Wiping the inside glass

[likwid]

Hey guys,

I just set up my tank. I would slowly add saltwater to it 4 gallons at a time, with hour long breaks in between. Doing this left streaks on the inside of my glass where the water would sit. Since the tank is now full of fresh, clean salt water, what is the best way to clean off those streaks? I do not have an algae magnet or scraper yet, so it would have to be a household item (cloth, brush, etc), but I want to be careful not to add any contaminates or dirt to the water when I am doing so.

Thanks

[truperc]

Just wipe them with your hand, they will come off really easy, or just wait a few days and they should disappear.

[likwid]

Anything besides using my hand to do it?

[Barrett.Oliver]

Your best bet (if you don't want to use your hands) would simply to be spending the 4-5 bucks to get a brush specifically for cleaning the tank.

[ElGuappo]

i use a sponge that goes from salt to fresh water on a regular basis. i also use a plastic pot scrubber. if useing kitchen products beSURE there is no detergant on them.

[Barrett.Oliver]

The only thing with that is whether or not an anti-mildew agent is used or not, correct?

Unsure if this is accurate or not? Anyone?

[Myka]

Anything besides using my hand to do it?

Just get your hands wet! :lol: Rinse them well in hot water before you do.

[Trigger Man]

Just a quick note of caution when using household products, (clothes, sponges,scrapers) even if they list as not having any anti-bacterial, anti mildew etc, there is always the chance that a batch could come into contact with these agents in the factory. I had finally achieved the perfect fish show tank about a year and a half ago and back then I was using a household brand of sponge that I had been using for over a year with no probs to clean it. The next day after cleaning the tank with a new sponge from that same company all my fish were dead. After that I learned to only buy my cleaning tools from the lfs.

[Aquattro]

Can't see a reason to not use your hands, the lines are just air bubbles and foam residue. They will go away, but if you don't want to wait, get your hand in there with a old credit card or something. As you move forward with the tank, you're going to need something anyway, so today might be a good day for a magnet.

[likwid]

I guess I will get my hands and arms wet tonight!

What magnet do you guys recommend for an acrylic tank with rounded corners? I heard mag-floats are made for glass only.

[spreerider]

you can buy magfloats that are for acrylic just make sure its labeled acrylic, if it says nothing about acrylic its a glass one.

[marie]

http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/cl-mf350a/Mag-Float+360A+%28Acrylic%29+Cleaning+Magnet.html

http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/cl-ap46w/Pentair+Aquatics+Lifegard+Algae+Pad+%28White+Acryl ic%29+-+4%22+x+6%22.html

http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/CL-APHAC/Doc+Wellfish%27s+Long+Handled+Algae+Scraper+-+Acrylic.html

[Myka]

Mag-Floats scratch the heck out of glass and acrylic. I despise those stupid things...you get one little grain of sand in there, or coralline algae, or those little tube worms like to live on the freakin magnet, and you get a scratch! I still use mine on my 33g though...now that it's scratched to heck it doesn't matter! :lol: I prefer the Kent ProScrapers.

[justinl]

you can avoid scratches by a mag-float by a) being careful not to come within an inch of the sand bed (use a credit card instead), b)covering the outside magnet (the one with the velvet cover rather than the bristles) with a cloth covering, c) not letting the feather dusters and coralline algae accumulate on the glass (be dilligent) and d) remove the mag-float from the tank after use. no guarantees though. :)

[Myka]

you can avoid scratches by a mag-float by a) being careful not to come within an inch of the sand bed (use a credit card instead), b)covering the outside magnet (the one with the velvet cover rather than the bristles) with a cloth covering, c) not letting the feather dusters and coralline algae accumulate on the glass (be dilligent) and d) remove the mag-float from the tank after use. no guarantees though. :)

That pretty much takes away all the handiness of having the Mag-Float! ;) Which is why I will never buy one again!

[ElGuappo]

to be more specific the srubber was like steel wool but plastic, and the sponge was from an lfs.

[mark]

caution with kitchen gear, used a pad once on my old tank and though was plastic, where I used it turned the glass hazy (really fine scratches)