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The final word on razor blades and magnetic scrapers (fwd)
Folks - remember to send posts to aquatic-plants at actwin_com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 23:28:26 -0600
From: Michael Moncur <mgm at starlingtech_com>
To: Aquatic Plants Digest <Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com>
Subject: The final word on razor blades and magnetic scrapers
Wow, I had no idea this would turn into such a discussion while I was ignoring
the list. Here are a couple of things I wanted to mention before the thread
fades away completely:
1. Razor blades:
I just tried for about 10 minutes and did manage to create a couple of very
fine but visible scratches on an old aquarium cover with a single-edged razor
blade, although it was harder than you'd expect. This isn't the sort of scratch
I'd normally notice, but with the right lighting or while photographing, it
might become more visible.
Other types of blade might be worse. Some aquaria might scratch worse than
others, and you can *definitely* damage (a) the tank's silicone seal and (b)
your fingers. Use with caution, if at all.
I also tried the product I originally mentioned, the Kent Pro-Scraper with the
stainless steel blade, and could NOT scratch the glass no matter how hard I
tried. The rounded corners and the thicker blade probably prevent this. I
highly recommend it as an alternative to razor blades.
There are definitely algaes that won't respond to ordinary pads. I scrubbed for
about 30 minutes on my tank the other day using everything I could find
including an O-Cel-O and a plastic Pro-Scraper and still left much of the
algae. The metal Pro-Scraper sliced it right off in sheets.
2. Magnetic scrapers:
The only way I've ever scratched glass using one of these is by trapping a rock
under it. This is REALLY easy with Flourite, since some of the rocks are
magnetic and will jump under the scraper. If you avoid the bottom 1" of the
tank you're usually safe though.
All of the magnetic scrapers I've tried aren't powerful enough to do any good
on the thick glass of my 75G tank. The high-priced ones Robert H mentioned are
probably the exception.
--
michael moncur mgm at starlingtech_com http://www.starlingtech.com/
"I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean."
-- G. K. Chesterton