dry" sand papers. they have the same grits available plus more that come in the scratch repair kits. The kits do recomend starting off going across the scratch so you will know when you have gotten deep enough to remove the scratch. then continue to go higher, finer, in grit to finish out the tank. Each change in grit should also change the pattern, either left to right or top to bottom. Also remember to increase the area of the repair so as not to create a "dip" or "hole" in the tanks surface. Most of the companies recomend empty tanks all though as previously mentioned some have done it without the tank being empty. I think it would depend on the severity of the scratch and how much work will be involved. You do not want to poison or contaminate your tank.
Vince
Vince
I have done my entire tank (front and both sides) multiple times (I have an urchin that likes to scrape the acrylic sides), and have not seen any problem with contaminating the tank.
