heartsongsinger

I have sludge or something on the wall of the tank on the inside. I thought that the glass was just dirty. When I cleaned the glass I realized that the glass on the inside of the tank was dirty. What is the best way to go about cleaning them?

Lucy

Is it algea? You can just take a paper towel and wipe it off.

heartsongsinger

Inside the tank with water and fish in it?

Lucy

Sure

If it's algea, you might want to decrease the amount of time the lights are on.

PetSmart

I use a toothbrush

Lucy

A clean, never before seen teeth or toothpaste toothbrush would work.

heartsongsinger

ok. the one isn't near a light source, but it does have an ammonia problem. The other has javan moss in it. I usually just have the light in my room on instead of the aquarium light.

Fish Addict

You should have an algae pad or algae scraper.. They are very helpful with all algae...

heartsongsinger

I've never had a problem be for so I haven't bothered. I'll get it tonight or tomorrow.

Steve113

you can get an algae magnet scrubber.

2 piece set, one on inside, one on outside and you just scrub using the handle on the outside.

** careful if you have sand substrate though as sand can get stuck between and scratch your glass! - I learned this the hard way.

eg:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images...0-aquarium.jpg

heartsongsinger

I know it's just that one of the tanks is acrylic and the other is glass. I was out because I had to take my brother to his basketball practice and the good LFS is just up the street. I went and asked him. He said that they use Dobi (sp?) sponges that you can get at the store. He gave me one and I tested it and it works. So I definitely had sludge. I don't think that it was algae unless algae is brown.

RandomKayos

Sounds to me like Bio Film. This is a goo like substance, often with brown alge and diatoms. Actually a sign of a healthy tank and breeders and shrimp keepers prize the stuff. It's a good grazing food for small fish, shrimp and snails. I keep the fronts of my tanks clean of it because it does interfear with viewing but the rest of the tank I let it grow. It will reduce the Nitrates in the tank as that is what alot of what it is composed of eats. It also contains a good amount of the bacterias that are essential to the nitrogen cycle.

RK

Fishies-for-me

It sounds like diatoms to me . I also don't sweat it. I clean the front and the parts of the sides that you can see so it is nice looking and don't worry to much about it anywhere else in the tank. If the tank is new it may clear up on it's own eventually. If it is on light coloured gravel you can just turn it over and it will die by itself. oh btw make sure the sponge you are cleaning with is for acrylic tanks as one for a glass tank will scratch acrylic.

Steve113

Depending on tank size and whether or not you want to get your arms wet using a sponge, you could still use a magnet

heartsongsinger

The tanks are 5 and 10 gallons. I leave it on the back of the 10 gallon because I have a black back ground. I'll probably leave it on one of the sides of the 5 gallon because it is a hex tank