Cleaning algae off interior of glass aquariums

[Karen Morphis]

I bought some Easy Clean no streak cleaning clothes for my windows and countertops. Just decided to try them cleaning the algae off my aquarium glass. Wow! Algae just wiped right off and even the harder spots only took a few scrubs to get off. No more scratchy hard to use algae scrubbers.

 

[WRWAquarium]

Is that the nanoscale microfiber cloths?

 

[SparkyJones]

Are we talking about usually wiped front glass, or the nearly never wiped back and sides that take a scraper normally to clean off?

Important distinction between the two forms of glass algae.

 

[Karen Morphis]

Is that the nanoscale microfiber cloths?

Yes

Are we talking about usually wiped front glass, or the nearly never wiped back and sides that take a scraper normally to clean off?

Important distinction between the two forms of glass algae.

I used it on the whole aquarium, front, back and sides.

 

[Karen Morphis]

Yes

I used it on the whole aquarium, front, back and sides.

Curious why you would nearly never clean the back and sides of algae. I have never in over 40 years of keeping aquariums let the algae get so bad I needed to use a scraper. I like a crystal clear view from every side.

 

[SparkyJones]

Curious why you would nearly never clean the back and sides of algae. I have never in over 40 years of keeping aquariums let the algae get so bad I needed to use a scraper. I like a crystal clear view from every side.

Well, it gives the fish something to graze on if they get bored and want a snack, blocks the light from escaping out left and right and back sides, kind of focuses it into the tank, it's decent surface for biofilm and bacteria to hang out, , and I don't ever look at the fish from those angles anyways.I clean it up if it gets bad, maybe once a year when i'm like Uggg, this has to go.

most folks paint the back or sides or hang a background, my background is biofilm and algae.
this is about 6 years of buildup on this one, I haven't touched it on the back in that time. there a jenky blue background on it that don't, fit it's reversible and black on the other side, if it were on the black side you wouldn't even notice the buildup on the back glass., I had it on the black side for most of the 6 years and reversed it to be able to see the marble angels a little better.

I kind of like the patterns the fish make grazing at it here or there... but everyone is different.

 

[Karen Morphis]

Well, it gives the fish something to graze on if they get bored and want a snack, blocks the light from escaping out left and right and back sides, kind of focuses it into the tank, it's decent surface for biofilm and bacteria to hang out, , and I don't ever look at the fish from those angles anyways.I clean it up if it gets bad, maybe once a year when i'm like Uggg, this has to go.

most folks paint the back or sides or hang a background, my background is biofilm and algae.
this is about 6 years of buildup on this one, I haven't touched it on the back in that time. there a jenky blue background on it that don't, fit it's reversible and black on the other side, if it were on the black side you wouldn't even notice the buildup on the back glass., I had it on the black side for most of the 6 years and reversed it to be able to see the marble angels a little better.

I kind of like the patterns the fish make grazing at it here or there... but everyone is different.

I have a plant scene background on the tank. Since I have live plants the fish have plenty of things to graze on. Between the filter media, gravel and decor there is plenty of places for bacteria. I have a large Bristlenose pleco that is supposed to clean the glass but I seldom see him on the glass. He hangs out in the tree stump decor and only ventures out occasionally. My sister’s chair is on the side of the aquarium and she likes being able to look over into the tank. Since your algae buildup is so old I don’t know if these cloths will help. I clean mine weekly or at most bi monthly. There have been times I have let the back glass go longer but it was such a pain to clean then that I would rather keep up with it regularly.

 

[SparkyJones]

I have a plant scene background on the tank. Since I have live plants the fish have plenty of things to graze on. Between the filter media, gravel and decor there is plenty of places for bacteria. I have a large Bristlenose pleco that is supposed to clean the glass but I seldom see him on the glass. He hangs out in the tree stump decor and only ventures out occasionally. My sister’s chair is on the side of the aquarium and she likes being able to look over into the tank. Since your algae buildup is so old I don’t know if these cloths will help. I clean mine weekly or at most bi monthly. There have been times I have let the back glass go longer but it was such a pain to clean then that I would rather keep up with it regularly.

to each, their own.

 

[WRWAquarium]

I don't clean the back of my big tank as I can't reach haha. I don't mind back but front and sides I like clear. I might try some of these cloths, would you say better than normal scour pad sponges?

 

[Karen Morphis]

I don't clean the back of my big tank as I can't reach haha. I don't mind back but front and sides I like clear. I might try some of these cloths, would you say better than normal scour pad sponges?

I think as long as you don’t let it get to bad these work great. I have always used those scour sponges too but found over time there were fine scratch lines in the glass even though they aren’t supposed to scratch.