Just a weird, random idiosyncrasy in my tank that makes me wonder, why

A_Blind_Reefer

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So it’s nothing that’s wrong with my tank, and really something that doesn’t matter at all. It’s just a weirdly random thing that has been that way from when I started this new tank a couple years ago. Coralline grows everywhere, EXCEPT on the overflow box. I’ve always wondered why exactly. I’m sure someone out there, much smarter than I, knows why that is. The tank is a RedSea Reefer 750xxl. The back glass is covered completely in coralline. The center overflow box, which is all glass as well, has never once had any on it at all. The plastic weirs on the overflow are completely covered as well. Just not the overflow. Anyway, that’s my random question of the day that has no bearing on anything. It’s just weird to see this spotless black rectangle in the middle of the tank.
 

EricR

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No idea but interesting.
Is the back glass (besides the overflow you mentioned) also black or a different color (or unpainted)?

EDIT -- not that it matters, but the back AND overflow are both acrylic, right?
 
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A_Blind_Reefer

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No idea but interesting.
Is the back glass (besides the overflow you mentioned) also black or a different color (or unpainted)?

EDIT -- not that it matters, but the back AND overflow are both acrylic, right?
Back is for sure glass that is blacked out somehow. I thought the overflow was glass, but now you have me wondering if it’s acrylic.
 

EricR

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Back is for sure glass that is blacked out somehow. I thought the overflow was glass, but now you have me wondering if it’s acrylic.
Ohhh,,, yeah,,, wouldn't surprise me if that actually does make a difference (although I'm not sure).

I don't know anything about those tanks but wish I had one!
...outta my league baby!
 
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A_Blind_Reefer

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Ohhh,,, yeah,,, wouldn't surprise me if that actually does make a difference (although I'm not sure).

I don't know anything about those tanks but wish I had one!
...outta my league baby!
Ha! It was an upgrade from my 20 year old clear for life acrylic all in one. Too bad I fell into the hype trap and went bare bottom, ulns, with dry rock (well I used my existing rock too but it was from 50 gallon tank). It took almost two years for it to mature and stabilize. It’s just now starting to take off. Oh the overflow is glass. I may never know why nothing grows on it!
 

Steve and his Animals

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Interestingly, if the overflow was acrylic, the coralline would grow on it easier as it's a softer material for the algae to "root" into. The overflows on red sea tanks are definitely glass. Something I've noticed, coralline algae doesn't like to grow in my direct light. It grows on the undersides of the rocks and off-center from the light itself, but not so much directly under. Maybe there's an upper limit to the PAR that coralline grows under. Possibly a spectrum thing?
 
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A_Blind_Reefer

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Interestingly, if the overflow was acrylic, the coralline would grow on it easier as it's a softer material for the algae to "root" into. The overflows on red sea tanks are definitely glass. Something I've noticed, coralline algae doesn't like to grow in my direct light. It grows on the undersides of the rocks and off-center from the light itself, but not so much directly under. Maybe there's an upper limit to the PAR that coralline grows under. Possibly a spectrum thing?
It’s definitely some weird phenomenon. My rock work is a few inches off the back wall for flow. The entire back glass on both sides is covered top to bottom in coralline but all three sections of overflow are spotless. It just looks weird. I could just clean the back glass to make it all the same but I just can’t reach all the way. If they made an extension handle for a flipper it would be nice.
 

JJ"sSouthernAquatics

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Ohhh,,, yeah,,, wouldn't surprise me if that actually does make a difference (although I'm not sure).

I don't know anything about those tanks but wish I had one!
...outta my league baby!
Don't know if this helps any, but we just got a 50 gal acrylic tank that someone had for about 12 years and it barely had any coralline algae in it.
 

tinyfellows

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Could it be from the overflow being exposed during water changes? Just a shot in the dark I am new to the saltwater side of the hobby
 

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