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I use toothbrush! works great! Together with vinegar and paper towel it's unstoppable. I'm not sure if vinegar actually helps removing the algae but it works for me
Another way is fill the tank with tap water and add bleach. Leave it sit for a hour or more and it will kill all living organisms. The draw back is you will need to flush it several times with clean water to ensure that you get all the bleach out before you add your salt water. Use caution but it worked well on mine and after flushing it several times I have had no issues.