# How do you clean the back of your large aquarium against a wall?



## Ital_stal (Jun 4, 2010)

Anyone have a solution for my problem? I have water stains on the back of my 90 that i want to tackle. i don't have alot of clearance i can only clean about 6 inches in on each side before my hand gets wedged. Physically are there any tricks to clean these without cutting an access hole in the wall behind the tank (lol, i've thought of everything)


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Damp cloth tied to broomstick?


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## Dman (May 1, 2012)

Lol reverse magnet maybe, get some windex on a paper towel, and place it on the outside of your tank and clean from the inside, or just get a sponge on a stick n maybe do it like that.


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## Ital_stal (Jun 4, 2010)

I have a heavy duty mag float, maybe i'll give that a wirl, i've tried the broom method i dont have clearance from my filter tubes so to gets stuck.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Maybe try wrapping a piece from one of those micro fibre cleaning cloths around a piece of string or rope ? Be thinner than the broomstick.. can slide it back and forth and it will bend some. Hopefully be able to steer it away from the stuff hanging over the back of the tank, or perhaps a yard or metre stick ? Also much thinner than a broom stick, but more body to it than rope or string.


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## Ital_stal (Jun 4, 2010)

i broke a yard stick trying it a few months back lol will take another stab at this tonight


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

Hey AJ,
To avoid this in the future I used aluminum tape to seal the top of the tank from allowing water to get in behind the background. Now it always looks like the day I bought it.
--
Paul


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

use a stick, broken broom or whatever and use it to wipe the wall with a towel . it works for my 75g


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## spas (Jan 12, 2012)

Install a 3d background in the tank - problem solved


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

if you can move most of the water temporarily, I would move the tank out from the wall so future cleaning will be easier.

I always leave a little space behind my tanks and make sure I have access to all of the back. I learned this when I had my 55 gallon setup in a corner, I could clean the right half but getting to the left half was almost impossible. Since then, I make sure I have good access to all my tanks.


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## Newobsession (Nov 17, 2010)

Also something to consider, as odd as it may sound, where are you trying to get to the back of the tank from? While the natural thought is to stand beside the tank and try to go across the back, an easier option may be to get one of those little 2 or 3 step step stools/ladders (they're pretty cheap at CT and I find them great for working on/in my bigger tanks) and leaning over tank and using whatever method you chose (broomstick, yardstick etc) to go DOWN the back of the tank rather than trying to go across it from the sides. That way you're only dealing with having to push/pull/clean 12-18" up and down, depending on tank size and how far down needs cleaning and or is visible depending on decor rather than 24" sideways and navigating hoses etc. The other advantages are that you're not fighting gravity trying to go horizontally and if you have filter hoses etc that are in your way you can at least go down both sides of it rather than trying to get past them from the side. Downside? Don't fall in the tank! lol.


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