Any White Material that Won't Grow Coraline Algae for Barebottom Tank?

[naterealbig]

Really want a barebottom, but will not settle for a button that does not stay bright white long term.

Display footprint is too large to scrape.

Thank you foot your tried and true material choices?

 

[Thales]

Coralline can grow on any surface.

 

[Larry L]

Coralline can grow on any surface.

Except lava.

 

[Dramad1]

Paint the underside of the tank white and when the coraline start to grow on the inside on the bottom, scrape it off

 

[Thales]

Except lava.

There is a paper in review....

 

[naterealbig]

Coralline can grow on any surface.

That has been my experience over my last 25 years in the hobby. Just thought I'd check with the folks that probably know much more about materials than i do

 

[naterealbig]

There is a paper in review....

BAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[naterealbig]

Paint the underside of the tank white and when the coraline start to grow on the inside on the bottom, scrape it off

Display footprint is too large to scrape.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There are new materials that will likely work, but I doubt they are ready for reef use. I interviewed for a job a while back at a company named slips that was making thin liquid layer coatings for ship hulls. They are not antimicrobial, they exist as a thin liquid layer that resists organism attachment. I was thinking they might some day be a good glass coating so you would not need to scrape.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is one embodiment:

SLIPS® Foul Protect™ For Marine Applications – Adaptive Surface Technologies

adaptivesurface.tech

 

[naterealbig]

This is one embodiment:

SLIPS® Foul Protect™ For Marine Applications – Adaptive Surface Technologies

adaptivesurface.tech

Very interesting Dr. Farley - thank you for your input.

i doubt they would endorse Aquarium use, but I'm contemplating sending them an email...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Very interesting Dr. Farley - thank you for your input.

i doubt they would endorse Aquarium use, but I'm contemplating sending them an email...

they wouldn’t endorse it for sure. They do not know aquariums.

 

[Larry L]

There are new materials that will likely work, but I doubt they are ready for reef use. I interviewed for a job a while back at a company named slips that was making thin liquid layer coatings for ship hulls. They are not antimicrobial, they exist as a thin liquid layer that resists organism attachment. I was thinking they might some day be a good glass coating so you would not need to scrape.

Randy, is that the same stuff as Adsil? I actually tried a quick-and-dirty experiment in my basement with a 10 gallon tank half coated in the stuff, to see if it made any difference in coralline or algae fouling.

 

[naterealbig]

Randy, is that the same stuff as Adsil? I actually tried a quick-and-dirty experiment in my basement with a 10 gallon tank half coated in the stuff, to see if it made any difference in coralline or algae fouling.

Findings?

 

[Larry L]

Findings?

Nothing conclusive, but I also didn't have the right tools to apply it correctly - if sprayed on correctly it creates kind of a non-stick film on the surface of the glass.

 

[naterealbig]

Nothing conclusive, but I also didn't have the right tools to apply it correctly - if sprayed on correctly it creates kind of a non-stick film on the surface of the glass.

Ah yes, observed this in some of the videos on the website Dr. Farley referenced. Saw they mentioned commercial sprayer in some instances.

Although the anti bio fouling product showed a video of someone painting it onto the bottom of a boat...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, is that the same stuff as Adsil? I actually tried a quick-and-dirty experiment in my basement with a 10 gallon tank half coated in the stuff, to see if it made any difference in coralline or algae fouling.

No, Adsil seems to be a hard curing material. The one I mentioned is a self-replenishing ultra thin liquid coating.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Although the anti bio fouling product showed a video of someone painting it onto the bottom of a boat...

That's the market the Slips folks are aiming for.

One big cargo ship probably has more surface area than every glass reef tank in the USA. lol

 

[naterealbig]

That's the market the Slips folks are aiming for.

One big cargo ship probably has more surface area than every glass reef tank in the USA. lol

Very true LOL....

So - no need for a specialized coating process/equipment?

I'd be willing to test it... is it easily attainable/affordable?