Scraping Glass! How many sides do you clean?

[reefer415]

I personally like to keep all 4 sides of my glass super clean. Even the black back. I like that effect. But I see a lot of people that let the back or sides go natural (algae or coralline). How many sides to you keep clean?

 

[Mrod]

Right now all 4 sides but newer set up so easier. As things fill in and more algae and corraline takes over hope I can keep it up but we’ll see, lol. At a minimum always 3 but right now shooting to keep the black back clean also long term.

 

[Bossman]

Personally I like the coraline algae look on the back of my tank. So I leave the back and scrape the front and sides. One of my tanks is in a corner, so that tank just gets the front and 1 side scraped.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I personally like to keep all 4 sides of my glass super clean. Even the black back. I like that effect. But I see a lot of people that let the back or sides go natural (algae or coralline). How many sides to you keep clean?

I am with you. ( when I am not too lazy to clean )

 

[Reefer Reboot]

HOW MANY SIDES OF YOUR TANK DO YOU KEEP CLEAN?​

Both, the inside and the outside. JK! Seriously, I do the front and the front half of the sides. (Didn't plan the rockscape for the coral grow out so now part of it is blocked. Live and learn.) Need an "Other" poll choice.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

I do the front and sides where my family can see I leave the back natural for things to eat and hide and look weathered lol

 

[pochaxoo]

There was no choice for 5 sides, but I understand there are some creatures that actually scrape the bottom of their sand less tanks......me I am a 3 sides guy

 

[Soren]

What about only front and one side that is view-through?

 

[ReefBeta]

HOW MANY SIDES OF YOUR TANK DO YOU KEEP CLEAN?​

Both, the inside and the outside. JK! Seriously, I do the front and the front half of the sides. (Didn't plan the rockscape for the coral grow out so now part of it is blocked. Live and learn.) Need an "Other" poll choice.

But seriously, cleaning outside is just as important, and harder. dang those water marks. :mad:

 

[Vette67]

The sides and back are for growing coralline to support my rock urchins. They eat a lot of coralline, so that keeps them fed.

 

[mike550]

I painted the back black and like having coralline growing on it.

 

[DaneGer21]

I clean 3 sides. The front panel when it needs it, and the sides about 50% of that time. I never clean the back, it has black vinyl and I like the “growth look” in contrast to it, and also its to big of a panel to reach behind from both sides especially with all the plumbing lol.

 

[gmdcdvm]

The sides and back are for growing coralline to support my rock urchins. They eat a lot of coralline, so that keeps them fed.

I scrape the back. My wife and I both like the clean black look of the back panel. It seems to add depth to the tank.

Hey Vette67 what type of urchins are the rock urchins? I hate having to scrape coralline algae of the tank. I would prefer not to have any. Been looking for a better source of control. I have a tuxedo urchin, but I don't know if they eat coralline. If they do he can't keep up.

Gerry

 

[Tastee]

Front and sides for me. Like others the back of my tank grows Coralline and a little other algae which I am quite happy with.

 

[Timmtom49]

I let the back glass grow out coral line .. just cleaned it first time 100 times better with clean glass makes the whole tank look clean ... only question is my overflow box is acrylic and I snapped it and now is all scratched up a little ticked not noticeable with lights on just at night with flash light .... question is how to clean coraline of acrylic with out scratching it

 

[andrewkw]

If you are not cleaning the back of your tank you are doing yourself a disservice. Some may say they like a dirty back and initially it may be exciting your tank is healthy enough to be growing lots of pink or purple coralline algae but why didn’t you paint the back purple? Why doesn’t anyone?

If you look at any “tank of the month” quality tank they pretty much all have clean backs. Now we can’t all have that quality but we all can improve our tanks with a little extra work. They are display tanks after all.

If I scrape my back once a week that is usually good enough to keep it clean. It’s a pain, I break corals I knock things over, but my display as a whole is much more attractive because of that.

 

[92Miata]

Front, and right side. Left side occasionally. I don't do the bottom or back. Coraline is a valuable reef organism.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I needed other because I do clean the two sides and front more often, but when doing a water change, I always clean up the back also. So, three sides often and back usually monthy. I love the look after cleaning the back. So clean!

 

[PicassoClown04]

I just clean the main viewing window (Peninsula tank in a corner so AIO section and one long side is against a wall) then I have a frag rack on the remaining short side so occasionally if its empty Ill take it off and give that glass a nice scraping too. My snails breed all the time so Im kinda scared to clean the glass too much because I feel that it may cause some of the babies to starve

 

[Vette67]

If you are not cleaning the back of your tank you are doing yourself a disservice. Some may say they like a dirty back and initially it may be exciting your tank is healthy enough to be growing lots of pink or purple coralline algae but why didn’t you paint the back purple? Why doesn’t anyone?

If you look at any “tank of the month” quality tank they pretty much all have clean backs. Now we can’t all have that quality but we all can improve our tanks with a little extra work. They are display tanks after all.

If I scrape my back once a week that is usually good enough to keep it clean. It’s a pain, I break corals I knock things over, but my display as a whole is much more attractive because of that.

While I appreciate your thought that a pretty tank must have a clean back, I disagree with that sentiment. I keep my tank the way I do because I feel what I do is best for the inhabitants. If I never make "tank of the month", I am OK with that. Because I don't keep my tank to please other people. And I specifically don't clean my tank back because I let the coralline grow to feed my urchins. So they appreciate that I don't clean my glass, and I don't care if anyone here doesn't like the coralline on my glass. So I am not interested in whether or not I do a disservice to either myself or anyone here. Coralline is nature and looks natural, which is the look I'm after, I am not after "Tank of the month", especially if coralline on my back glass is a disqualifier. Then count me out.