Build up on the side of the tank??

[Sharlz]

What is the build up/gunky looking stuff on the side of the tank I see in most pictures? Does it come off? Is it like an algae?

Click on the link to see what I mean:

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/chimer ... t4982.html

Sorry for my ignorence, but I would love to put a marine tank in my living room wall, but that build up dosent appeal too me.

Thanks for your help in advance

[lduncan]

It's various forms of algae. I keep all sides clean of it. Some people just keep the front glass clean.

[davidb]

funny you picked chimeras tank in particular. in his set of photos his tank is really clean. all i can see is coralline algae which is that pinky stuff which also grows on rocks. most people scrape it of the sides but like it growing on the back wall of the tank. corraline algae is more natural to look at than glass.

[lduncan]

Some people have different perceptions of how clean 'clean' is. I'd call this tank clean:

You're looking through 10 feet of water to the other end of the tank! No sign of anything on the glass.

Layton

[davidb]

yeah but that tank looks like it can be viewed from both sides layton. most of us have tanks against a wall.

[lduncan]

Personally I think tanks always look cleaner when all sides are scraped of coralline, whether inwall, against wall, or peninsula style.