Nano coated (algae proof) aquarium glass?

Q43 · Jun 28, 2021

So, I’ve seen nano coatings magically repel water, stains, etc. on many different surfaces, but I’ve always wondered if the same technology could be applied to aquarium glass. In theory, this would prevent algae from growing on it and could also reduce salt creep and hard water stains since any droplets would just slide right back down into the water. Well, I just stumbled across a product that claims to do just that. This German company supposedly developed a nano coating specifically for aquarium glass that is completely safe for fish and is so slick that nothing can stick to or grow on it for 5 years. However, it seems too good to be true since I can’t find a single review for it anywhere. If it really does everything they claim, shouldn’t there be a bunch of people talking about it? Does anyone know of a product like this being used for a reef tank? I reached out to the company to ask what the stuff is made of (what’s being leeched into the water over those 5 years?) and whether they have any evidence of it actually working. If they can present any proof to back up their claims, I just might be crazy enough to try this stuff out on my new tank build. I’ll probably run an ICP-OES test on my water after a few weeks to see if anything spikes. Stupid? Or brilliant? Wouldn’t it be amazing if I never had to scrape algae again?

Link: Percenta Nano Coating for Aquariums

NowGlazeIT · Jun 28, 2021

Sounds brilliant in theory!

eggplantparrot · Jun 28, 2021

Please document this if you try

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 28, 2021

Hydrophobic coatings will not repel algae. All kinds of proteins and other molecules bind to it rapidly, and then organisms bind to that. That's why teflon coated ships are not a thing. This article discusses algae attachment to various surfaces:

Effects of the surface physico-chemical properties and the surface textures on the initial colonization and the attached growth in algal biofilm

Algal biofilm reactors represent a promising cultivation system that can economically produce biomass without the need for expensive harvesting operations. A critical component of algal biofilm systems is the material used for attachment. This research ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

If you want to strongly repel marine life, you need a much more complicated system, like this one that puts a thin, self repairing nonwater liquid coating (SLIPS) on the glass or metal:

Marine Applications – SLIPS Foul Protect and Sea Clear – Adaptive Surface Technologies

adaptivesurface.tech

Certain combinations of hydrophilc peaks with valleys can also work, as noted in the link above.

Q43 · Jul 6, 2021

I did some more digging and found out that this stuff is made from titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which is definitely NOT safe for corals. A study published by NIH found that “Exposure to nano‐TiO2 caused significant Zooxanthellae expulsion in all the colonies”. So much for that idea. Maybe someone could try it out on a fish-only aquarium.