HELP me ... Please!

[Delatedlotus]

I have over a 24 year plus old tank set-up. Never crashed, no loose to much life at all. But cleaning it is a pain in the aress! I cant reach it! I have very fine sand in a 120 gallon acrylic tank and a 90 gallon glass tank both are on the same system. One major pump for both Iwaki 100r. Perimeters are just fantastic right in line always. But its to deep to clean the bottom 3 inch's!. I have tried card scrapers, Mr Cleans, credits cards, ice scrapers, the list is endless. I use a Piranha magnet, BUT if I pick-up ANY sand with it scratch's my the tank. The glass tank is easy to clean, I just got heavy coralline algae growing on the glass after some 20 years. I rock grows fantastic I just switched bulbs to a Hamilton Halide 250 watt blue. But the acrylic tank I am have cleaning problems on the bottom 3 inch's! Sure a small piece of Plexiglas will clean it BUT I cannot reach all the way to the bottom of the tank.. Anyone have any way, or idea on how to clean the front bottom... That green algae is VERY< VERY hard to get off as it grows for a while!!! Please give me some advice or share some expert knowledge with me please.. Thank you reefers....

 

[LeBon]

Just tape a scraper of sorts to a stick of sorts
You can get quite long reach vacuum tubes,maybe something like a python sand/gravel cleaner

 

[ZoWhat]

I would say 24 yr old substrate would be as hard as concrete by now.

 

[Delatedlotus]

I would say 24 yr old substrate would be as hard as concrete by now.

Not really I keep it loose all the time. It doesn't pack at all its fine, fine sand. It blows and moves with fish, conchs, snails ect. ect... I have tried sticks and hand scrapers... It really grows right on the glass.. Very hard to remove it. Daily magnet work BUT sand does scratch it up some. So I have to watch it so closely each and every time I use it... There just has to be a better way that people both use and do to clean the bottom 3 inchs.. I can not reach it ..!

 

[Delatedlotus]

Just tape a scraper of sorts to a stick of sorts
You can get quite long reach vacuum tubes,maybe something like a python sand/gravel cleaner

It is like you have to have the right angle as well... Razor blades just scratch up the tank with ***** able results no matter hard easy you are...

 

[Delatedlotus]

Am I running my lights to long..? Maybe so, running 7:30 to 6:00 everyday.. T5's 4 x 72 inch tubes... Actinic and Sun mixed. The 90 gallon 250w Hamilton there blue Halide just installed last month and the coralline is starting to grow on the glass like never before... I don't care what anyone say's Metal Halide is still the best lighting ever.. A fact!

 

[Karen00]

Have you looked at the Continuum Aquatics Aquablade P Scraper? They have two types, one for glass and one for acrylic so make sure it's the "P" type because it's acrylic safe although you still have to be careful of sand under the blade. It comes in four lengths Short, 15", 24", 35". Take a look at the last picture on this link to see the sizes.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Glad someone mentioned the Continuum Blade. I have an acrylic tank I cannot reach also and it does a great job. Still work, but does great. The length has options too. Very sturdy to hold and use. No flimsy plastic handle.

 

[Karen00]

Glad someone mentioned the Continuum Blade. I have an acrylic tank I cannot reach also and it does a great job. Still work, but does great. The length has options too. Very sturdy to hold and use. No flimsy plastic handle.

I totally agree with what you said. I have the Short and 15". After buying this I can finally see into my tank again. LOL. I never needed a scraper before because a credit card always worked on my freshwater tanks but the edge on the card isn't sharp enough for whatever is on my saltwater tank. I also wasn't sure if my tank is acrylic or glass (it's a TopFin) so I bought their acrylic safe blade and it works great! The construction is very solid.

 

[Willhersh34]

I’d be curious about clean up crew. I had similar issues in a 75 gallon FOWLR tank. I introduced some dwarf cerriths , nassarius snails and a tiger conch. While I still have occasional scraping to do nothing like before. The biggest cleaner that made a difference were the dwarf Cerriths. They spend most of the day in the sand bed, eating algae, diatoms and some detritus. Adding these won’t get everything and it takes them some time to clean things up eventually the sand bed maintenance becomes keeping crust off the surface. Add in a few nerites, turbos, and/or astraea’s and even scraping the glass is down to once every week or two.

 

[sawdonkey]

I feel your pain. My tank grows that same type of green algae on the glass, and even a metal blade struggles to get it off. I use a Kent marine scraper ( I have glass) and they also make plastic blades for acrylic.

 

[Delatedlotus]

I feel your pain. My tank grows that same type of green algae on the glass, and even a metal blade struggles to get it off. I use a Kent marine scraper ( I have glass) and they also make plastic blades for acrylic.

It is so, so, hard to get off it is... It takes along time and about 4 shifts as your arm gets warn out..! That stuff sticks hard, I sanded the front down a while back. But not enough in so spots... Scary deal there but oh man does it ever work.. I have tried so many scrapers, and Cdt card holders I have 500 of them! .. Hand and on poles.. That stuff is hard to CLEAN... I thought someone might have a sure fire way to clean that off..!!!!!!

 

[Delatedlotus]

I’d be curious about clean up crew. I had similar issues in a 75 gallon FOWLR tank. I introduced some dwarf cerriths , nassarius snails and a tiger conch. While I still have occasional scraping to do nothing like before. The biggest cleaner that made a difference were the dwarf Cerriths. They spend most of the day in the sand bed, eating algae, diatoms and some detritus. Adding these won’t get everything and it takes them some time to clean things up eventually the sand bed maintenance becomes keeping crust off the surface. Add in a few nerites, turbos, and/or astraea’s and even scraping the glass is down to once every week or two.

I do have all that.. And an absolute tons of pods, the most I have ever seen any Reef tank!. I just cant or haven't found a way to herd them to where I need them the most
... lol

 

[Willhersh34]

I have a different issue. I constantly have to replenish because I own what I call Snail Killer……….a 6” Niger trigger. Lol

 

[Karen00]

Is it possible that section has somehow been etched into the acrylic? Mine is still a bit of work to get off even with a scraper but it does come off. Yours sounds like it's in the acrylic.

 

[Delatedlotus]

Is it possible that section has somehow been etched into the acrylic? Mine is still a bit of work to get off even with a scraper but it does come off. Yours sounds like it's in the acrylic.

I just sanded the whole front a month and half ago. And I did it right .. the whole front of the tank. When I thought I was done I went back and did it some more. I really don't think so.. I don't... But I have thought about doing it again for some 4 hours at least...