# Glass Cleaning



## Colinlp (24 Feb 2015)

A host of different answers I know but what is your favourite tool for cleaning the inside glass on your tank?


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## paul2 (24 Feb 2015)

The small  scourering sponges pack of 10 from the pound  shop job done


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## Jose (24 Feb 2015)

Id really like to get my hands on one of those metal scrapers for my nano. You dont mess the plants or get your hands wet with it.


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## Colinlp (24 Feb 2015)

For my marine tank I have a Flipper magnet cleaner/scraper, brilliant on marine for removing hard coraline algae but not sure in a planted


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## Jose (24 Feb 2015)

I dont like magnets so much because there is always the corners which you cant really clean.


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## limz_777 (25 Feb 2015)

your hands and a season scotch brite


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## Martin in Holland (25 Feb 2015)

Filter floss is enough to get my glass spotless (on the inside), yes I get my hands wet...no biggy...


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## kirk (25 Feb 2015)

This is the best method I've come up with.  It's an old algae scraper with the blade removed

Two balls of filter floss tied on with fishing line. 
It's great for getting the lilies clean, behind wood and the glass,.

Also great for dragging snails up the glass for removal.


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## kirk (25 Feb 2015)




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## ian_m (25 Feb 2015)

Filter floss for me. Cheap and throw away when too dirty.


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## kirk (25 Feb 2015)

Jose said:


> I dont like magnets so much because there is always the corners which you cant really clean.


And drag substrate along the glass if your not carefull, a friend of mine has trashed his optiwhite tank this way.


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## ian_m (25 Feb 2015)

kirk said:


> And drag substrate along the glass if your not carefull, a friend of mine has trashed his optiwhite tank this way.


My second hand Vision 180 has scrapes from the previous owner using a magnetic cleaner and dragging gravel across the glass.


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## Mr. Teapot (25 Feb 2015)

I use a cheap long-handled scraper with a removable steel blade. I made the mistake of using an old green washing-up scourer on an old tank… it badly scratched the glass with a web of tiny scratches. I don't know if it was the scourer or if it picked up grit from the substrate.  Anyway, I'm guessing steel is softer than glass and harder to pick up grit. Worked well so far.


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## roadmaster (25 Feb 2015)

A clean paper towel folded into fourth's.


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## parotet (25 Feb 2015)

Old toothbrush and pieces of old common sponges for glass cleaning... If needed an old plastic card for scraping algae

Jordi


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## Wallace (25 Feb 2015)

Soft sponge for the glass, toothbrush for the corner joints, and an old CC for substrate level glass cleaning. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Edvet (25 Feb 2015)

For most of the glass


 For bottom part and into the substrate


   for quick clean (upper part only)


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## Julian (25 Feb 2015)

Protip: no matter what you use to clean your glass, be careful not to get any substrate on said tool. A plastic scraper might not scratch the glass, but a small piece of rock stuck between the two will.


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## X3NiTH (25 Feb 2015)

Best thing I've found so far.





That's one half of a pair of long planting tweezers that came apart at the spot welds, a small cut out portion is wrapped around the handle and cable tied very tightly in place. Great at dislodging diatoms from the glass, GSA requires a little more pressure, polishes the glass nicely afterwards, zero scratches, also as it's quite thin compared to a magnet cleaner so I can be quite vigorous with it at the glass and not worry about creating a tidal wave in the tank, it also does a very good job of cleaning the silicone seams inside the tank, handle can be bent so I can reach the hard to get places under the tank rim.

Delighted!


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## EnderUK (25 Feb 2015)

An old credit card


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## kirk (25 Feb 2015)

This is going to be like a cream egg thread.


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## limz_777 (1 Apr 2015)

that washing up pad sure look familiar , could double up as a bio media as well


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## parotet (1 Apr 2015)

Something I have done in the last WCs... Spray H2O2 in the glass and pieces of equipment that are emersed... It works very well for small algae patches that attach to the heater, pipes, spraybar, corners, etc. that are almost invisible. You can see the effect because the next day because they turn red.
I have also used H2O2 for cleaning diffusers and glass equipment... Not as fast as bleach but no toxicity.

Jordi


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## karla (3 Apr 2015)

I just wipe the inside with kitchen paper that has some white vinegar on it at every water change, other wise I do not touch the glass.


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## bajiaz (3 Apr 2015)

just use a sponge during every weekly water change. The key is to have a strict routine. Skip it once and you will skip more and more and it's all downhill from there


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## Jaxpot (19 Apr 2015)

For me it's good quality kitchen roll and the multi-plastic scraper I bought from CO2Art a while back as it does so many scrapes in one single pass - and rounded corners too. The downside was that I kept taking branches in my scape out as it requires a bit of room to manoeuvre. I now have otos and a nerite snail, so admit to not having cleaned the glass for 4 months now. 

[Should anyone have a solution for zebra snail egg removal from wood - that'd be awesome!]


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## Jose (19 Apr 2015)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rena-Aqua...333?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4aad82305d

this is whatI use. Highly recommend it because:
1) Its got a plastic blade fore acrylic tanks and a metallic onefor glass tanks.
2) Its very long. 
3) It can acces that nuisence algae at the bottom of the glass w/o disturbing carpet plants.
4) You can see where the algae is on the glass the plastic is yellow.
5) No need toget hands wet.
This guys should pay me for this. But the truth is its perfect for me.


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## EnderUK (19 Apr 2015)

Jaxpot said:


> For me it's good quality kitchen roll and the multi-plastic scraper I bought from CO2Art a while back as it does so many scrapes in one single pass - and rounded corners too. The downside was that I kept taking branches in my scape out as it requires a bit of room to manoeuvre. I now have otos and a nerite snail, so admit to not having cleaned the glass for 4 months now.
> 
> [Should anyone have a solution for zebra snail egg removal from wood - that'd be awesome!]



They'll be there forever, just accept it


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## john dory (19 Apr 2015)

rainbows eat snails


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## Jaxpot (19 Apr 2015)

EnderUK said:


> They'll be there forever, just accept it



Yep I think so. I'm hoping it has a finite supply and has an early menopause    It keeps the algae off the redmoor though so I won't be purchasing anything that'd eat it.


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## forever (21 May 2015)

credit card for me, anyone remember the goldfish card


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## zozo (21 May 2015)

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/hair-algea.37082/#post-401222


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## forever (21 May 2015)

i do like the idea of using filter wool, when i do a water change i have a green brillo type pad


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## sciencefiction (22 May 2015)

I use two plecos. I don't even have to tell them what to do.... I'll have to see if they'll learn to use a scraper for the spots they miss from time to time...


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## NC10 (22 May 2015)

Stanley knife blade.


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