acrylic, magnets and magic erasers...

[jbird69]

I have discovered a fantastic method for cleaning my acrylic tank. I found out that magic erasers are VERY easy to filet with a sharp knife. I filet them to about 1/4" and place them between the magnets on the inside of the tank. Anyone who has used magic erasers know how effective they are for cleaning acrylic. Now I can use them without puting my hands in the tank!

 

[niftyjosh]

if they are the magic erasers im thinking of they contain traces of formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer which = no good

edit- while trace amounts have no negitive effects on humans i donno how trace amounts would stack while submerged in a tank

 

[MeuserReef]

I have used Magic Erasers to clean the glass in my freshwater tank with no effects. Im not brave enough to try it on my Reef tank. Too much work and $$$ to risk.

 

[jbird69]

A high percentage of acrylic tank owners have been using them for quite some time. Including me.

 

[tomas]

So are magic erasers safe to use in a stocked reef tank?

 

[reeflover62]

Been using them for two years now on a full stock sps tank with no problems. YES I love the Majic.

 

[noahm]

yes, they are safe. I know of no one who has had any issues with them after long term use. Just make sure you buy the original that has no detergent added. There are different magic erasers that they market for different uses.

I have been thinking about filleting mine, just never got around to it. Time to give it a whirl.

 

[Indymann99]

I have been filet cutting each in half.. I think I can actually get 3 filets out of each.

 

[adirondack]

+1 on the magic eraser for reef tanks, work great, especially if the buildup is light. Doesn't work so well on hard algae, the sponge is brittle. I did a lot of research on the chemistry, very safe.

 

[WarrenG]

Info about the ingredients, apparently no problem...
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/eraser.asp

 

[PaulieReef]

That kinda scares me.. I don't know if I would ever try this.. even with peoples success..

 

[jon1985]

will be trying tonight.

 

[TampaReefer79]

yes, they are safe. I know of no one who has had any issues with them after long term use. Just make sure you buy the original that has no detergent added. There are different magic erasers that they market for different uses. I have been thinking about filleting mine, just never got around to it. Time to give it a whirl.

YES! There are magic erasers made for BATHROOM USE that have chemicals in them. DO NOT use the bathroom ones, ONLY the regular old plain magic eraser. Works great on acrylic. My very reputable and respected LFS has been using them for ages on tanks stocked with corals and fish with zero issues.

 

[Lynnmw1208]

The only concern I would have is if small chunks came off and the fish ate them and got blockage from it. They do dissolve eventually even when you're cleaning the house with them. that is weird though, I thought they had bleach in them or something and that is why it worked lol. very interesting!

 

[truebeliever71]

Has anyone tried emptying their tanks after using these to see what the glass looks like? I have used the Magic Erasers before on my motorcycle when some idiot decided to write all over it with a paint pen and it really dulled the finish.

 

[aquaticareef]

cool

 

[noahm]

Has anyone tried emptying their tanks after using these to see what the glass looks like? I have used the Magic Erasers before on my motorcycle when some idiot decided to write all over it with a paint pen and it really dulled the finish.

Pretty much anything can scratch acrylic, but it appears that the magic eraser is a fine enough abrasive that it doesn't, and in fact seems to buff out small scratches over time. The resin on you motorcycle is probably similar, but at such a high polish that the eraser dulls it. You can try it on the outside of the tank if you aren't sure. I would never use it dry though.

 

[nuccadoc]

This is very interesting. I would have never thought of using these on the inside of a tank. My 400 is acrylic so I'm going to give this a try. Thanks.

Scott

 

[truebeliever71]

Pretty much anything can scratch acrylic, but it appears that the magic eraser is a fine enough abrasive that it doesn't, and in fact seems to buff out small scratches over time. The resin on you motorcycle is probably similar, but at such a high polish that the eraser dulls it. You can try it on the outside of the tank if you aren't sure. I would never use it dry though.

Cool... thanks. I will give it try. I just switch from a 140G acrylic that I need to clean up to a 120G glass.

Thanks for the info.