API Safe & Easy Aquarium Glass Cleaner

[KeenShrimp]

The best method I have found for cleaning any marks off my tank glass exterior: I use a very fluffy 100 percent cotton tea towel that I slightly wet with a very small amount of boiling water out of a kettle. The hot water evaporates as soon as it hits the glass and no white mineral deposits or fingerprints remain after a good once over. Spotless, and at no cost.

I saw API Safe & Easy and I thought: Aha! A type of super-safe Windex for aquariums. At $9.95, I had to have it.

The Pros:

• It is fish safe 
• nice little trigger bottle of a good size

The Cons:

• It leaves streaks all over the glass, seriously, after thinking I did a lazy job, I tried again. It leaves streaks with the best of cloths. Then you have a hazy look about your tank. This I attribute to the layer they claim it leaves behind to to prevent future mineral deposits.
• There is not enough surfactant in the product to wash ornaments, rocks, heaters etc. to actually qualify as clean.

For a cleaning agent that leaves marks, streaks and a dull coating on glass and does not have the surfactants I expect of a cleaning agent, this product gets rated ?/5 Shrimp Tails. The one tail was awarded for it being a safe and non-toxic product, although completely ineffective.

I want my $9.95 back...

 

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[ageofaquariums]

The trick is to wipe it off before it dries, otherwise you are just spreading around the calcium build up.

[KeenShrimp]

I have just tried that: when taking a photo with a camera flash, it is very noticeable. I tried it on a clean glass front with no calcium at all. Compared to a tad of boiling water and a tea towel, much more foggy glass result.

[ageofaquariums]

My trick has always been to wipe it off using newspaper. Must admit to only using it on mineral build up though.

[NoGi]

I use a microfibre cloth when wiping my external glass.

[nerowolfe]

I bought a pack of screen wipes from Office Works, (isopropyl alcohol), for around $5/100, and use one to wipe down the glass, then a soft microfibre cloth. Works every time.

[zn30]

On 11 May 2016 at 8:42 AM, NoGi said:

I use a microfibre cloth when wiping my external glass.

I use a blue glass cloth also microfibre, the weave is a little more shiny also wide ribbed to move the water Purpose made for glass cleaning. Also available in packs with stainless steel cleaning cloth, tile and wood surfaces. Not sure of the brand however picked up at Godfreys store, also seen in Bunnings.