Clear reef vision: How do you clean the inside of the glass on your aquarium?

[Sump Crab]

Flipper

 

[Waters]

Always magic eraser.

 

[John Doe]

I eat it.

how does it taste?(Are you talking about the algae on the tank walls?？)

 

[steveschuerger]

Plastic bladed scraper since I have an cryptic tank

 

[Timfish]

Yes. Whatever it takes to do the job (without breaking the tank )

 

[besskurz]

I clean with a magnet brush some areas of interest but, never 100% of the glass.

Keep in mind this film that grows on glass is also a good source of food for pods! So.. by eliminating completely, you might not sustain a good population of them which we know very to be helpful.

 

[EricR]

Tunze with plastic blades normally.
Regular razor blade in my hand when necessary (but very rarely).

 

[JayM]

I never used any because algae doesn’t come to my tank

If you aren’t being funny, you can become very wealthy by selling your secrets to success.

 

[Johnd651]

Plastic bladed scraper since I have an cryptic tank

Acrylic? Guessing auto correct?

 

[steveschuerger]

Plastic bladed scraper since I have an cryptic tank

Ugh . Stupid autocorrect. Yes to all who are wondering. Acrylic

 

[vetteguy53081]

Flipper edge and Mighty Magnets

 

[sgdnycct]

I use microfiber white clothes or soft paper towels NEVER THOSE MAGNETS.

eek. I've used the magnets forever. Should I not be? Why don't you use them?

 

[rc8t6353]

Cheap petco large magnetic scrubber and razor blade on telescopic pole and toothbrush for corners. On the outside glass I use automotive carnauba wax and a microfiber cloth. This makes glass sparkle and resistant to fingerprints, beads any splashed water and more resistant to water stains. Just like waxing a car.

I never thought about waxing the outer glass. My stand catches finger prints too. Gonna do this tonight after work. Thanks!

 

[Tactical Reefkeeping]

I use the plastic platinum flipper works great and when I want to switch to razor blade, I just take out the card and then put the razor blade in. Really recommend it.

 

[mfinn]

My Tiger Shark magnet cleaner does most of the cleaning.
A utility knife blade in a plastic handle does the rest.

 

[jft]

eek. I've used the magnets forever. Should I not be? Why don't you use them?

TOO many tanks I have seen with glass damage due to gravel getting in and having damage to the viewing glass. NO THANKS

 

[Antaguana]

eek. I've used the magnets forever. Should I not be? Why don't you use them?

If it has been working for you for a long time you are probably fine.

Some people don't like the magnets as they can / have scratched the glass/acrylic.

Many people do use them with little to no issue.

People who do use them often recommend being very careful near the sand, if it picks up sand then sand can scratch the glass. Remove the unit and rinse when not in use to prevent hard things growing on the blades / foams. Using plastic instead of metal blades, especially on acrylic.

 

[tuscani]

Cheap petco large magnetic scrubber and razor blade on telescopic pole and toothbrush for corners. On the outside glass I use automotive carnauba wax and a microfiber cloth. This makes glass sparkle and resistant to fingerprints, beads any splashed water and more resistant to water stains. Just like waxing a car.

Wax on the outside.. ha! Brilliant. Doing this

 

[Luisn17]

Been using magic eraser but going to start using a tiger shark with magic sheets. Could not take spending over an hour cleaning the 8ft acrylic front panel and sides every week. I looked at the mighty magnets but could get myself to spend the mighty price.

 

[sgdnycct]

Clear reef vision: How do you clean the inside of the glass on your aquarium?

Cleaning that aquarium glass, inside and out, is a key part of enjoying our reef tanks and being able to see and enjoy everything that is going on in our aquatic ecosystems. While some reef keepers are more detailed than others and some clean the glass far more frequently than others, this is a part of the tank maintenance for most of us. In addition to the improved viewing, there are other functional reasons to clean the glass such as algae control and removal. Now that most of us agree that we should be cleaning the inside of the aquarium glass with some level of regularity (we can agree on that, right?), let’s think about how to do it. For your tank, how do you clean the inside of the glass on your aquarium? Please share your approach and if you have any tips or tricks for cleaning.

Photo by Tunze

If you are looking for additional tips on cleaning your aquarium glass, then please consider reading the R2R article on How to Scrape Glass and Acrylic.

Additionally, there is a few more days to enter the Tunze giveaway where you may be able to win a Tunze Premium Glass Care pack.

This QOTD is sponsored by: www.tckcorals.com

For anyone who is using the magic eraser- the product is designed to break off small particles to avoid scratching things. Is that not a concern in the tank?