Removing Scratches from Acrylic Aquarium

I received a 90 gallon acrylic aquarium for free. Unfortunately, it was badly scratched. I decided to try an unconventional way to polish and remove the scratches from the acrylic aquarium.
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[@jackjill521]

I did an acrylic tank about a year ago using a head light kit. It was scratched very deep like yours. My kit had sand paper disc 600 grit to 3000 grit as well as the polishing wheel and final compound you showed. I spent about two hours a day for 6 days working on it. Looks like new and only had $24.00 in the head light kit. Only precaution I took was rinsing the tank very well with water and dawn dish washing liquid, after I was finished. Tank has been up and running for about eight months, no problems what so ever. Thanks for sharing!!

[@onsloth]

Old but why the dawn dish soap

[@jackjill521]

@@onsloth It did a great job of cleaning all the residue out of the tank.

[@onsloth]

​@@jackjill521 did you use inside as well? The protective polymers are harmful to fish right

[@jackjill521]

@@onsloth Yes Sir...used it inside and out. I'm looking at this tank with fish and live plants as I type....no problems at all.

[@tomg5405]

How you did I have 1000 to 12000 grid and still many small scratch stays?

[@robnewhampshire1481]

Dude, what a great result... so very well worth watching. Thank you for doing this. 10 on a scale of 1-10!

[@AVPAquariums]

Wow! The difference is clear. (No pun intended) Great tip!

[@Themalvar56]

Nice Tip! I did the same on my acrylic but used Novus from amazon $20 bucks 3 step worked wonders and had tank looking like new.

[@jaysmith5736]

Novus for the win! Great product on ALL scratched/dull plastics.

[@jukeboxwendy]

Oh sweet! I even have that in the closet right now!

[@BenOchart]

Not "perfect" but a thousand times better. Even after a good rinse, I suggest you use a big bag of charcoal for a few weeks prior to introducing fish to pick up residual. Nice tip, thanks!

[@timkaiser1751]

I like this guy, similar interests, fish guy, DIY car guy, and a niners fan. Hell yeah!

[@dreonumbers6075]

Ask him out

[@billyarmes]

Awesome man, just restored my caravan windows thanks to this video. Thanks heaps!

[@jadeypoohunt6404]

Thanks for sharing the info on how to get scratches out of your aquarium. I got all the scratches on my aquarium with the Polish

[@CraigersFish]

I enjoy your channel. I have polished out many scratches in motorcycle windshields using a product called Novus. You would need Novus #3 move to #2 and finish with #1.

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

This week I again sanded the 240 with fish in it as I drained for a water change..and YES, The 3000 grit sandpaper ( feels more like suede than sandpaper) and it works..took out the fine scratches and some of the milky haze old Acrylic tanks get over man years. No damage to fish or plants. I didn't get the whole front pane done..so every week until its as good as it gets. Where I sanded logest? amazing how well it worked. I wrapped the 3000 around a plastic scrubby as used in the kitchen sink..better than the palm of your hand.

[@ShaneZettelmier]

They sell buffer compound that’s made for acrylic fishtanks that does pretty much the same thing, just be careful and keep the buffer moving evenly, if you stay in one place it’s making that acrylic much thinner and if you overdo it you can actually make weak points that will pop or crack. Looks good.

[@Socalshortybulls]

Do you have a link to the compound?

[@ShaneZettelmier]

@@Socalshortybulls no sorry, check where they sell acrylic or plexi I’m sure you could order it off of Amazon.

[@CJBlack265]

Excellent! I don't have any acrylic tanks, but my headlights need polishing - LOL 💕👍

[@TazawaTanks]

LOL!!!!

[@LuisManuelHdez]

Looks good. My 125 got pretty scratched up in storage and I'm going to try to fix it myself. I paid $300.00 previously to have it done professionally but I'm willing to give this a shot and save some Bill's this time. Thanks for the vid.

[@inventoryking]

Nice Zenzo. I remember do this on my 220. Big job!

[@erick6102]

inventoryking your tutorial video on that was the best Paul!

[@taoutdoors8110]

You look fine man, and hey you don’t have to ask us if it’s out kind of video because some viewers will like it and some won’t. Just keep being you and release the content YOU want yo see and produce ❤️ thanks for the help!

[@jacobdavis8089]

Once you fill it up with water it will look perfect. The water will fill in any little imperfections from the light reflecting on the scratches.

[@hisfishherfish]

I've used Mother's automotive polishing compound on glass. Works wonders and is safe after a good rinse. I don't know how it would do on acrylic, though...

[@pinoy3d169]

3:30 for the product.

[@ilivefortropicalfish6837]

Thanks!

[@jasonmiller6o6]

Good job man.. thanks for video.. I have the same problem to a 130gal ✌🏼🍻

[@shesellsfish]

Knowledge...I love learning new things

[@grock31]

That's pretty good to me. Nice job bro.

[@TazawaTanks]

Thanks!

[@christophermacias4007]

I acquired an acrylic 170 gl. that is as bad as that one inside and out. I've been working on it with 3 step novus scratch remover. Effective, but tedious. I'm going to try your method then hit it up with the novus!

[@debracook9272]

Thank you, such great information,

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

A MAYBE tip: For plastic tanks that are scratched by somebody using a new plate scrubber..the kind with sponge on one side and rough nylon on the other?...on a big tank full of fish? Try 3M 3,000 grit wet dry sandpaper IN the aquarium as you drain water. At the least it removes the fine scratches and some of the "milky" look to an old tank. Now,I just tried a small area..my back is out and I just had to try..but looks improved,fish are fine. I will get back to you on final results. Never give up on old Acrylic tanks...they never leak..so where there is a will there's a way to fix scratches.

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

No one should be afraid of scratches on acrylic. They are easy to prevent once you get used to acrylic, and even if you do stratch it, as you demonstrated they are easy to remove. Acrylic tanks split and crack less frequently than glass, unless it is a DIY acrylic.

[@singlejingle_ka]

HalfMan HalfCichlid will the wax affect the tank at all?

[@tomg5405]

I tried on mine but they never all went out

[@RyoWatanabee]

Awesome tip!!

[@toddfisher5040]

Bro you look like tiger woods if he was ripped. Great video by the why.

[@Sweetdee28]

You right ❤😂

[@scotth9881]

That looks awesome! Your DIY videos are great. I have been wondering how well acrylic could be reconditioned.

[@dennisruedel]

Hey Zenzo, great score getting a free tank. I can clearly see the difference between the polished side and the other side. I know Paul, The Inventory King, did a big tank last year that came out nice. Otherwise, I’m sure you have some pretty sweet plans for it. A nice display tank down there or a new tank for Oscar would be pretty cool. Thanks for sharing

[@vicrox100]

Helpful video! Thank you!

[@Tim_3100]

I have a bioOrb ex display acrylic tank and it was quite badly scratched up so used bioOrb's own scratch kit its pads act like sandpaper and its pulled all the bigger clusters of scratches out and it looks miles better already i just need to put some more on it redo it with a microfiber cloth to clear out the micro scratches out.

[@djs2356]

thanks for showing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Dougie085]

If you just get a decent polisher and some decent compound you could cut a lot faster without all that pressure you're putting on your drill. There are some cheaper polishers now days that are decent, HF has a few, also there are some smaller ones you can grab on amazon for 60-100 bucks. For a tank that size well worth the investment imo. Also get some heavier compound, and work your way up to a nice polish. Would get more scratches out and go faster.

[@Unsensitive]

Have you compared Novus 3, 2, 1 polish system for acrylic and plexiglass? I'd also be curious if starting with the flame polish would be beneficial or harmful since it's slightly melting the plastic, maybe filling in the deeper scratches a bit. Then for deeper scratches, wet sand paper with increasing grits up to 2000, polish, buff or flame polish at the end? Least this seems to be the consensus I find.. Regarding flame polishing, it seems to increase risk of crazing when welded or exposed to alcohol or other solvents.. so I'd suspect this may create uneven stresses in the material from variable cooling rates..stress induced weakness in a material is not something I'd want in a tank. Don't have a scratched acrylic piece to test on myself, but might buy some.. so curious.

[@theheaddon0909]

Awesome Job. The only video I've seen with a clear tank but scratched. I'm about to do this myself on a 135g Acrylic tank that I got for $500. Were there any issues with fish or water perimeters anytime after the buffing? Thanks

[@graysonweaver5673]

Howd that go?

[@theheaddon0909]

Very well. Just have to take your time

[@GSP-76]

You could remove scratches in acrylic with a heat gun...works great as long as you know what your doing.

[@TazawaTanks]

Good to know. Thank you!

[@GSP-76]

@@TazawaTanks Yeah I didn't believe it at first either until I saw a video of acrylic that was scratched up just as bad as yours was...guy just used a regular cheap heat gun and kept moving over the scratched areas until they all just disappeared..trick is to just not keep the heat on any one area too long.

[@AquaticDomain]

Love your channel. I am to try this technique on my 125g acrylic tank. I’ll post a before and after video on my channel.

[@loavesfishes6268]

Wow! Way to think outside the box! Thanks for sharing!

[@arvindh13]

Nice video, can i use this to clean glass too??

[@litoloco4fish]

Looks great friend !!!!!90 gallons is expensive new

[@bigatya]

I wish I would've kept my 55 gallon, looks so much better

[@alirezaarab4071]

thanks man that was very good

[@crsaquatics5292]

Looks good

[@trileaf828]

I recommend making a small sanding block. Start with 1000 grit wet sanding paper. Lightly wet sand. Work your way up to 3000 grit. Use the aquarium grade acrylic polishes. Mothers has waxes and solvents. I would caution using automotive polishes. Anyways you can get that looking new again. Try wet sanding and then polish.

[@spang5324]

Huge difference.. With water in, it looks like new!

[@catfishcave379]

Nice video!

[@GreekRican]

Your hair looks great

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

My old 240 has a slight haze after 35 years. Must be a billion microscopic scratches. Yet, i set it up and have fish and plants. Now I wish I had known about buffing it out- totally forgot to look for the solution. So,how about using that very fine sandpaper...on a set up tank? Instead of algae scrapping sponges/pads instead use fine wet dry sand paper with every water change? Would that work? Safe for fish?

[@TazawaTanks]

I am not sure. It would have to be very fine, like starting at 1,000 and going up to 3000 grit. Try it on the back corner to see if it works.

[@kelii2388]

Great idea I have the same problems with my acrylic tank. But Is that chemicals safe for adding fish?

[@The_Andrah]

thanks for posting this. looks excellent, def saved me some money. Im actually using this method on my acrylic glass panel on the side of my PC haha

[@CrazeUK]

Hey,. Great vid. Should have given a finished effect clip at the end.

[@michaelmiller4138]

Should have restored my tank before setting it up lol but i was able to use the rain x kit on the exterior and got good results

[@MARFLORES-rw9fg]

Can you please tell me what products you're using?

[@rogervicentino1107]

That is cool !!!

[@newmexicoaquatics282]

Thank you for sharing. Great info! - Little Bobby

[@RR-bd4jp]

i hate those scrubber things....they always get rocks in them and it ruins my acrylic tank....thanks for video can't wait to try this

[@4nciite]

I just learned from another youtube video that if you use a heat gun you can actually melt the plastic in the scratch until it fills in and make it look brand new.

[@CHIBA280CRV]

Looks perfect to me , Fantastic job thanks

[@gonzo26nix]

how many times did you have to rinse/wash out the enclosure before it was safe for fish?

[@juergensbr4612]

Looks promising 👍👍 certainly not cheap ?

[@TazawaTanks]

Pretty inexpensive. I already had the kit anyway.

[@davidlieberman6512]

That's awesome!

[@danielaguirre1187]

49ers baby🤙🤙

[@hakman239]

Would this work with Koch polishes

[@njafricancichlids5149]

Impressive. 1 mans junk... another’s treasure

[@jeanl.2357]

Great idea! My hubby's honey-do list just got longer now that I can combine his love for restoring his car headlights with my need for a larger acrylic display tank. I would be worried about the lingering chemicals so look forward to your update on that.

[@jackjill521]

I used the same mothers head light kit shown here. Had no problem with residuals harming our fish. Just rinsed very well with water and dawn dish washing liquid.

[@biglebowski5737]

I am setting up a 300gallon acrylic tank with severums. I would like to add bristlenose plecos to take care of algae. Will they scratch the acrylic?

[@TazawaTanks]

No, they won't scratch the acrylic.

[@biglebowski5737]

@@TazawaTanks Thank you for input. I enjoy watching your channel!

[@ardscorner]

Nice. If you do detailing you must have a DA in your garage. I bet a medium mop and some medium compound followed by finer would get that to display quality. Be careful using a rotary mop as heat will build up. A fine mist of water will help. But you probably know all this lol. One thing I would do is put a balnket down and have the tank on its side save reaching over. Good video and please do not think I am critising....only offering my thoughts on polishing

[@jackjill521]

Laying the tank face down is how I did our acrylic tank. Good advice.

[@HeatherNielsenScarletAquatics]

Nice! Thinking out of the box to solve aquarist issues is great! Thanks for the info!

[@prezzle208]

How long would you recommend waiting before, in my case, reintroducing a fish. I have some sun bleach on my tank and was thinking id try this to clear up the tank and remove scratches from nieces and nephews.

[@saudalserri8213]

Hey man I like the idea but will it harm the fish?

[@taeinkim6957]

Amazing!

[@eliasesteves6494]

Will the chemical be harmful to the live stocks?

[@cichlidguru1163]

Good job brother

[@TazawaTanks]

Thank you!

[@ArtCoDroneAndEntertianment]

Thanks for the info. I snagged an aquarium set-up from the dumpster at my apartment and the tank had lot's of scratches and the filter had hard water buildup.

[@Mrblisticknife]

Hey great video thabks for the info

[@Middark666]

Is it possible to cut acrylic tank to reduce the tank

[@nfernooo]

Is there a magnet scrubber you can use for an acrylic tank.

[@TazawaTanks]

Yes. I use the Mag-float scrapers on my acrylic tanks.

[@tainchains]

How did you clean it after to remove the polish?

[@TazawaTanks]

I did a few thorough rinses with water.

[@bigdubt2003]

How would you make sure all contaminants are removed. Would you use tester fish first?

[@TazawaTanks]

I am going to thoroughly wash the tank outside. I will probably spray vinegar in the tank as well during the wash process.

[@adeelshaikh2129]

I was thinking exactly some when you say the scratches on the glass used Headlight cleaning nice video

[@edwardkulcsar4040]

That looks like a clear for life brand

[@bajafins]

hey tazawa, no sanding? I'm breaking my ass off sanding a 120g acrylic, but if you're getting amazing results with no sandingg imma just skip that step lol

[@TazawaTanks]

The sanding and polishing process is probably the best. This was just a quick way to get about 80% of the smaller scratches.

[@errlb.dunkin2450]

Palm sander with wet/dry 1,000grt and 2,000grt automotive sandpaper. (a lower grit like 800 may be necessary for super deep scratching) Keep it wet while sanding. Quick pass with each grit paper rinsing and wiping clean with new microfiber rag with each pass. Finish it off with some automotive plastic polish and a buffer wheel like the kind used in headlight restoration kit. That 90gal tank should take about an hour and a half tops.

[@Kiran-zy2dl]

36 dislikes are from jealous self-absorbed blobs. This guy is a humble student eager to learn.

[@dakhangsta]

So this would work with removing colored acrylic back panels?

[@TazawaTanks]

I’m not sure about that.

[@dakhangsta]

O ok thank you

[@hifi.david.]

I have a glass one that’s been sitting empty in our house for years

[@ttp519]

I have 12. Gallon tank eclipses needs be polish scratches out

[@fouronefivah]

great info - go 49ers!

[@TylerOstergaard]

it will be interesting to see if thats fish safe good idea though :D

[@TazawaTanks]

It will be once I am done and take it outside to wash it.

[@TylerOstergaard]

that makes sense :)

[@seelifeclear3294]

Did it work after it dried up

[@TazawaTanks]

Yes.

[@monamcculley219]

Did you polish inside and out?

[@TazawaTanks]

Inside only

[@monamcculley219]

Recently I bought a used 1,200 gallon tank, I would like to take some of the scratches out before I set it up. They are all pretty minor, nothing deep.....not sure if I should bother with the ones on the inside as the acrylic is 2 inches thick. What are your thoughts?

[@TazawaTanks]

Mona Mcculley well, this would be the only time you’ll ever get a chance to polish the inside. If you are unsure, maybe do a small test area. Also, remember that a lot of the small scratches disappear when the tank is filled with water.

[@monamcculley219]

Tazawa Tanks that's very true. Thank you for your reply. I may just stick with doing the outside.

[@monamcculley219]

I will let you know how it goes, might take me awhile...it's a huge tank.

[@kashmir1504]

that's odd! aren't the scratches outside the tank?

[@TazawaTanks]

Scratches can occur on either the inside or outside. These were on the inside.

[@Diana-wg1tm]

I like it

[@billlesnar7967]

why are you buffing the inside iof the tank wiouldnt the scratches be on the outside unless you have a partivularly aggressive breed of swordfish

[@dennisday8331]

It looks great but. see down below

[@madalena8205]

Wow

[@paulsims4108]

I don't recommend them magnetic cleaners to risky one of our tanks got scratched with one of them

[@Roadsidemagician]

Bang Bang Niner Gang!

[@bobbycoates7454]

no comments say anything about toxic i am pretty sure that stuff is toxic can any one tell me if fish will live in this tank after that i need to buff a tank but i do not no how 66 tall 29 wide 11 deep a so called 91.1 gallon

[@TazawaTanks]

I thoroughly rinsed and washed the tank after this process. This was over a year ago. The fish have been perfectly fine.

[@theheaddon0909]

@@TazawaTanks Looking through the comments. Finally found my answer. About to do the exact same thing after watching this video on a 135g Acrylic aquarium I picked up for $500. There are a few deep scratches, but nothing like yours. Hopefully it works. I'm gonna rinse it out with white vinegar and a water then let is sit filled for a few days before I drain it and set it up for good.

[@14pedro415]

Messing with Corvus could mean Nice big shrimp tank surprises!

[@mutyadelgado5411]

are you a Filipino

[@TazawaTanks]

No, I am not.