Silicone and mag floats

[salty tank]

Do any of you use your mag floats over the silicone? I was told not to because it will wear the silicone down. So i use a tooth brush to scrub the silicone once or twice a week.

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by salty tank
Do any of you use your mag floats over the silicone? I was told not to because it will wear the silicone down. So i use a tooth brush to scrub the silicone once or twice a week.
I don't think a toothbrush is any better than a mag float. I would think the bristles on the toothbrush are going to tear up the silicone worse than the mag float would.
Denise M.

 

[chipmaker]

Yep, sure can not see how a toothbrush would be any better if your concerned about wearing out the silicone. I have used magnetic cleaners, both float and non float type for years and none of my tanks have worn silicone. I have one tank that gets a lot of sunlight (FW)and it needs cleaning daily if I expect to see whats in it, and its silicone seals have held up just fine, and its probbaly beenin use over 6 years now, outside under a gazeebo all this time.

 

[tizzo]

It's the razorblades you gotta worry about.

 

[salty tank]

Thanks for the help. Also, a mag float would deffinently tear up the silicon quicker than a tooth brush. Mag floats have strong magnets and they have a rough material on them. So i would think that with the rough material and strong magnet that this would put a lot more wear on the silicon than a sof bristled tooth brush.

 

[tizzo]

If the silicone were softer then I believe your right that a mag will rip through it faster than a toothbrush. However, I really do not think that either will damage the silicone. I use my mag float, always have and other than the cuts I put in with the razor, I have no defects.
Of course the magfloat I use is rated for my size tank. A large mag float on a 30 gallon might have to much pull.

 

[salty cheese]

I use the white scrub pads that the lfs sells for acrylic tanks in the corners of my tank. Try it, you'll like it.