Flipper or Tunze Care Magnet?
- Thread starter cwschoon
- Start date
I used a mag float for years and just switched to the Tunze within the last 6 months. A few comments...
1. If you're used to the Mag Float, you'll definitely "drop" the Tunze a few times before you break your habit of disconnecting before you have your hand on it. As previously mentioned, the Tunze doesn't float. If you're like me, you'll get over that pretty quick in exchange for the super job it does on the glass!
2. True that the Tunze doesn't do corners, but at least that way I don't mess up and slice my corner seal like I'd do on occasion with the flat scraper attachment on my MagFloat.
3. I never scratched my glass with my Mag Float because I stayed away from the sand and did that area with a "scraper on a stick." With the Tunze design, I cleaned right down along the sand line... and within a couple months managed to put a scratch in my glass! If you go with the Tunze, don't let your guard down thinking it's impossible to pick up sand!
4. Get spare scrapers. If you use the plastic scraper (without the blade insert) on little patches of coraline, it'll nick the plastic scraper enough that it doesn't scrape as well as new... it'll leave little trails where it misses. I didn't expect the plastic scraper to hold up with coraline, but was surprised how little it took to lose the "like new" edge of the thing.
Overall, I'd buy the Tunze again in a heartbeat. (Sorry... no experience with the Flipper.)
1. If you're used to the Mag Float, you'll definitely "drop" the Tunze a few times before you break your habit of disconnecting before you have your hand on it. As previously mentioned, the Tunze doesn't float. If you're like me, you'll get over that pretty quick in exchange for the super job it does on the glass!
2. True that the Tunze doesn't do corners, but at least that way I don't mess up and slice my corner seal like I'd do on occasion with the flat scraper attachment on my MagFloat.
3. I never scratched my glass with my Mag Float because I stayed away from the sand and did that area with a "scraper on a stick." With the Tunze design, I cleaned right down along the sand line... and within a couple months managed to put a scratch in my glass! If you go with the Tunze, don't let your guard down thinking it's impossible to pick up sand!
4. Get spare scrapers. If you use the plastic scraper (without the blade insert) on little patches of coraline, it'll nick the plastic scraper enough that it doesn't scrape as well as new... it'll leave little trails where it misses. I didn't expect the plastic scraper to hold up with coraline, but was surprised how little it took to lose the "like new" edge of the thing.
Overall, I'd buy the Tunze again in a heartbeat. (Sorry... no experience with the Flipper.)
roberthu526
New member
Have both and flipper is much easier to use imo
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Robert, do you think the Tunze does a better job on the hard algae and is safer than the Flipper? I am probably going with the Tunze Strong. I believe the design is the best to minimize scratching the tank and that is my main priority. Flipper looks great but I'm after the blade and not the pad.
I have both and had the tunze strong one too.
My tank is 12mm thick and the tunze strong was too strong for that thickness, it just juddered all over the place. So I swapped it for a flipper, I still have a tunze long but I never use it.
The flipper is so much easier to use, it doesn't float but its kind of buoyant so hovers and is easy to reattach if it detaches. Unlike the tunze that drops to the sand bed fast and can be an absolute pain to get back to the glass if you don't put your hand in the tank. I also found that the blades aren't held onto the tunze that well so they come away from the magnet meaning you have to reach into the tank anyway.
The dry side of the tunze magnets is ridiculously un-ergonomic, anyone with hands bigger than a childs will probably find it uncomfortable to use. And because the magnets are strong (even the Long version) it makes it that much harder. you kind of have to hold the magnet in more of a pinching way which just isn't comfortable. The flipper has much weaker magnets which means it can glide across the glass much more smoothly and the dry side is flat and wide which makes it easier to hold than the tunze.
I also found that you do still have to be really careful with the tunze despite the claims that there is only a small risk of scratching the glass. if the sand gets caught behind the blade as you reverse it you will scratch the glass. and because the magnet has two blades it means one is always in reverse if you know what I mean. Because the flipper magnet is weaker it means any scratches that do happen are no where near as deep, and there is only the one blade for the sand to get caught behind. Really I just wouldn't recommend using a mag cleaner near the sand bed, use a long scraper like the kent marine one for that.
Now I don't have coralline so I really cant comment on how effective the magnets are against it but this is the reason I still have the Tunze long. I think it may be worth keeping it in case the flipper doesn't cut it but I doubt it will struggle. Any time I use a metal blade I remove it from the tank after use and place on a radiator to dry out.
I will say the Tunze nano (I have one for my QT) does the job brilliantly and I wouldn't bother getting a different mag cleaner to replace it. Because its smaller with a weaker magnet the design suits it better.
My tank is 12mm thick and the tunze strong was too strong for that thickness, it just juddered all over the place. So I swapped it for a flipper, I still have a tunze long but I never use it.
The flipper is so much easier to use, it doesn't float but its kind of buoyant so hovers and is easy to reattach if it detaches. Unlike the tunze that drops to the sand bed fast and can be an absolute pain to get back to the glass if you don't put your hand in the tank. I also found that the blades aren't held onto the tunze that well so they come away from the magnet meaning you have to reach into the tank anyway.
The dry side of the tunze magnets is ridiculously un-ergonomic, anyone with hands bigger than a childs will probably find it uncomfortable to use. And because the magnets are strong (even the Long version) it makes it that much harder. you kind of have to hold the magnet in more of a pinching way which just isn't comfortable. The flipper has much weaker magnets which means it can glide across the glass much more smoothly and the dry side is flat and wide which makes it easier to hold than the tunze.
I also found that you do still have to be really careful with the tunze despite the claims that there is only a small risk of scratching the glass. if the sand gets caught behind the blade as you reverse it you will scratch the glass. and because the magnet has two blades it means one is always in reverse if you know what I mean. Because the flipper magnet is weaker it means any scratches that do happen are no where near as deep, and there is only the one blade for the sand to get caught behind. Really I just wouldn't recommend using a mag cleaner near the sand bed, use a long scraper like the kent marine one for that.
Now I don't have coralline so I really cant comment on how effective the magnets are against it but this is the reason I still have the Tunze long. I think it may be worth keeping it in case the flipper doesn't cut it but I doubt it will struggle. Any time I use a metal blade I remove it from the tank after use and place on a radiator to dry out.
I will say the Tunze nano (I have one for my QT) does the job brilliantly and I wouldn't bother getting a different mag cleaner to replace it. Because its smaller with a weaker magnet the design suits it better.
Sorry I didn't get back sooner... just saw this.
I use the blade when I'm specifically going after the coraline buildup. I wasn't using it at first because I didn't want to wear out the blade and didn't realize it would nick the plastic as much as it did. Lesson learned.
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