Your Experiences With Using Magic Eraser

Atomikk · Apr 24, 2009

Hey guys,

I want to write up a follow-up article on Ladypig's initial post on the use of Magic Eraser to clean your acrylic (or glass) tank. The original post is here.

I want it to be a comprehensive follow-up on your experiences of using this product. Things that you saw helpful or detrimental while using this sponge.

I will start:

For me, using the eraser was very easy. I never need to apply pressure to clean my acrylic with. But it doesn't remove the coraline. So I do need to use an old credit card for it.

Your turn.

EliteReefs · Apr 24, 2009

i have glass so i can scrub with whatever i want but i do use one from time to time. i wont say i find it better then any other method i use but it does work well. as for otehr household uses however it works GREAT!!. love those things.

FYI target sell a generic brand that is larger in size and half the price. it is the exact same thing.

ReefRunner · Apr 24, 2009

I've been very happy with it. It makes cleaning my acrylic tank and my glass bowfront very easy. It does not take the coraline off though so you do have to remove that like you normally do. I find that it seems to polish my acrylic as well.

Robin

revhtree · Apr 24, 2009

This? http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/products/eraser.shtml

EliteReefs · Apr 24, 2009

yes thats them. if you have not tried one yet you will be very glad you did.

even if yo0u dont use it for your tank its everyday intended use is unbeatable. clean thigns you would never expect right off like nothing

zoous · Apr 24, 2009

I used it yesterday and it works like a charm. But you still need to apply pressure in order to remove tougher stains. Yeah, coralline algae is a no go. It does very well on scratched surfaces as well.

gparr · Apr 24, 2009

I always thought it had some kind of embedded chemical in it. Apparently, that's not the case.
Gary

Ladipyg · Apr 24, 2009

Hi...yep ...that was my original thread. I continue to use the Magic Eraser with no problems at all. It works very well. I have gone so far to shave thin pieces to put on my Mag Float for easy day to day touch ups.

A few notes I'd like to add. Others have said that this will definitely scratch a tank. I have drop the level of my tank 5 inches to allow it to dry to see if it showed any signs of hazing or scratching...there were none...ZERO...NADA..my tank is crystal clear. On another forum there was someone who claimed to mask off part of an "acrylic" ruler and was able to scratch it with the Magic Eraser. I have not been able to find an acrylic ruler locally at the office stores etc to try and duplicate his findings. Plenty of plastic but not acrylic...that being said...my tank is of a MUCH higher quality acrylic than what it available for 50 cents from a dollar store. If there weren't different grades of acrylic then there wouldn't be different prices. Also, I don't think I could use an acrylic polishing kit to buff out an acrylic ruler.

While the Magic Eraser will remove coraline with a little elbow grease, I really would not recommend it. Coraline is a hard deposit and I'm sure pieces of it would stick in the sponge and that might possibly scratch your tank, same as getting a piece of sand or crushed coral caught in the sponge...it would scratch and you would want to blame the sponge..when it was what was caught in it that did the scratching.

Do a good, one time cleaning on the tank then use the sponge as a daily maintenance step. Don't wait 6 months to clean and then moan that it doesn't really work. A little daily swipe saves a lot of time and elbow grease effort in the long run.

Use common sense...if you're not comfortable doing a front pane, try a side pane for a while and see if you are happy with the results.
This is something I researched before I tried it...I should start a "Lazy Reefer" blog with all my short cuts. Some will not want to try this, the decision is of course, theirs.

I started keeping saltwater tanks when I was 16...38 YEARS AGO, and then we used undergravel filters, normal output lighting and could only keep fish.Heck, 38 years ago I was able to buy a Green Sea Turtle that grew to such size I was forced to keep it in the basement in a 2 foot deep kid's pool with a sand filter. Eventually we took a family trip to Clearwater to let it go. (who new back then) The changes made in this industry have been astonishing...but someone has to try things that haven't been tried before to see what works. Could you imagine this hobby without protein skimmers, MH, PC and T5 lighting, sumps, fuges, powerheads, calcium reactors, wavemakers, RO/DI water, test kits, additives, etc. I know I can't.

I am glad to see the dialog this has opened up for the reefing community.

Saltysteele · Apr 24, 2009

upon nina's recommendation i started using this a couple months ago. works great, and acrylic looks better than it did before i started using it! no abrasive, other than the material is tightly stranded material (kinda like fiberglass, but different material, and much denser, but even thinner strands). i use my dobia pad for the coraline, but everything else is made quick work of by my mr. clean!

thanks for sharing, nina!!

gparr · May 1, 2009

I bought a box of "erasers" tonight. I'm really impressed. The glass is much cleaner than I was able to get with my aquarium scrubbing pad and cleaning algae out of scratches was a piece of cake. In fact, a couple of passes over scratches with minimal pressure and they were clean. It also does an excellent job of cleaning algae off of the silicone in the corners. If you haven't tried one of these, move it to the top of your "to do" list.
Gary

Ladipyg · May 1, 2009

Thanks for the input...if it weren't for the feedback of fellow reefers...it would just be another "crackpot" idea. I'm sure everyone won't be happy with the results...but admit it...you can't make everyone happy. As with everything else in this hobby what works perfectly fine with no problems for me can be a pain in the butt in someone else's tank...it's all a matter of oppinion.

I appreciate your honesty in trying some of the "magic" of the Magic Eraser...

Zoalover34 · May 1, 2009

So you can actually use these in up and running tanks with no side effects?

Ladipyg · May 1, 2009

I've been doing it for months...it is an inert product...I can really enjoy my tank now that the acrylic is so much clearer. No...no side effects at all and I run everything in my tank...SPS, LPS, softies, zoas, palys and a clam with no problems.

gparr · May 1, 2009

For more information, read this:

http://www.reefbuilders.com/2009/03/03/magic-eraser-clean/

Gary

Zoalover34 · May 1, 2009

That's awsome! Ive been looking for something to clean my glass other than razors.. You guys are awsome!

sanddune600 · May 1, 2009

+1 I love using for a quick cleaning

Ladipyg · May 2, 2009

gparr said:
For more information, read this:

http://www.reefbuilders.com/2009/03/03/magic-eraser-clean/

Gary

I have to laugh...I got my info...post my sources and they posted afterwards like it was their idea!

gparr · May 2, 2009

Zoalover, the eraser won't do coralline. You'll still have to use a blade of some type to get that off. But it does everything else like you can't imagine.
Gary

inactive · May 16, 2010

I just picked some of these up last night, simply amazing.

Cheaper than my 2kg sp, easy to use..

I even took a rio pump, wrote my name on my acrylic tank.. and then wiped it away like nothing.

I high suggest these to everyone, too cheap to pass up.. and you can cut them to size for smaller tanks. Add some high powered magnets.. and you have a auto tank buffer... spray polish on the dry side, nothing on the inside. Incredible.