HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Anyone find a way to get rid of that weird water stain effect in an old aquarium?

tried vinegar.... mr clean sponge...

It’s not the end of the world but it’s annoying...


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KrankyKrab wrote:Anyone find a way to get rid of that weird water stain effect in an old aquarium?

tried vinegar.... mr clean sponge...

It’s not the end of the world but it’s annoying...


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You could try something like CLR ( I think it stands for calcium, lime, and rust) or a product called Lemishine. It’s for getting hard water stains off of dishes.

I’m not 100% sure these are crab safe or anything but i would imagine with enough rinsing and airing out it would be okay. Hopefully a more experienced crabber will chime in!



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Hmmmmm not a bad idea. It’s on the top support - thankfully - so I can def try. Crababies aren’t moving in for probably another week or so.... thanks!


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If it's hardened, use only vinegar with a scrapper and elbow grease if the tank is already set up. Vinegar will soften the calcium deposit and is safe for crabs

Only use CLR if the tank is not set up yet, so that you can thoroughly rinse it out by flushing with water

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Since there are no crabbies in it, you could try using Lysol toilet bowl cleaner with a magic eraser. Let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub with the magic eraser. I've cleaned bathtubs with horrible water stains/dirt stains this way and had success. (My mom has a cleaning business so we find a lot of little shortcuts to make life easier).
Lysol also works on shining up chrome in the bathroom kitchen etc. If using it on chrome, stainless, etc, don't leave it sit for more than 15-20 secs or it can stain.

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I highly recommend using a lemon. So you cut the lemon in half. Scrub the hard water stain with the lemon. (Use your elbow grease here)! Let it sit for a good 10 min. Rinse. Repeat with the other half of the lemon if necessary.


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Gotbutterflies has way more experience and knows more than I do. I’d go with their advice over mine

And i realized later that I forgot to mention that my suggestions were only in case the tank was empty.
Of course no strong chemicals with crabs in the tank


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Yes, still no little occupants .... I’m hoping by end of the week - CLR didn’t work and magic eraser didn’t either... will try the lemon. I think it is a hard water stain? Surprised CLR didn’t do the trick .... hmmmm. Thanks guys!


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Yw! Lemon has always worked for me! I think it was AussieJJDude that taught me that trick!


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With any calcium deposits (hardwater stains) you need to let the solution soak in, then apply elbow grease with a scrapper.

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If the minerals have been there long enough, the glass may actually be etched, in which case, it's permanent, which is probably the case if it's still not budging. No amount of elbow grease will make a difference. Lots of things can etch glass over time, including the minerals in water and even laundry detergents, speaking (unfortunately) from personal experience! If you want clear glass, you may need to get a new tank. I hope you have better luck..

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VickieG wrote:If the minerals have been there long enough, the glass may actually be etched, in which case, it's permanent, which is probably the case if it's still not budging. No amount of elbow grease will make a difference.
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Yes, I think that’s the case. It’s almost as if it’s IN the glass. The glass is smooth to the touch.

Thanks for your input, guys..... I’ll def NOT overlook that next time I go for a used tank.



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