Magnet cleaners?

[Morphias]

OK, i have used one in the past on my smaller tank. When I finally took the leap to a nice glass tank the gentleman told me "no way I would use a magnet cleaner on here, you will scratch the glass". Well I know if you get sand in there you can mess it up, but I find myself cleaning less often and more buildup when I dont use it. What are peoples opinion on these things. As I said I used one on my old tank and I dont really see scratches. I dont want to hurt my new tank. What should I do?

[GSELLERS1245]

I use the medium sized magnet (magfloat) on my 90 and it dont scratch at all. But i dont know what i would do without it. I clean my glass every 2 days. I noticed on my stepdads tank he uses the same magnet on the 30gallon and it looks like it scratches it, but i think it is how strong the magnet is on such thin glass. But on mine my glass is perfect so far.

[chessmanmark]

Just be careful when you are cleaning down around the sandbed. It's hard to scratch the glass IME, however it can happen. It's worse with an acryllic tank.

[Mike O'Brien]

Just don't leave it in the tank. I clean mine after I use it and leave it out. I used to leave it in and tube worm's and thing's would start growing under it that could scratch the glass. Not to mention if it's in the tank people can't keep their hand's off of it.

[chessmanmark]

Tell me about it. I maintain a tank at an elementary school and there is a group of kids that help me. When the other kids see them cleaning the glass they all want to do it.

[p archer]

My tank is a corner tank so i cannot use a magnet cleaner, i have been using filter wool to clean the front of the tank but it is ball ache. Does anyone have any better ideas of how to do it?

[GSELLERS1245]

why wouldnt a magnet work for the front glass in a corner tank?

[p archer]

The glass is curved all the way around so it is not a flat surface, on the inside of the tank only the edges of the magnet will be incontact with the glass, while on the outside of the tank only the centre of the magnet will be in contact with the glass. This makes it difficult for the magnet to stick and more likely to scratch the inside of the tank.

[GSELLERS1245]

trust me the medium magnet will be plenty strong enough to clean the galss and there isnt much curve in the glass to make that big of a difference. When i first got my magnet i was playing around with it and the magnet actually pinched my finger, well the magnet was so strong, it blistered my finger. Itll do the job trust me. If it doesnt do the job i'll buy it from you :)

[GSELLERS1245]

its a glass tank right?

[jxb647]

i used to use a magnet on a glass bowfront with no problems, you'll have to go over it a bit more but it does the job no problem... give it a try i'm sure you'll be surprised

[p archer]

Yeah it is a glass tank, i was going to give it a try but both the shops i went to advised me against doing it due to the shape of my tank. Think i might give it ago, i hate having to clean it with filter wool.

[flyboydave]

It's less of a problem with the newer floating cleaning magnets - to be light enough to float, they use much smaller rare earth magnets - but I know someone who's friend broke his tank with a cleaning magnet. It was one of the heavier ones, and the friend got carried away with cleaning. He went so fast into the corner that it cracked the glass on a 30 gallon tank.

[p archer]

I have looked at the magnets, i don't want to risk it. The glass on the front of my tank is really curved, the edges of the magnet on the insibe will be the only part in cantact with the glass. It may be fine but if it scratched the glass i would be gutted.

[Roscoe]

I have medium magnet on 54g corner tank.. it works fine.. I do have same magnet for my 120g tank and that is ok but has a hard time sticking on the 1/2" thick glass, but they want $30 for the bigger magnet#@#@ Hope this Helps!

[gsxunv04@aol.com]

turn a mag float vertically and it works on bowfronts, trust me your not the only one who has thought this would be a problem. if it was im sure theyd make a magfloat for curved tanks, but the regular ones work just fine.

[Beck0712]

trust me the medium magnet will be plenty strong enough to clean the galss and there isnt much curve in the glass to make that big of a difference. When i first got my magnet i was playing around with it and the magnet actually pinched my finger, well the magnet was so strong, it blistered my finger. Itll do the job trust me. If it doesnt do the job i'll buy it from you :)

HAHA, I did this yesterday with my new medium magnet. I was holding it up showing my wife in the car and the half in my left hand ripped out and flew into the tip of my finger. My reefing battle wound, i call it!