Biggest Duh... in the history of reef keeping - Algea control in the Overflow

[schwaggs]

Reading the threads on snails in the overflow prompted me to share this idea....

Rewind several years ago, I was having a problem with fish jumping onto the overflows on my 210 display. So I cut rectangles of 1/8" thick acrylic to cover them to prevent having to net more fish out of there.

Over the years I was contantly having to clean the Algea from the teeth and overflow section. Over a week or so, the level in my display would slowly rise as the algea blocked the flow until I got the tooth brush out any cleaned the overflow teeth and ridge of algea. I would also have to clean the hair and bubble algea out of the actual overflow box plumbing and side walls as there was no animal (other than me) that ever went in there. This process repeated over and over through the years.

Well, about 9 months ago, I was helping my son build a pinewood derby car and making little spoilers out of the same acryic. We painted the spoilers black and that is when it hit me... why not paint the overflow covers black to stop the algea growth???!!!??

I am here to report that this works PERFECTLY to stop algea growth in the overflows! Check out the pics.
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[smallblock]

lol no light right

 

[acroholic]

You know what they say about great minds.

 

[jef4y]

I started shading mine from above the glass top with a piece of cardboard. But I like the acrylic idea better.

 

[markl]

I bought 2 of those black clip boards from office max and cut mine out with a dremel.Then super glued small squares of clip bord the bottom of it kind of like legs to hold them in place.

 

[rbredding]

Schwaggs;561743 wrote: Reading the threads on snails in the overflow prompted me to share this idea....

Rewind several years ago ...

Well, about 9 months ago ...

um......

I have corner overflows so I get light in from the sides anyway (rear is painted).. I don't want to cover them up because I like to watch all the pods in there at night..
I use egg crate over the tops and it does a good enough job at keeping the hair algae out.. (but now that I've got coralline algae everywhere.. I don't see much hair algae..

 

[schwaggs]

Acroholic;561755 wrote: You know what they say about great minds.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44102&highlight=overflow+covers">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44102&highlight=overflow+covers</a>[/QUOTE]


Hehehe :) Much better material for the job. As mentioned in the other thread, you need to make sure the cover over hangs the overflow by at least 1/2" or else the light can still shine on the teeth and grow algea.

 

[schwaggs]

Rbredding;561769 wrote: um......

What?... it's a long story...

 

[acroholic]

I got the idea to make mine after I had a percula go into the overflow in my 210 reef three times in a week.

 

[glxtrix]

Meh...I think of that area as another filter

 

[rbredding]

glxtrix;561802 wrote: Meh...I think of that area as another filter

...

algae trough?

 

[glxtrix]

Algae, aiptasia...you name it, I use it as a filter I'm only sorta joking....sorta.

 

[jead85]

when i bought my tank, apparently the inner section of the overflow was absolutly filled with feather dusters, looked interesting

 

[rskillz]

Brilliant idea, my overflow is completely clogged and the tank is only 5 months old...

 

[cr500_af]

I had the same idea, and contacted a well-known DIY expert member to see if he would make me a black acrylic cover for mine... turns out he had one for my size/shape overflow already made sitting in the workshop.

I thought I'd had a reasonably original idea, and that took the wind right out of my sails!

 

[acroholic]

Deep Dimension tanks are harder to cover because they have curved corner overflows. The cover stays on, but it kind of teeter toters on the overflow itself. I would just have the corners sit on the trim edges, but that messes with my mesh tops.