What do you use to clean the glass of your tank? Coraline algae is tough stuff!

[waterbourn]

SO I was trying to clean the front glass of my tank today and wow; the workout was more than running a mile. The coraline algae is really starting to take hold on the glass so I was cleaning it off with a hand aquarium glass cleaner (the thing with the blue spongey stuff). What do you guys use to clean your glass, because that purple coraline algae does not want to come off. I scrubbed until I though my arm was going to fall off and still could not get it all off. It was like the last three days the algae just went crazy. Little spots of it everywhere!
On a side note.. how many of you just let the coraline algae grow on the sides and back of the tank.. or do you clean that too?

 

[milomlo]

I use a razor blade to clean it off. I let it grow on the back and I clean the front and the sides.

 

[jakebtc]

razor blade
make sure its not the kind that comes with oil on it
it's personal preference wether you clean the sides or not
most leave the back covered

 

[sharkbait9]

HA HA. Welcome to coralline

. Its great but what a pain in the rump. I get a chuckle when i read "how come my levels are good but i don't have coralline like every one else". I would be perfectly happy if my rocks just got it, but everything gets covered and once a month everything gets broken down and soaked in vinager and hot water. You will really enjoy that part :hilarious I use a razor blade also. When ever I need a new blade, I just soak it in vinegar and hot water till its no longer slick. Just be careful around the silicone if you have a glass tank, one wrong push of the razor and you can end up with a leak.

 

[milomlo]

Sharkbait9 - when you say you take "everything apart" is that literally everything? Filter, skimmer, wavemaker (if you have one). I have never taken my complete tank apart to clean it. I would like to but worried about how it would effect the fish/tank.
I need to take my wavemaker apart and soak all that. It has algae growing in the lines.
Water - sorry for the hijack

 

[jmick]

I use a stainless steel putty knife, works really well and it's much easier then a razor blade.

 

[sagxman]

I use my magfloat every few days and when the coraline starts to build up I use a razor as well. I got one of those razor blade holders. Much less stress on the fingers that way. I usually do it right before a water change so I can suck up the debris afterwards.
I leave my sides and back alone. I never need to look through the sides.

 

[sharkbait9]

I break down power heads with my hydor wave heads, filter lines, from my over flow box. Anything that has water moving thru it and has coralline growing on it and can slow my water flow gets taken down and soaked and rinsed. i had a bad case growing on the impellers on my power heads. The hydor heads are kind of delicate and will stop turning and strip the gears inside, found that out the hard way with a coralline growing inside. I never had a problem with my tank after taking and cleaning everything. Some of the coralline floats around, but that fine just seeding the rocks and tank some more.

 

[brainrush]

Another alternative is old credit cards for cleaning glass. Or new credit cards if you have credit problems and want a way to make yourself stop charging! Make sure you clean it well first.

 

[waterbourn]

Thanks everyone! Yeah the razor blade sure beats the sponge!