dilema about algae

[BioMan]

I set up a glass 265 gal around thanksgiving and never cleaned the back wall. I top off 1-2gal a day and 20 gal water changes every other week. run a skimmer, add mag,cal,alk as needed (manually test every few days and according to my log Im pretty consistant with what my tank residents intake).
back to my backwall,,its covered in brown algae and some patches of coraline are present. My goal is to get the entire backwall covered in coralline at some point. Is this a pipe dream or is what im doing going to pay off someday.
I dont mind the algae because my water doesnt have No3 Po4 in the water column and if it does the algae eats it right up, then the crabs/snails keep it nice n trim.

 

[dacaptain78]

Keeping the back wall clean will allow the coralline algae to spread across the back glass more quickly.

 

[BioMan]

thats why I posted this, i deliberately didnt clean the wall this whole time just to see what would happen. I dont use filter socks even though there's a space for them in my sump. change filter floss once a week and thats not even much. the problem is the patches of coralline I have look like somebody took a paintbrush full of paint and splattered it throughout the entire wall, with largest spot half the size of a dime. so if I scrub the wall I'd be scrubbing the coralline, no?

 

[Jazeel55]

Am trying to get rid of that damn coralline and your trying to get it. We should trade my whole back glass and side glass is covered.

 

[dacaptain78]

The brown algae should come off much easier than the coralline. Use a softer brush/sponge to clean the back glass instead of a magnetic scraper and the coralline should remain intact.

Just an FYI - I believe that leaving coralline on the glass, over time, could cause some etching. Want to bring it up since it could hurt the resale value if you ever decide to go bigger :biggrin:

 

[BioMan]

The brown algae should come off much easier than the coralline. Use a softer brush/sponge to clean the back glass instead of a magnetic scraper and the coralline should remain intact.

Just an FYI - I believe that leaving coralline on the glass, over time, could cause some etching. Want to bring it up since it could hurt the resale value if you ever decide to go bigger :biggrin:

1-thank you, I might use that mr clean eraser and install the filter socks while im at it this afternoon

2-if I try to go bigger I better expect the wife to bury me in the tank.

 

[BioMan]

Am trying to get rid of that damn coralline and your trying to get it. We should trade my whole back glass and side glass is covered.

you dont find the coralline looks bettter than whatever color you painted the back? Also I thought the coralline was beneficial for the tank? On a side note; I remember reading somewhere that in the ocean corraline bonds with sand that ends up on rock and forms a cement, so I've also been deliberatly putting sand on the joints of rockwork every now and then