Is it free food or waste

[machome79]

Sitting here at work thinking about my tank, like a lot of us do....I'm wondering about the stuff that grows on the glass. The green algae, brown diatoms, little white crunchy sponge dots and my favorite thing Coraline.
I have often watched my foxface and blenny and snails, urchins etc. Munching on the stuff on the back wall of the tank. I wondering everytime I've scraped that stuff off is it feeding the corals? Am I taking away from the tank by cleaning it?
I know to some it's not aesthetically pleasing to always have gunk on the glass but is it worth letting it stay for the inhabitants?
What are your thoughts?

Corey

 

[j.falk]

I scrape the front and side panels and always leave the back glass covered as food for the livestock.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

It is food for the CUC, but maybe not so much for the coral, imo. Some people get a lot of snails that keep the glass clean, so scraping is minimal. Some people may also leave it alone to have a more "natural" tank. But in a display tank, I think we have clear panels so we can see the livestock.

 

[glb]

Sitting here at work thinking about my tank, like a lot of us do....I'm wondering about the stuff that grows on the glass. The green algae, brown diatoms, little white crunchy sponge dots and my favorite thing Coraline.
I have often watched my foxface and blenny and snails, urchins etc. Munching on the stuff on the back wall of the tank. I wondering everytime I've scraped that stuff off is it feeding the corals? Am I taking away from the tank by cleaning it?
I know to some it's not aesthetically pleasing to always have gunk on the glass but is it worth letting it stay for the inhabitants?
What are your thoughts?

Corey

It is food but I wouldn’t worry about scraping it off the glass. When you do, it’s still in the tank, and your fish/invertebrates will find it

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

My tangs follow the scrapers as the algae film is being stripped from the glass, they love it. Once it gets into the water column other organisms have an opportunity to consume it, yes, even corals. Eventually getting skimmed out or trapped in mechanical filtration.

 

[GARRIGA]

I cringe when others clean sumps or wash mulm from other filters such as canisters. I believe it all contributes to the health of the tank. Recall the clinical methods I read about of the 50s and the transition to a more naturalistic approach in the 70s with FW plants then seeing a picture of a man next to a tank with corals surviving mostly off nature. Just clicked that I shouldn't be constantly replacing the floss in my corner filters and this was in the 70s. Even early on it just didn't make sense to rely purely on WC and mechanical filtration and ultimately transitioned to undergravel filters and canisters that weren't cleaned unnecessarily.

Leave the gunk alone my motto to the point it's not disturbing my eyes. Only viewing panels get scrubbed of algae. Sometimes the rear but only to make room for coralline. Don't panic because algae shows up on my rocks. Until it gets long strands in the display but I wouldn't be removing it from my sump. Let it be part of the filtration. We exist because of algae. Plus that mulm a refuge for organism actively working that contribute to solving nutrients and they themselves feeding other inhabitants.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

My tangs follow the scrapers as the algae film is being stripped from the glass, they love it. Once it gets into the water column other organisms have an opportunity to consume it, yes, even corals. Eventually getting skimmed out or trapped in mechanical filtration.

This, when I scrape, everything cones alive. Especially corals.

 

[Rmckoy]

Even using a mag float I have a lawnmower blenny that comes out every time I start scrubbing and he chases the mag float .

I think it’s great food for everyone

 

[TCseh]

Sitting here at work thinking about my tank, like a lot of us do....I'm wondering about the stuff that grows on the glass. The green algae, brown diatoms, little white crunchy sponge dots and my favorite thing Coraline.
I have often watched my foxface and blenny and snails, urchins etc. Munching on the stuff on the back wall of the tank. I wondering everytime I've scraped that stuff off is it feeding the corals? Am I taking away from the tank by cleaning it?
I know to some it's not aesthetically pleasing to always have gunk on the glass but is it worth letting it stay for the inhabitants?
What are your thoughts?

Corey

Are the little white dots Sponges or spirobid worms?