Do you clean all your glass?

[geno]

Since I set up my tank at the first of April, I have not cleaned the glass on the sides or the back. My thinking (perhaps erroneous) was that the critters would enjoy the algae, etc. that accumulated. The accumulation is the hard to scrap stuff -- no fuzzy slim. Of course, I keept the front glass sparkling.

Is there any reason to be diligent (other than asthetics) about the back and sides? Frankly, I was thinking a natural look is appealing. If it's just a matter of taste -- then I'm fine with my current look.

 

[freezerrat]

I like the sides clean so there's more areas to view. Also IMO you loose the mirror effect and the display looks smaller. But I can't see any harm in letting it grow if that's what you like

 

[FutureInterest]

I clean all 4 sides... and my tank is acrylic which means its a helluva lot harder to keep clean. It's all just personal aesthetics. I find that corals and fish seem to pop more on a clean blue background. So for me its worth it.

 

[geno]

So, for those of you who keep most of the glass clean (seems to be the majority) -- there's no issue with your snails, etc. having plenty to eat?

I suppose with plenty of LR and the substrate -- there's probably more than enough food to keep them happy.

 

[ralph atl]

I clean 3 sides leaving the back for my coraline, urchin, snails, & pods. Looks good, too.

 

[linda lee]

I clean absolutely everything I can reach, the glass, the powerheads, even the stuff that goes down between the sand and the front of the glass. It might be my imagination, but it seems like if I keep the glass clean, the clean-up crews take care of the stuff I can't reach a little more efficiently (the stuff that sifts down between rocks and the algae I can't reach in places I don't want it).

Just a matter of preference, I suppose. I see sparkly, crystaline, colorful reefs on Discovery Channel and I want my little reef to somehow look like that beautiful cross section of nature.

Now, if I could only clean my !#$%&* house....

 

[geno]

I like your point, Linda -- I'll bet cleaning my side glass will be a heck of a job considering I haven't done it since setting up the tank in April:confused2:

 

[linda lee]

geno;207272 wrote: I'll bet cleaning my side glass will be a heck of a job considering I haven't done it since setting up the tank in April:confused2:

I would go down the glass slowly with a blade and immediately go in with a turkey baster after each pass and suck out any loose shavings before they get into the water column. Turning off all your flow before doing this will make it easier. You don't want all that stuff left floating, dying and spiking your tank.

 

[corigan]

I just clean the front side. Let the sides and back get coralined up. MY crazy tang seems to stress less when he only has the front glass reflecting at him.

 

[parmoffitt]

My tank doesn't look like it will be four years old in February because I have always kept at the glass. I love the blue background. I haven't gotten used to the coraline algae incrusted look to the back yet.

 

[linda lee]

parmoffitt;207442 wrote: My tank doesn't look like it will be four years old in February because I have always kept at the glass. I love the blue background. I haven't gotten used to the coraline algae incrusted look to the back yet.

The *back* of mine is a bonus viewing area. Double the work to keep it clean, but double the pleasure in viewing.

I only have coraline on the corner overflow, but the more I look at it, the more I'm itching to scrape it off. I should have painted the overflow a dusky mauve color, I guess.

 

[tebriel]

Nice tank!

 

[raisingtwo2006]

i clean all 4 sides- at least the best that i can. i did let the coraline crust over the back for a while, but it got too pink and started to bug me. so i scraped it off too. i have a black background, so i think the colors pop more against it than the pink.

 

[blind1993]

i clean only 3 sides because if i clean the back the coraline comes back faster.

 

[linda lee]

blind1993;207526 wrote: i clean only 3 sides because if i clean the back the coraline comes back faster.

Well... unless you were cleaning it from Day #1.

 

[dave]

I only clean the front and the bottom.

Linda - Nice tank!!!

 

[raisingtwo2006]

Linda has one of the nicest tanks I've seen- It's so clean and 'viewable' And I love that dark sand!