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How To Remove Scratches From Glass Aquariums? 11 Easy Steps

Lindsey Stanton Profile Picture

By Lindsey Stanton

glass aquarium tank

When your aquarium gets all scratched up, which it probably will after some time, the whole aesthetic thing kind of starts to disappear. Scratches in your glass aquarium are going to take away from the overall beauty of it without a doubt.

Of course, you don’t want to have to buy a brand new aquarium If you don’t need to. So, how do you remove scratches from glass aquariums? It’s not a difficult job but there are a few things that you will need to get the job done.

divider seashellsWhat You Need To Remove Scratches From Your Glass Aquarium

washing-cleaning-fish-tank
Image Credit: MARVIK, Shutterstock

Here are the things you will need to remove the scratches once and for all. Keep in mind, small and thin scratches are easy to fix on your own, but bigger and deeper scratches are going to be difficult and time-consuming to fix, so you might want to get professional help doing it.

Equipment required:
  • Spray bottle
  • Electric drill (or orbital sander)
  • Buffing pad
  • Hard rubber disk
  • Cloth
  • Masking tape
  • Plastic wrap
  • Marking crayon
  • Holding tank
  • Cerium Oxide polish

The 11 Steps To Remove Scratches From Glass Aquariums

To remove the scratches from your glass aquarium, just follow these simple steps and they will be gone in no time at all.

1. Buy a little container of cerium oxide polish.

This is a material often used to polish the jewelry, but can also be used to buff out small and medium-sized scratches in aquarium glass.


2. Remove enough tank water so you can get to the scratch.

This might mean draining all of the water, in which case you will need to move your fish to a holding tank for safety.


3. If there is any water left in the tank.

Then Cover it with plastic wrap to avoid getting any cerium oxide or other substances in the water. Use tape to secure the plastic wrap in place so it does not move or sink below the waterline.


4. Get yourself a hard rubber disk

With a buffing pad and attach it to your electric drill.


5. Follow the directions on the cerium oxide.

Then mix it with water. Put the cerium oxide and water solution into a spray bottle for easy distribution.


6. Cover the buffing pad with the cerium oxide solution.

Get the pad nice and wet, but not so wet that it drips or flies all over the place when you turn the drill on.


7. Turn the drill to its lowest setting.

Then start buffing out the scratch. Press hard enough for decent pressure but not so hard as to break the glass or shift the aquarium.


8. If the glass is getting too hot from the friction of the drill and buffing pad…

Simply spray it with some water or some more of the cerium oxide solution to cool it down.


9. Continue buffing the glass…

Until the scratch is no longer visible.


10. Use a clean cloth

And wipe away any cerium oxide residue.


11. Put the water…

And fish back into the aquarium.

divider seashells

Final Thoughts

When it comes to removing scratches from your glass aquarium, this is more or less the only way to get it done, not to mention the most effective by far. As long as you use the materials and follow the steps as described, you will have a clear and scratch-free aquarium in no time at all.

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