How To Clean Aquarium Glass
- Nov 28, 2021
- Rita
- 2165 0 0
Cleaning your aquarium’s glass is one of the more challenging aspects of fishkeeping. The glass often gets covered in either algae or lime buildup. You can even experience a combination of the two. Now the problem is how to get them off the glass without scratching or otherwise damaging the surface.
Here’s what you need to know to safely remove any buildup on your aquarium glass.
How To Clean Aquarium Glass
Before you can start with the cleaning process, you will need to identify the problem. There can be several things wrong with the glass and each of these has a different cleaning method. Let’s take a look.
Algae
Your most common problem will most likely be algae growing on the glass. This problem is caused by excessive light and nutrients in your tank. Dong regular water changes should reduce some of the nutrients in the tank as well as plant live plants in your tank.
You should also consider lowering the light cycle of your tank. Making these changes should reduce the growth of the algae. Algae will need to compete with plants for nutrients in the water. The lower light cycle also reduces algae growth.
Make sure to test your water regularly. If there’s a lot of nitrates in the water, algae will grow better. Do regular water changes to reduce the nitrate load if your plants can’t keep up.
Lime Buildup
The lime buildup is a bit more difficult to take care of. It has to do with the actual chemistry of your water. This buildup is often associated with hard water. This means the water contains a lot of minerals such as calcium.
You will most likely notice a white residue on your glass if you have hard water in your tank. This residue is called limescale and is harmless to your fish. It does, however, look quite unpleasant on the aquarium glass.
It can be very tempting to simply use normal house cleaning products to remove this buildup. Unfortunately, this will kill your fish. You will need a fish-safe method to remove buildup or just ignore it.
Aquarium cleaning by osseous
Ways To Remove Unappealing Substances from Aquarium Glass
There are several methods you can try to clean your aquarium glass. Here’s what you need to know
Method 1: Use a sponge
The easiest way to clean the glass without damaging it is to use a cleaning pad. It’s best to buy a cleaning pad, often called an algae pad, from a pet shop. This way you know the sponge won’t come with any nasty chemicals that may kill your fish.
Simply use the abrasive side of the sponge to remove stubborn algae and limescale from the glass. Don’t put too much pressure on the glass, you don’t want it to break. Any limescale and algae that don’t want to come off with the use of a sponge, might need a different kind of intervention.
Method 2: Algae scrapers
Algae scrapers are very handy for removing limescale and hard to remove algae. They usually use a razor blade or hard plastic to scrape the offending substance from the glass. Take care when using these tools on plexiglass, however. This type of glass is easily scratched.
Simply insert the razor blade, if required, and start scraping the glass at an angle. You will see the substance peel away in no time. Once done, simply clean the water with a water change to remove the solid pieces that may be floating around your tank.
Method 3: Chemical intervention
There are some fish safe chemicals that can be used to remove algae and limescale buildup. You will need to consult a pet shop for some options. Make sure it says fish safe on the bottle before you try it out and only use it as prescribed.
Some household chemicals such as vinegar can also be used to remove limescale. Just make sure it doesn’t drop the pH in your tank too much.
Method 4: Get help
If you’re getting tired of cleaning the glass every other day, you might want to get some help. Introducing algae eaters such as snails, shrimps or algae-eating fish can go a long way. These critters will help to keep your tank clean and eat any algae that dare to grow on your tank ornaments, plants, and of course on the glass.
By Sripathiharsha - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54808144
Final Thoughts
Now that you know a bit more about how to clean your tank glass, it’s time to get the job done. Consult your nearest pet shop for the correct tools to get you started. No matter what you decide to do, remember to have fun!
Happy aquarium cleaning!
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