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How do scratches occur on the pane of an aquarium?
Many aquarists know the problem. If you don’t pay attention for a moment, you’ll have a crater in the pane of the aquarium. This can be caused by ground being whirled up, stones that have fallen over or by cleaning with a disc sponge. If there is a small grain of sand between the magnetic sponge, there will be nasty scratches. If something from the hardscape falls against the pane because it wasn’t glued, the pane can get really deep cracks. These neither look nice nor are they harmless. If a scratch is particularly deep, you have to fear that over time it will become a crack and the cymbal will burst.
How do you get scratches out of an aquarium pane?
To get rid of a scratch quickly, you need abrasives. It is best to use very fine abrasives. This takes longer and is quite time-consuming, but it also protects the glass. A grit of 6000 to 8000 is just right for a disc in the aquarium. Glass polishes with this granulation can be found in specialist aquaristic shops. The best thing to do here is to use the original products from specialist shops, as other polishes could be harmful to the fish.
Again and again one reads of household remedies such as steel wool or toothpaste. It is better to avoid these, as they can also endanger the inhabitants of the aquarium. The same applies to polishing pastes intended for glass tables or mirrors. With a product for aquariums you are always on the safe side, even if it costs a little more. For larger scratches, it is advisable to fill the scratch with special resin after polishing. If that doesn’t help either, you unfortunately have to bite the bullet and replace the aquarium or at least turn it around.
How do you prevent a scratched aquarium pane?
It is best to try to prevent scratches in the first place. If you buy a used cymbal, you should check it for scratches in advance and leave it where there are scratches. When cleaning the aquarium pane, it is best to leave out magnetic sponges.
The danger that there is a grain of sand in between is simply too great. You should also stay away from the aquarium with the bell ringing. Strong algae contamination can be better managed with sucker catfish, snails and shrimp. It is also important that the hardscape is properly attached. If it is glued with aquarium silicone, for example, it cannot slip against the pane when you rummage through the tank with the sludge vacuum cleaner.
Clean aquarium panes properly
From the outside you can easily spray aquarium glass with glass cleaner and then rub dry with a cloth. This way you can reliably get rid of fingerprints and dirt. Streaks can also be easily polished away with a microfiber cloth. But be careful, the glass cleaner must not get into the pool under any circumstances. Sometimes a cloth is not enough to clean the inside.
If algae and dirt particles are still on the pane despite the animal cleaning crew, you can help with an EC card or a protractor. However, these must be cleaned well beforehand and should only be used for this purpose. Alternatively, aquarium cotton is available in specialist shops. This cleans very reliably. With all variants, however, you have to make sure that no grains of sand get between the material and the pane.