Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board  

Go Back   Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board > General > Reef

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-30-2010, 03:39 PM
newreefer_59 newreefer_59 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 196
newreefer_59 is on a distinguished road
Default Question re: back of tank - keep glass clean or not?

Attached is a pic taken Jan 1. The space between the wall and back of the tank is just enough to squuueeezze an arm back there to clean with my magfloat and Easy Scraper and is doable - though it is a pain. So, is it generally ok just to let coraline algae, etc to just grow on the back pane (or is it personal choice? As per pic, I did paint the back blue initially. I do get some (not alot) of short hair algae that my blennie munches on, but wondering if it is beneficial to just leave the back pane or should it be kept as clean as the front and side glass.

Thanks.

Last edited by newreefer_59; 09-22-2010 at 10:08 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-30-2010, 03:42 PM
banditpowdercoat's Avatar
banditpowdercoat banditpowdercoat is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 100 mile hse BC
Posts: 2,568
banditpowdercoat is on a distinguished road
Default

All depends on your preferences. I never scrape the back wall. I used to, but was such a chore, and once it grows in, it will be consistent..
__________________
Dan Pesonen


Umm, a tank or 5
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-30-2010, 04:32 PM
bauder1986's Avatar
bauder1986 bauder1986 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Edmonton, AB...find the earie glow of the T5 lights coming from a house lol
Posts: 439
bauder1986 is on a distinguished road
Default

deffinitly clean the back. For many reasons too, first off, all reefs look way hotter when clean like that. second off, I believe that you get a better light value when the light is reflected off of clean glass back into the tank then absorbed by algea. and third off which is the most important one is that if you dont clean the algea off of the back wall, you will end up having algea grow, die, grow, die, grow some more and die some more meanwhile creating unexplainable levels of nitrates.......yeah, I clean the back wall of my tank for those reasons.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-30-2010, 04:35 PM
globaldesigns's Avatar
globaldesigns globaldesigns is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 1,863
globaldesigns is on a distinguished road
Default

I personally don't clean it, but to each his own. It does look nice when it is clean. But I also think a tank developes character when you just leave it alone.
__________________



Setup: 180G DT, 105G Refuge (approx. 300lbs LR, 150lbs Aragonite)
Hardware: Super Reef Octopus SSS-3000, Tunze ATO, Mag 18 return, 2x MP40W, 2X Koralia 4's Wavemaker
Lighting: 5ft Hamilton Belize Sun (2x250W MH, 2X80W T5HO)
Type of Aquarium: mixed reef (SPS & LPS) with fish
Dosing: Mg, Ca, Alk
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-31-2010, 12:13 AM
Canadian's Avatar
Canadian Canadian is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 619
Canadian is on a distinguished road
Default

Personal preference: keep it clean - the colors of the corals and fish "pop" more against a clean black background. And ultimately the whole point in having a display tank is to "display" the inhabitants optimally.

Second option: cover the back in reef ceramics of some sort giving the appearance of a reef ledge providing additional places beyond the rock work to attach corals.
__________________
SPS Dedicated 24x24x20 Trimless Tank | 20 g Sump | Bubbble King Mini 160 Protein Skimmer w/ Avast Swabbie | NP Biopellets in TLF Phosban Reactor | ATI Sunpower 6 x 24W T5HO Fixture | EcoTech Vortech MP20 | Modified Tunze Nanostream 6025 | Eheim 1260 Return Pump | GHL Profilux Standalone Doser dosing B-Ionic | Steel Frame Epoxy Coated Stand with Maple Panels embedded with Neodymium Magnets

"Mens sana in corpore sano"

Last edited by Canadian; 03-31-2010 at 03:50 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-31-2010, 12:25 AM
Leah Leah is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Penticton B.C.
Posts: 2,142
Leah is on a distinguished road
Default

Hi Len,

I leave mine behind the rock... where no one can see it...but keep in mind that if you ever want to change your rock work, it will be harder scraping it off...totally up to you though.

Last edited by Leah; 03-31-2010 at 12:47 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-31-2010, 12:27 AM
chris88 chris88 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Fort McMurray
Posts: 414
chris88 is on a distinguished road
Default

This might change your mind. The difference is much more noticeable in person.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=62716
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-31-2010, 12:34 AM
naesco's Avatar
naesco naesco is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: vancouver
Posts: 1,747
naesco is on a distinguished road
Default

In my opinion never clean it.
It may look picture perfect if you do clean it but here is the downside.

Many reefers take care to remove detritus from the bottom of their tanks. They also take care to stop any non-macro algae, small outcropping of cyno from growing their tanks.

By leaving the back of your tank alone, tiny crabs, shrimp, pods, bacteria and many many other critters have a place to home and to eat and avoid being eaten and breed.

These critters are food or provide food through their eggs and larvae to the corals and some of the smaller fish in your tank.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-31-2010, 02:03 AM
StirCrazy's Avatar
StirCrazy StirCrazy is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 7,872
StirCrazy is on a distinguished road
Default

leave it be, remove undesiriable algae, and encourage coraline growth. having clean back glass is horable when your trying to take pictures, give you washed out pictures unless you know how to edit them and gives you a ton of reflections in the pics. the ideal thing would be to get black glass for the back and have it etched to remove any reflective surface, you want to see colors pop.. try a black background.

Steve
__________________
*everything said above is just my opinion, and may or may not reflect the views of this BBS, its Operators, and its Members. If cornered on any “opinion” I post I will totally deny having ever said this in a Court of Law…Unless I am the right one*

Some strive to be perfect.... I just strive.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-31-2010, 04:33 AM
PoonTang's Avatar
PoonTang PoonTang is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Ladysmith BC
Posts: 1,071
PoonTang is on a distinguished road
Default

I just let mine grow wild.
__________________
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:13 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.