Clean your back walls!

[Eclyps19]

Man, so I sort of liked the “worn-in” look of lots of coralline buildup on the back walls. My wife hated it, though. Well, I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been needing to dose so much, and I never realized that coralline can consume a significant amount of alk/calc in order to grow. So out came the scraper.

WOW that felt good. It was cathartic. I had to pull out my Michigan winter ice scraper from my car for my first attempt, then went at it with a blade for another 20 mins. I still have another half to go, but I must say that I now really like the look of the clean back. Gives the aqua scape way more depth.

If you’ve been putting it off like me, do yourself a favor and set aside an hour for a deep scraping session!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Wow thats a big difference, I agree on the clean side aquascape depth against black,, but yours is full it looks good full of c.a too! Are you scraping it all in one day? Are you sucking it out, if not do you think it will do anything to you calcium? Any way looks good nice tank! I had a copperbanded butterfly b4 beautiful fish you have there!

 

[Specific Ocean]

worlds apart difference

 

[Eclyps19]

Wow thats a big difference, I agree on the clean side aquascape depth against black,, but yours is full it looks good full of c.a too! Are you scraping it all in one day? Are you sucking it out, if not do you think it will do anything to you calcium? Any way looks good nice tank! I had a copperbanded butterfly b4 beautiful fish you have there!

I’m only planning on doing one side at a time, with the overflow coming last. I didn’t consider a Calc spike from scraping, but I guess that could be a concern. This is almost 2 years of buildup. I’ll see if my Calc changed significantly when I test tomorrow.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I think it looks better. I like the clean look.

My tank is running 10 plus years. I have trained my snails to stay on the back wall all the time ;Happy

 

[MW319]

Man, so I sort of liked the “worn-in” look of lots of coralline buildup on the back walls. My wife hated it, though. Well, I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been needing to dose so much, and I never realized that coralline can consume a significant amount of alk/calc in order to grow. So out came the scraper.

WOW that felt good. It was cathartic. I had to pull out my Michigan winter ice scraper from my car for my first attempt, then went at it with a blade for another 20 mins. I still have another half to go, but I must say that I now really like the look of the clean back. Gives the aqua scape way more depth.

If you’ve been putting it off like me, do yourself a favor and set aside an hour for a deep scraping session!

Looks great. ive Been keeping up with mine from the start And my rocks are covered with corallin.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Agreed...always have. Plenty of coraline on my rock, until the urchins strip it back a bit, but it comes back quite rapidly. Mine is a blue background, however just the same I like the clean look it brings.

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

Well let me be the first to disagree, haha I like the back left to do whatever, let it be all reefy. Plus it keeps my snails fed and my tangs pick at stuff back there too. I think its good for the whole biome.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Well let me be the first to disagree, haha I like the back left to do whatever, let it be all reefy. Plus it keeps my snails fed and my tangs pick at stuff back there too. I think its good for the whole biome.

There is room for all opinions here!

 

[SaltISlife]

I cant grow coraline. Or hair algae. Or any real algae but diatoms. Occasionally i get some green.brown coraline but thats it.

My back glass has been clear since day 1. And this 135 gallon tank uses no sump or skimmer. And tap water. Im just lucky i guess.

I have a background on my tank though. Its a shower curtain with fish and a dolphin. I dont wanna see a green painted wall through my tank. Nor do i like black or blue painted glass. Look too industrial like that.

Also with a lack of algae growing in my tank the back glass can help keep snails fed on the diatoms that do grow

 

[SaltyT]

I like it! I think I’ll get rid of my purple coralline background and go back to black. Thanks!

 

[ID-Reefer]

I like both sides.

 

[ReefCheef]

Man, so I sort of liked the “worn-in” look of lots of coralline buildup on the back walls. My wife hated it, though. Well, I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been needing to dose so much, and I never realized that coralline can consume a significant amount of alk/calc in order to grow. So out came the scraper.

WOW that felt good. It was cathartic. I had to pull out my Michigan winter ice scraper from my car for my first attempt, then went at it with a blade for another 20 mins. I still have another half to go, but I must say that I now really like the look of the clean back. Gives the aqua scape way more depth.

If you’ve been putting it off like me, do yourself a favor and set aside an hour for a deep scraping session!

+1 on the added depth the black gives

 

[CMMorgan]

I would have totally sided with coralline but dang - that looks great. Nice job!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Three tanks and coraline free. . . as that is my desire

 

[Whispers]

Be careful of the cal and alk spike if you keep your dos the same

 

[DaddyFish]

Oh no, another forum debate at hand! Wasn't enough to go bare-bottom or not, now we have to debate the pros & cons of bare backs too!!!???
;Smuggrin
This is worse than shopping with a 4-year old at Christmas. Somebody just tell me what to buy and take me to Dairy Queen!

Oh, NICE WALL !!!

 

[anthonygf]

Man, so I sort of liked the “worn-in” look of lots of coralline buildup on the back walls. My wife hated it, though. Well, I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been needing to dose so much, and I never realized that coralline can consume a significant amount of alk/calc in order to grow. So out came the scraper.

WOW that felt good. It was cathartic. I had to pull out my Michigan winter ice scraper from my car for my first attempt, then went at it with a blade for another 20 mins. I still have another half to go, but I must say that I now really like the look of the clean back. Gives the aqua scape way more depth.

If you’ve been putting it off like me, do yourself a favor and set aside an hour for a deep scraping session!

I'm convinced, will keep my coraline to a minimum. Looks good. What brand lights have you got there? I like them, WIFI controllable right?

 

[carpetlover]

Man, so I sort of liked the “worn-in” look of lots of coralline buildup on the back walls. My wife hated it, though. Well, I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been needing to dose so much, and I never realized that coralline can consume a significant amount of alk/calc in order to grow. So out came the scraper.

WOW that felt good. It was cathartic. I had to pull out my Michigan winter ice scraper from my car for my first attempt, then went at it with a blade for another 20 mins. I still have another half to go, but I must say that I now really like the look of the clean back. Gives the aqua scape way more depth.

If you’ve been putting it off like me, do yourself a favor and set aside an hour for a deep scraping session!

You should get urchins! Plus you get free sand haha

 

[anthonygf]

You should get urchins! Plus you get free sand haha

Free sand? Urchins poop sand?