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does anyone have any ideas or tips on how to take pernickity algae off glass?

the algae on the back of my tank is really doing my head in now!
i can't get it off with anything, even scraping it with my nails doesn't work!

i don't really want to use chemical algae removers either since i'm scared it might hurt my fish!

help?

A razor blade scraper usually gets stubborn stuff. Various design options.







Martin.

They even make a similar device particularly for fish tanks. It does not have a razor blade so its less dangerous for those of us who are a bit clumsy.

I use both option 1 and option 3 and it works well. Just do not go near the silicone.

These are not for acrylic tanks.

When I am finished with one I set it on top of the lights (warm) to dry.

old credit card. They actually get better with use- they sharpen.

Credit card did not do so good a job as a razor, but is probably safer for acrylic. The card I used finally cracked. It was not too bad on really soft things like brown algae, but worthless against green spot algae.

thanks for the advice! i never even thought about using a razor scraper!
i'll try a credit card too though since they're not useful for anything else! ha

emi-chan wrote: i'll try a credit card too though since they're not useful for anything else! ha

I beg to differ.............

http://www.loaches.com/articles/the-art ... illstreams

Martin.

haha! cool! what a great use for a credit card!!

I mounted the blade of a "cutter-knive" (that's how many Germans call those knifes with disposable blades) on a fork with little bolts and washers - works great. I did clean it first with aceton, as many of them have an oil layer on them. I have the feeling, removing the algae with blades is most efficient and lenghtens the period between services.

Before I used sponges and those magnets, I even mounted one magnet with a bit for a accu-screwdriver, so it would rotate, that was more of an entertaining value than efficient. I caught a sand corn and scratched the outside of one tank badly.

do metal blades not scratch the inside of the glass? that's what i'm worried about...

well i finally got rid of the annoying stuff with a glass hob scraper thing i found in a kitchen shop! i'm so happy since it really made the tank look bad!
now i can stop freaking out about the algae in the tank and start worrying about the destruction of my poor plants! :p
thanks for your help!!! <3

I have not had problems with a razor blade scratching glass. I do not do this very often, and am very careful not to get near the silicone. (Leaves a half-inch wide band of algae next to the corners)