Acrylic cleaning>?

[njfish77]

This is a question for people with acrylic. When you get coraline algea how do you scrape it without scratching the glass?

 

[Johnsteph10]

Use a piece of stiff plastic like an old credit card to scrape it off carefully.

 

[looser]

Re: Acrylic cleaning>?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6797954#post6797954 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by njfish77
This is a question for people with acrylic. When you get coraline algea how do you scrape it without scratching the glass?

I assume you meant "without scratching the (acrylic)."

The answer is you don't. No matter what you do you will scratch it. If coraline or a tiny bit of sand gets under whatever you use to scrape you get scratches, even if it dosn't you occationly get very fine scratches that build up over time. So the question is how do you minimize the scratches to your acrylic, and how do you remove them when you do scratch it.

The most effective way that I have found, and belive me I have tried everything, is daily cleaning with a very powerful magnet cleaner, and an occational scratch removal session with progresively finer grits of scratch removal cloth.

You will need to devise a way to attach the cloth to your magnet. I used a hose clamp bent into the shape of my magnet and a couple of plastic spacers on the ends to clamp the cloth in place.

If you go on vacation and the coraline builds up, go straight to the scratch removal cloth. Still a lot of work but beats adding even more scratches with just about any other method you can try.

JMO

 

[smleee]

Re: Re: Acrylic cleaning>?

Re: Re: Acrylic cleaning>?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6799649#post6799649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by looser
The most effective way that I have found, and belive me I have tried everything, is daily cleaning with a very powerful magnet cleaner,

What magnet are you using and do you put anything on it (like algae srubber pad for acrylic tanks, etc)?

eee

 

[looser]

Re: Re: Re: Acrylic cleaning>?

Re: Re: Re: Acrylic cleaning>?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6800106#post6800106 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smleee
What magnet are you using and do you put anything on it (like algae srubber pad for acrylic tanks, etc)?

eee

Personaly I use Algea Free Magnets with the pad that they provide. (I preffer the thinner pad). I have both a tiger shark and great white. The type you should use depends on the thickness of your acrylic. If in doubt I would error in favor of the more powerfull magnet. You can always use a thicker pad if needed.

http://www.aquariumcleaner.com/

 

[codybug]

Hand clean only with white algae pad.

 

[Gabi480]

kent marine has a great scraper and all I do is go down and clean off the scraping part and do it again untill the tank is clean one stroke down clean and repeat as needed. That was you resduce the chances of scratching.