Easiest way to clean acrylic tanks...IMO

[Ladipyg]

So I've been cleaning my acrylic bowfront aquarium with this product for about 6 months...I was waiting before posting to see if there was going to be any scratching, hazing or anything bad going on. Instead, I am finding the acrylic looking better than ever and the growth of algae and coraline where I use this product to have slowed down. I think it cleans so finely that the surface of the acrylic seems smoother.
The product...a Mr. Clean Regular Magic Eraser. I cut it in half so that it's more manageable and have at it. It even cleans off coraline algae, just use a little more finger pressure when you do it. You'd be surprised how great this works. I don't know if it would work the same on glass as I don't have my 120 glass tank set up yet.
Rinse it out well with fresh water when done and let it dry and it's good for the next use. I would make sure it's rinsed well so you don't get any crushed coral or anything stuck in the sponge that would scratch the next time it's used.
If you try it, please post how it works for you. I'm curious. A couple of friends tried it and loved it.

 

[pakora]

wait, you use this inside the tank!? i always thought it had some chemicals inside it. interesting!

 

[roshi719]

Hmmmm. I will deffinitely give that a try at the store and let you know how it works out.

 

[mak060]

Yes, Ladipyg, the material type you mentioned is something I've been hoping would come out for a long time, and you as the reporter for its effectiveness makes it very, very promising. Thank you.

 

[Ladipyg]

The big selling point on this is that there are no chemicals in it..it is an inert material. Like I said, I have been using this for over 6 months and I see no changes in my aquarium other than the acrylic being crystal clear and clean. The sponge does degrade over time, but the cost is so cheap it's not a problem. 2 sponges for $2.50 and you can cut the sponges as small as you want; cutting them in half works for me and gives me 4 sponges for the price.
The reason I took the risk to try these is I was using them to clean the top of a brand new stove and all the caked on, burnt on material came off with little effort and left not a single scratch and that was with just plain water. I went to clean the fish tank a little later in the day and a light went on in my head, I did some research and it was so promising I gave it a try. I cleaned the whole tank in less that half the time of the normal steps, scraping the coraline, then using something else to get the remains off. There is a super heavy duty version, but the regular cleans so well I haven't had to try the heavy duty ones. Don't know if they'd scratch or not.

 

[pakora]

man that sounds great! you rule, thanks for sharing that wonderful tip

 

[nahtanoj]

good info. i'm about to set up a 360g acrylic. never having had an acrylic tank, my big concern is cleaning it, and not scratching it. thanks for the info and review.

 

[Ladipyg]

What I want to see is someone try it and give me your opinion on it....come on acrylic tank owners...let us know your results. If you're unsure, try it in a small corner first. The best thing is this gets in those rounded front corners of my bowfront like nobody's business. Glad to share...isn't that what R2R is all about, sharing what we learn.

 

[Saltysteele]

Awesome! Thanks for the tip! I've been using dobie pads, and they leave fine scratches. I will for sure pick some of these up this weekend!

 

[john hill]

+ok i am off to the store thanks for the tip

 

[ReefRunner]

I picked one of these up at the store today and used it to clean my acrylic tank. It worked great. This is one of those infinity edge tanks so I used it on the inside and outside. It took everything off very easily. I'm anxious to see how it works over time. Thanks for the tip.

Robin

 

[Ladipyg]

Oh, I'm so happy that someone else tried it. Thanks for posting your results ReefRunner.

 

[SeaSlug]

The big selling point on this is that there are no chemicals in it..it is an inert material. Like I said, I have been using this for over 6 months and I see no changes in my aquarium other than the acrylic being crystal clear and clean. The sponge does degrade over time, but the cost is so cheap it's not a problem. 2 sponges for $2.50 and you can cut the sponges as small as you want; cutting them in half works for me and gives me 4 sponges for the price.
The reason I took the risk to try these is I was using them to clean the top of a brand new stove and all the caked on, burnt on material came off with little effort and left not a single scratch and that was with just plain water. I went to clean the fish tank a little later in the day and a light went on in my head, I did some research and it was so promising I gave it a try. I cleaned the whole tank in less that half the time of the normal steps, scraping the coraline, then using something else to get the remains off. There is a super heavy duty version, but the regular cleans so well I haven't had to try the heavy duty ones. Don't know if they'd scratch or not.

I use this product always to clean the stove top from burnt on grease and thought there was some kind of chemical in it , can you provide the link to where you got your info on what it is made from . I'm dieing to use it inside the tank for cleaning , but just to chicken and worried about killing off my fish & corals . Really Really want to pull the trigger and try it .

 

[Ladipyg]

OK...here is the response from Proctor and Gamble from their website. It is the material itself that cleans...

Question What is Mr. Clean Magic Eraser?

Answer We're glad you asked, because we are sooo excited about it! The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is an awesome cleaning tool. It's a disposable, soft cleaning pad that acts just like an eraser getting into grooves where dirt and grime get trapped. Plus it is so simple to use - no fumes, gloves or chemicals required- cleans with just water. Welcome to the 21st century!
You can do a google search on Proctor and Gamble is you want to find out anything else about their product. From use, the sponge will begin to break down, but after more than 6 months in my tank I have found no increase in any readings, including phosphate. But I am enjoying my tank more, that's for sure. The sponge is made of extremely fine material, hence the cleaning without scratching. We could use wet/dry sand paper to clean our tanks but that would scratch. This is just so much finer that is polishes instead of scratching. I'm guessing it's a fine a grit as is possible to make. I have noticed some fine scratches I had in the front of the tank have become less noticeable over time.
REMEMBER...get the plain one, they do make scented ones now and they contain perfume..not good for your tank.

 

[Atomikk]

You just made my day two way. One, I really needed something other than an old credit card to clean my tank. And two, gave me a reason to blog today. I will spread your news as widely as possible!

 

[Ladipyg]

This is my own experience...nothing has changed in the way I take care of my tank, except for using this to clean the acrylic. Anyone who comes over to see my tank, the first words out of their mouth is something like WOW...your tank is crystal clear. I do tests weekly...originally I was testing for phosphate before and immediately after using the sponge...then for the next couple of days afterward. There was no change. If you were to drop small pieces of glass in your tank, they would have no reaction of their own, nor would they combine with something else to cause a reaction. They are inert. The fact that the material is so soft and forgiving makes it almost impossible to scratch your tank. I can't guarantee you won't get a piece of crushed coral or sand caught under the sponge and that would scratch, so use common sense and caution as you would with any other scrubber. Again, I believe this actually lightly polishes the acrylic because with continued use, it just gets easier and easier to clean my tank. You also don't need crazy pressure to make this work.

 

[SeaSlug]

OK , Gonna give it a try !

 

[FOSELONE]

ive always used this & love it...im sure it would be the same...

 

[Saltysteele]

Wow!! This was an AWESOME tip!! I'm going to spread it to my local board, too! I used it for the first time, last night (any everything is still alive today )

My dobie pads NEVER cleaned this easy or quickly, and they're a lot more abrasive. My tank had had a 4-5" deep sand bed before I got it, and there was some kind of corrosion to the acrylic or something at the bottom. I never tried too hard to clean that area, as the dobie pads would never take that stuff out, no matter how hard I tried. Well, I barely was in the area, but the eraser pads TOOK IT OFF!!!

Cleans so much flippin easier!! Gets into all the little scratches with barely any pressure!!
Takes out discolorations/marrings that more abrasive pads could not.
The acrylic does seem more clear after using it

Thanks for the tip!! I'm going to spread this on my local board, thanks to you!!

 

[Ladipyg]

ive always used this & love it...im sure it would be the same...

The magic eraser is a totally different product. That works, but I've used them before...it's like comparing apples and oranges...the magic eraser is just so much better.

Salty, I am so stoked that you tried it and liked it.