API Algae Scraper for acrylic aquariums

API describes this product as an extra-long, extra-strong handle with a durable scrubbing pad. There is no plastic or steel blade on it, and API publishes no replacement blade or pad for it.

That matters when you are choosing. A pad handles soft green film and the everyday haze on acrylic. It will not shift hard calcium or coralline deposits – and on acrylic, a blade is not the answer to those either, because acrylic marks far more easily than glass.

If you are looking for a bare pad for acrylic without the handle, that is the API Hand Held Algae Pad for Acrylics, a separate product. It is not sold as a replacement head for this one.

• Long handle – listed by Australian distributors at 18 inches, about 46 cm, so you can clean a deep tank without getting wet to the shoulder.
• Made for acrylic – unlike API's glass tools, which the manufacturer bans from acrylic outright, this one is intended for soft panels.
• Pad, not blade – nothing rigid to gouge a panel if your hand slips.
• One-piece tool – one scraper per pack, with no consumable parts to reorder.
• Rinses clean – API's directions are to rinse with tap water before and after each use.

API's directions and cautions, in full:

• Rinse the pad with tap water before and after each use.
• Do not use on dry surfaces.
• If aquarium gravel is picked up on the pad, wash it off before using, since gravel will scratch acrylic surfaces.
• Do not use pressure so extreme that the acrylic scratches or breaks.

The gravel warning is the one that catches people out. Acrylic-safe describes the pad, not the sand grain stuck in it. Lift the pad clear and rinse it whenever it has been near the substrate – particularly along the bottom few centimetres of the panel, which is exactly where algae collects and where sand gets picked up.

Use it for:

• Film and green spot algae on acrylic panels.
• Deep tanks where you would otherwise be in up to your shoulder.
• Routine weekly cleaning of the viewing pane.

Do not use it for:

• Hard calcium or coralline deposits – a pad will not remove them, and extra pressure on acrylic risks a permanent mark.
• Tight internal corners – a long handle works against you there. A bare hand pad is better.
• Scrubbing near the substrate without checking the pad – see the gravel caution above.

API's accessory pages carry only a name, a short description, the pack count, directions and cautions. There is no published figure for the handle length, the pad size, the materials, the weight, or whether it floats. The 18 inch handle figure above comes from Australian distributors rather than API, and we have labelled it as such in the spec table. API also gives no product-specific freshwater or saltwater statement for this item, though it lists it among its saltwater accessories.

• API Hand Held Algae Pad for Acrylics – the bare pad for corners and seams the long handle cannot work into.
• API Algae Pad for Glass – if you also keep a glass tank. The glass and acrylic tools are not interchangeable.
• API AlgaeFix – for when you are cleaning the same panel every few days.
• API Freshwater Master Test Kit – recurring algae usually traces back to nitrate and phosphate.
• The full API range – the rest of the maintenance and treatment line.

API publishes no warranty term for its cleaning accessories. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply regardless and are not limited by anything stated here. Ships as standard freight.

Does the API algae scraper for acrylic have a blade?

No. API describes it as an extra-long handle with a durable scrubbing pad. There is no plastic or steel blade, which is deliberate – a rigid blade is a poor match for acrylic.

How long is the handle?

Australian distributors list the handle at 18 inches, about 46 cm. API itself describes it only as extra-long and publishes no measurement, so treat 46 cm as a distributor figure rather than a manufacturer specification.

Will it scratch my acrylic tank?

The pad is made for acrylic, but API warns that gravel picked up on the pad will scratch acrylic surfaces, and that you should not use pressure extreme enough to scratch or break the panel. Rinse the pad before and after each use.

Can I use this scraper on a glass tank?

API places no restriction on using the acrylic tool on glass – the prohibition runs the other way, with API's glass tools banned from acrylic. A pad intended for soft panels will simply be gentler than a glass-specific one.

Can I buy replacement pads for it?

API publishes no replacement pad or part number for this scraper. The separate API Hand Held Algae Pad for Acrylics is its own product and is not sold as a replacement head.

Is it suitable for saltwater aquariums?

API lists this scraper among its saltwater aquarium accessories, but gives no product-specific statement. There is no material reason a scrubbing pad on a plastic handle would be limited to freshwater.