bayyliner Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) I have a 125 gal bowfront tank with cichlids, no live plants. the fish are doing well, but the front tank glass is slowly filling up with a very tough, thin, lacey looking green stuff and despite my best 6" pleco efforts and rough plastic type scrubbies to scratch it off, it continues to invade and mar the view. i dont want to use steel wool or copper scrubbie to get it off, and i dont want to use razor blade type items as it will permanently scratch the glass, but i dont know what else to do. how does everyone else keep this stuff off their glass? Bayyliner Edited May 8, 2009 by bayyliner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 I got a little 'razor-blade' style scraper from tho lfs. they have ones made for acrylic or glass, as the plecos don't seem to help with it. my glass did not get scratched and the hard green algae just slid right off. the little 'scrubbie' style cleaners did nothing for me as well. robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 Green spot algae. My plecos are no help with it either. Only thing that works is to scrape it off. You can use a credit card, or the LFS sells little plastic scrapers. Razor blades work the best(I use them) but you just have to be a little more careful not to scratch the glass. I also have a mag-float that works pretty well on the green spot algae. It takes more scrubbing then the plastic blades but you dont' have to get wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 mag floats are awesome, but pricey. i have one on each of my tanks and swear by them for cleaning. they even do a lil work on the water spots on the outside when i run them across the glass, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werner Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 Lee Valley Tools sells plastic razor blades. They work pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stribbelldk Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 I go to the dollar store and get the plastic style pot scubbers. 5 for a buck. They are rainbow colored but the fish don't get offended. Derek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Dawg Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 mag floats are awesome, but pricey. i have one on each of my tanks and swear by them for cleaning. they even do a lil work on the water spots on the outside when i run them across the glass, lol. I use mine as the handle for the top when it is not being used for cleaning. I love cleaning both side of the glass at once with it. I was failry happy with the price I paid. They do very greatly in price from store to store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 yep, and the trend i've seen is, smaller store, bigger price. but i prefer to support the small lfs over the box stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Dawg Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 yep, and the trend i've seen is, smaller store, bigger price. but i prefer to support the small lfs over the box stores. We try to buy a little something at every LFS we go to. Last weekend was the great Edmonton Fish trip, we made it to 5 stores and bought a something at each, even if it was only sponge. I do find from time to time the small places have a great deal on this or that, or have an alternate or hard to find brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 If you use a metal razorblade properly, it won't scratch your glass. Of course if you have an acrylic tank you have to be much more careful and I would suggest using a plastic one instead. Why buy them at the LFS when you can probably get them from superstore or canadian tire or other places for cheaper. Or depending on the type of fish you keep, the only snail I know of that will eat this algae is a zebra snail, and the rubber lip pleco is also supposed to eat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayyliner Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 I got a little 'razor-blade' style scraper from tho lfs. they have ones made for acrylic or glass, as the plecos don't seem to help with it. my glass did not get scratched and the hard green algae just slid right off. the little 'scrubbie' style cleaners did nothing for me as well.robin i scratched my smaller tank using a razor blade, i did not know they came in plastic; what is the main use for plastic razor blades other than tank cleaners, anyone know?? Thanks Robin! Lauren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayyliner Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Green spot algae. My plecos are no help with it either. Only thing that works is to scrape it off. You can use a credit card, or the LFS sells little plastic scrapers. Razor blades work the best(I use them) but you just have to be a little more careful not to scratch the glass. I also have a mag-float that works pretty well on the green spot algae. It takes more scrubbing then the plastic blades but you dont' have to get wet. can you explain what a magfloat is; ive never heard of it, how do you use it, how much is it, where do you get it; thanks! Lauren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayyliner Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Lee Valley Tools sells plastic razor blades. They work pretty well. I have never heard of plastic razor blades before; what are they used for?? plastic beards??? facial hair on mannequins in store windows??? do they come with a holder or can they fit in any razor blade type holder? Lauren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Lee Valley Tools sells plastic razor blades. They work pretty well. I have never heard of plastic razor blades before; what are they used for?? plastic beards??? facial hair on mannequins in store windows??? do they come with a holder or can they fit in any razor blade type holder? Lauren They should fit in a regular razor blade holder, at least the plastic ones I bought did. You can also buy their own holder. In the Lee Valley link it was 5 plastic blades + holder for 4.50$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 a magfloat is two magnetic pieces. one goes in the tank on the side wall and has scratchy velcro like stuff on it that cleans the glass but doesn't scratch the glass. the magnetic piece that goes on the outside of the tank has a velvet covering on it so it slides nicely on the dry side of the tank wall. the two pieces stay stuck together through the glass due to the magnets. i bought the medium size one (on the back of the package it says what size is good for what tank, due to magnet strength). got it from a smaller lfs for a bit more than you would pay at a store like big al's, and i can't recall the price but i do remember the big square one (one size up from the one i bought) was 30 bucks or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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