Any Way To Make A Self-operating Algae Scraper?

[Aleydis]

I need to make a fish tank cleaner that works on buoyancy, which means it raises and lowers itself in water. It has to scrape off algae as it moves, and that means a scraper is needed. I DON'T NEED ALGAE-CLEANING FISH! I NEED TO *MAKE* THIS FOR SCIENCE CLASS.

Does anyone have any ideas? Please and thank you in advance!

-x-

Full criteria:

A Fish Tank Cleaner
Problem situation
Your Saturday job at the pet store involves scraping the green algae off the insides of the fish tanks. This is a messy job, and you wish there was some way of doing it that didn't involve getting up to your elbows in water. You decide to use your knowledge of buoyancy to build something that will help you.
Design brief
• Design and build a fish-tank cleaning device that will raise or lower itself in water.
Design criteria
• The fish-tank cleaner must be equipped with a scraper that cleans the walls of the fish tank.
• It must go up and down in the water as a result of its changing buoyancy.

 

[Dwarf-P.]

you could just make an algae magnet- get 2 pieces of thin plastic mould them into like a round shape thn fill with polystyrene to float, then fill the end, get a razor blade and fit it in using super glue so that it slightly protrudes out the shape and on the other side for outside of glass have like a soft cloth/sponge to keep the outside clean

 

[Truck]

I need to make a fish tank cleaner that works on buoyancy, which means it raises and lowers itself in water. It has to scrape off algae as it moves, and that means a scraper is needed. I DON'T NEED ALGAE-CLEANING FISH! I NEED TO *MAKE* THIS FOR SCIENCE CLASS.

Does anyone have any ideas? Please and thank you in advance!

-x-

Full criteria:

A Fish Tank Cleaner
Problem situation
Your Saturday job at the pet store involves scraping the green algae off the insides of the fish tanks. This is a messy job, and you wish there was some way of doing it that didn't involve getting up to your elbows in water. You decide to use your knowledge of buoyancy to build something that will help you.
Design brief
• Design and build a fish-tank cleaning device that will raise or lower itself in water.
Design criteria
• The fish-tank cleaner must be equipped with a scraper that cleans the walls of the fish tank.
• It must go up and down in the water as a result of its changing buoyancy.

do some research on how self vacuming pool systems work

 

[OohFeeshy]

I don't think you're going to get enough pressure against the side of the glass to remove any algae if you rely on buoyancy.

 

[Dwarf-P.]

no i thought that too

 

[Rooster]

Whos science class is this for again ? Do your own ******** homework !

 

[Schmill]

I too don't see how this will work...

Sure, adjusting the boyancy of the 'cleaner' will allow it to move up and down in the water, but unless this thing is going to have some kind of suction, or drive mechanism I don't see what will even keep it next to the glass, let alone with enough pressure to be able to actually scrape / scrub the algae off.

This is a messy job, and you wish there was some way of doing it that didn't involve getting up to your elbows in water.

Me thinks that this tutor / lecturer hasn't heard of the magnetic algae cleaners that involve no wet elbows and are a lot simpler than adjustable bouancy contraptions- lol

Good Luck!