How to Clean Hard Water From a Fishbowl

Water with a high mineral content will leave stains on a glass fish bowl, especially near the water line. These hard-water stains are usually made of calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate, depending upon the type of minerals in your water. These hard water deposits can be safely removed with natural ingredients such as vinegar or lemon juice. The acid in vinegar and lemon juice reacts with the carbonate deposits and softens them enough for removal.

Things You'll Need

  • Vinegar or lemon juice
  • Small wash rag
  • New scrub pad or toothbrush
  • Secondary fish bowl to house your fish during the cleaning process
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare another fish bowl or a large jar to hold your fish during the cleaning process. Make sure the water in the second container is dechlorinated before you move your fish.

    • 2

      Remove all the fish, gravel and decorations from the first fish bowl, then rinse it out with water.

    • 3

      Apply vinegar or lemon juice on any built-up water deposits, then scrub the deposits with a new scrub pad or toothbrush. Do not use a scrub pad that comes with chemicals or detergent. If your fish bowl has flat sides, you can attempt to scrape off the deposits with a razor blade. During this step, just target the thickest deposits.

    • 4

      Soak the wash rag with vinegar or lemon juice.

    • 5

      Put the fish bowl on its side and lay the soaked rag on the water stains inside the fish bowl. Leave it for 30 minutes, then scrub the part of the fish bowl that had contact with the rag. Turn the fish bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process, until you have soaked and scrubbed the entire inside surface of the fish bowl.

    • 6

      Rinse the fish bowl thoroughly.

    • 7

      Let the fish bowl dry and check for any remaining hard water stains. Repeat the cleaning process on any problem areas until all stains are removed.