Cleaning built-in overflow

[trainwreck]

I've got a 55 gallon reef tank that's a little over 6 months old. I have a good deal of green coraline algae growing on my built-in overflow return. My wife says it's ugly. I keep the back glass spotless, but she really doesn't like the growth on the overflow. I say it's natural. But truth be told, I can seem to clean the stuff off of the textured surface of the overflow. You guys got any tips for cleaning off a textured surface like my overflow?



Thanks!

 

[ddinox64]

I don't clean mine. Don't clean the back glass either. Leave that for the snails and other algae eater types. Here's a picture of my overflow and you can see it's still covered. Still working on some things to set it back up. Refinished stand still have things spinning in my head which keeps it from being filled.

 

[dmatt88]

I weekly clean my overflow tubes. They coraline up and flow slows.

..........rarely am I speechless

 

[ddelozier]

to get coraline off that textured surface is practically impossible while the tank is in use. When i have in times past setup a used tank that had that coraline covering, i ran the tank with Fresh water and Vinegar for a few days, it disappears. with live stuff in the tank, you cant do that. Even a scraper wont do much, just dull the blade. Razor blade wont touch it, cause its not totally flat. Just leave it be. Green Coraline is the early stages, it will over time change to purple coraline and or pink... just leave it, its a problem common to newish systems. it goes away.

 

[trainwreck]

Thanks everybody. That really helps.