Cleaning Acrylic Tank

[Schottman]

What do you use to clean the inside of your acrylic tank?

Schottman

 

[RockyHeap]

For heavy build up of Coraline, or for even lite diatom build up, I first used to use a old plastic credit card.

BUT for better result, un-screw a house-hold electrical cover plate (the 2 hole type) and walla, a perfect rigid plastic scraper that doesn't scratch the tank, has a long side and short side to get into tight spots, and it also has 2 perfect finger holes!

I finish with a soft scrub nylon sink pad. Works great.

 

[Schottman]

Thanks for the info. Have you ever had any problem with this scratching the acrylic tank?

 

[wrightme43]

I have been using kent marines pro scraper with the red plastic inserts on my customers acrylic tanks. It seems to work very well and for under 10$ its a good deal. Very comfy handle on the short one. I have the long one too, but it is hard to manuver and use. JMHO. Steve

 

[big t]

Hey Dave, I have heard that this is the new ultimate tank cleaning tool, and dosn't scratch acrylic! They say it takes off corraline like nobody's business. I havn't tried one yet, but will soon.

 

[wrightme43]

Hey Tom, are you serious? if so I will have to try it. Maybe on a collection container first. Has anybody tried it? Steve

 

[big t]

Hey Bud, I am serious. There are a couple threads about it over on RC.

 

[wrightme43]

Then as they say on pro poker series. I am all in. Will pick up and try one myself.

 

[Schottman]

Thanks for the idea Tom I will look it up!

 

[big t]

BTW this tool is supposed to be fully submersible, and uses AA batteries, so you could use some NIMH batteries for it to make it environmentally friendly

 

[snobanker]

That thing sounds pretty good. I was going to suggest those white (usually) cheap plastic "putty knives" They are pretty hard plastic like a credit card but have a handle. There is a softer plastic version I have seen too, but I think they would be too soft (usually yellow). Just a thought

 

[wrightme43]

Stan, I thought thats what the squirell with the machine gun was for...

 

[snobanker]

lol wrightme....I've tried to use him before but he leaves a lot of pits in the tank wall....besides i caught him stealing peanuts from my cupboard.....

 

[Schottman]

Damn squirell!!! Never could trust em!

 

[DonW]

I use a mag float with a piece of blue filter stuff on the inside float. If you do pick up a grain of sand it sinks into the filter and never touches the acrylic.
Tom, that thing would make a good skimmer cleaner, I've been using a toilet brush.

Don

 

[big t]

Ya I use a dish brush on mine right now. I am planning on picking up one of these dawn cleaners this weekend.

 

[jazznreef]

i've tried this battery powered brush thing and it doesn't do much for me. it really won't remove coralline algae like the RC threads indicate. After trying mine I wondered if some of the folks at RC even know what coralline algae is.

anyone tried this and had better luck than me?

 

[jlehigh]

B&D scrubber

I use Kent srapers for algae but I have scratched acrylic using them.

I was in a Black&Decker outlet store last weekend and they had a fully submersible scrubber shaped more like a drill. It had several different functional heads including a car buffer which I was going to use to polish out the scratches on the inside of the tank.

Not sure how Corraline aggressive it would be.