Favourite tool for algae scraping?

What is your ideal method or tool for cleaning algae from tank glass?

I've had the magnetic cleaners, and have felt mixed about them. I've had a couple incidents where I have got close to my gravel and then picked up a piece and scratched the glass (DOH).

I have also been playing with some of the scrubby pads on the long handles.

Anyone else use anything that's particularly efficient?

Old bank cards or credit cards or gift cards... my personal favorite is Tims Cards They are free. Strong enough to scrape Algae but wont scratch glass.

I use a razor scraper tool, it's pretty efficient and gets the job done
https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.razor-scraper-with-blades.1000102685.html

I've heard of people using magic erasers (without bleach).
Haven't tried this yet for obvious reasons.

I mostly just use scraper sponges from the dollar store. If there's some stubborn algae really stuck on there I'll whip out the blade.

I use the magnetic cleaners and soft scrub pads for tight corners.

Actually I am such an amazing aquarist I dont have any algae so I guess my brain is my favorite tool. (

I just use a razor blade. Mind you I love algae as much as my fish do and usually only scrape the front glass and parts of the sides so I can observe the fish. On the other hand I've also been at war with the dreaded blue-green algae for a couple of years now (you know the slimy stuff that has a pungent smell when you remove it from the water). Currently it seems to be in check (not over running the tanks, small patch here or there) but I'm constantly on watch in case it flares up. When it gets on my plants I pretty much have to just throw them away.

I use the one sided painter's razor blades for the front glass. At school, I use fallen triangles from geometry sets. The kids dump their school supplies all over every June - and our hallways are littered with top notch algae scrapers.
I like the magnetic things for soft algae, but I don't get a lot of that.

There are some good threads on blue green Cyanobacter here. The Plant Guy helped me a lot with that.

I had three tanks totally messed up by it. and bought a red algae killer meant for marine aquariums (Ultra Life Red Slime Stain Remover). Friends I trust very much swore by it. It claimed to do miracles and left me very worried, but blue green bacteria was wrecking my showtank. I spent 20 bucks and winced while putting it in. After a week, the fish were fine, the plants were fine and the Cyano was gone. My Bolbitis looks fantastic. It's been 3 months, so I touch wood and await the arrival of the next batch, but it is nice to have not one single Cyano infested tank for the first time in 25 years.

I've been lucky not to ever have Cyano... my struggle is with black beard algae and that green slow growing stuff on tank walls but its not algae, something else... diatoms I think???

BB can be a nuisance, but I like how it looks on driftwood, makes me think of coral.

Fishypastor wrote:
BB can be a nuisance, but I like how it looks on driftwood, makes me think of coral.

I too have a love hate relationship with it. As long as it stays off my anubias I'm happy. It has totally covered almost all of my driftwood and to be totally honest, I think it looks cool.

Black beard algae hit my big tank a few years ago, with waving black fields. Then as quickly as it came, it vanished.

Black beard algae and long hair green algae are taken away by Gammarus (scud). I got my bolbitis once in a while cleaned into a container with gammarus.
When I put it back into the main tank, there are always some scuds coming with the fern, my fishs love it.