Algae Cleaner - Which Is Best

[sws]

Hi
Have a small amount of hard green algae on my glass tank with a bow-front. Have used the scouring pad type cleaners, but they are not great and require a lot of effort to shift it. Is there anything better? Don't know how good algae magnets are, and don't know if I can use a scraper on the curved glass.
Any advice graetfully recieved
Thanks
Shaun

 

[Squid]

Hi
Have a small amount of hard green algae on my glass tank with a bow-front. Have used the scouring pad type cleaners, but they are not great and require a lot of effort to shift it. Is there anything better? Don't know how good algae magnets are, and don't know if I can use a scraper on the curved glass.
Any advice graetfully recieved
Thanks
Shaun

As long as the bow is just in one direction I would have thought that the scraper could scrap flat against the glass in the direction of the Bow. Just my 2p though.

Squid

 

[darkwolf29a]

I'm not a fan of bow fronts, but...I do have one of those magnet cleaners for my tanks that works like a charm on regular tanks.

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

I use a magnetic pad cleaner on my bow front and its wonderful, works really well actually. I thought they were a gimmic at first but i was very impressed.

I use a MAG-FLOAT

 

[SuperColey1]

The algae that grows on the front of the glass usually cycles and dies off after a month or so if left. At this point it changes from green to yellows and reds (much like autumn leaves do) and then you can scrape it off and do a large water change.

This should normally mean that it never comes back in the same volumes although you may get small dustings.

Much like becoming immune.

Don't know why. Read it on many planted threads so I left mine and true to their words 5 weeks of crusting was followed by (at present) 9 months of very light dustings but no repeat of the crusts.

Andy

 

[TribeOfShroom]

Magnetic pads are great, but I rarely need to use mine as my bristlenose plec does a proper job of keeping the algae under control. You want to add some hornwort to the tank as it produces a natural algacide, well so I've read, but since I planted some in the tank I've never had any algae problems.

Bearing in mind my tank is lit by x2 190mm 39W Aquaglo flouresents for 12hrs a day. (which is enough for my plants and should be more than enough for algae to grow)

 

[Chris_R]

Use a Mag-Float myself. Though I am trying out Al-gone at the moment. TBH its been in a little over a week and seems to have made no difference whatsoever.

 

[doubledee]

I was just about to start a new thread and saw this one.

I have a magnetic Floaty cleaner but it takes ages to shift the algae, so was wondering about getting something with a handle or should I just buy a tootbrush!? I was looking at aquaessentials and they have various types costing £2 - £8.