Cleaning back glass

[Back where it all began]

Hi, since I don't use a sump, I have a hob Reef Octopus and now a uv sterilizer. I could clean the back glass fairly easily with just the skimmer, but now with the uv it will be much harder.
So, if you let your back glass go, what does it look like and did it go through any stages of growth.
I'm afraid mine will just get brown and ugly.

 

[andrewkw]

Most people don't scrape the back glass. Every single tank looks better with the back glass clean. I would just take the skimmer and uv off when you do water changes and scrape the whole thing. Just put them in a bucket.

 

[Back where it all began]

Right. I always do remove the skimmer. But my hob uv is hard plumbed to pvc pipe. I could use a scrub pad, etc. But that just seems like another way to upset the fish. I use a Tunze to clean my glass now, but like the flipper, it will not work well on back glass now.

 

[jpas]

My tank is built in a wall and the back glass is painted black, so I never clean it. My tangs and snails keep it pretty clean. But i like the look of a natural buildup on the back and sides.

 

[Waters]

I have always cleaned my back glass and overflow. It starts to look bad quick. I use a magic eraser and a scraper to remove coralline.

 

[krash7172]

2-1/2 yrs. Never scraped the sides or back. Built in. I couldn't scrape the sides even if I wanted to!

 

[lapin]

For 18 months I kept the back 2 panels clean so the reflection would add depth. And yes a 5 x 5 foot tank can use more depth. For the past 6 months I have let it go al'natural. It has a great crop of coraline and hair algae. I kinda like the look. I did get a sea hare for fun yesterday. Lets see how much the girl can eat. Look out Joey Chestnut......

 

[Shaummy]

I only scrape the back glass if I get a buildup of GHA or something. I use a long handled scraper like this one and when I'm preparing to do my water change...I scrape it all down to the back/bottom of the tank once the pumps are all off. Then when I run my siphon tube over it..whoosh...it's gone.

 

[Super Fly]

i never clean back glass