Corals on the back glass. Yay or Nay?

[Jimbo327]

Been thinking a lot lately about adding corals to the back glass.

I want to move my torches to the back glass and mount it on a small magnet frag rack. This way I can move it away from my SPS and into its own little corner.

Then this got me thinking....why not add some mushrooms to the back glass and just let it grow there. Maybe I'll do the whole magnet thing to the mushroom as well, so I can move it around on the back glass.

Or do you think this will take away the aesthetics of the clean back glass or the depth of it?

Would love to see any photos of corals growing on back wall. Post them if you have them. I'm especially interested in zoas and mushrooms. I think GSP and xenia back wall is pretty common since they grow so fast.

 

[JojosReef]

Been thinking a lot lately about adding corals to the back glass.

I want to move my torches to the back glass and mount it on a small magnet frag rack. This way I can move it away from my SPS and into its own little corner.

Then this got me thinking....why not add some mushrooms to the back glass and just let it grow there. Maybe I'll do the whole magnet thing to the mushroom as well, so I can move it around on the back glass.

Or do you think this will take away the aesthetics of the clean back glass or the depth of it?

Would love to see any photos of corals growing on back wall. Post them if you have them. I'm especially interested in zoas and mushrooms. I think GSP and xenia back wall is pretty common since they grow so fast.

I had palys on the back acrylic of my 40L. Was an accident, but I just decided to let them grow. 100s of polyps later and a tank transfer, cleaning them off the back wall sent me to the hospital. Now I'm putting things on the back wall that are easier to move around and don't require scraping them off when I need to change things up. Using these:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/177345...e392:9ccfc74a39075d31c59905e7da1cb902bb851868

Thinking about getting more of them to put some interesting corals. I have an interesting monti cap, but unsure if that will grow like a half circle and upwards or outwards and shade everything below it. Euphyllia seem like good candidates here because they can fill in and be moved around when they start getting too close to the other corals.

 

[Jimbo327]

Pretty cool frag plugs, liking the faux rock look. I chuckled at the "patent pending technology" part tho.

I got some K&J plastic dipped magnets (based on Steve D's use to make his frag plugs). Got the 8lbs hold force, and it's decent for a single plug...but would need stronger magnet for bigger racks.

Now, I need to beg someone at work to do some 3D printing of frag plugs to slip onto these magnet. Or I just glue directly onto the magnets...that might work too.

 

[JohnBRZ]

I was trying to get the shrooms to cover the whole back wall too but it was taking too long so I decided to move the macro there instead. plus, it might be hard to clean off the algae from the back wall if it's half covered in shrooms. I think another light directly aiming on the back glass is needed too or the bottom shroom will be shaded.
would be cool to have a JB covered back glass

here's my attempt- waiting for the shrooms to move up the back wall

View attachment IMG_1332.jpeg

 

[Jimbo327]

JB covered back wall....or better yet...OG bounce covered back wall. Dreams.

 

[cvu]

Pretty cool frag plugs, liking the faux rock look. I chuckled at the "patent pending technology" part tho.

I got some K&J plastic dipped magnets (based on Steve D's use to make his frag plugs). Got the 8lbs hold force, and it's decent for a single plug...but would need stronger magnet for bigger racks.

Now, I need to beg someone at work to do some 3D printing of frag plugs to slip onto these magnet. Or I just glue directly onto the magnets...that might work too.

Could you give me a link or direction how to coast a magnet in reef safe plastic? I want to create a custom frag holder. Thanks.

 

[Jimbo327]

I don’t know if I trust myself in dip coating the magnet and be fully sealed in water.

So I just buy it already plastic coated from K&J Magnets.

On the outside, I actually use super strong magnets (not coated) from Amazon.

 

[janiners305]

We did the GSP back wall. Photo taken with iPhone and orange filter.

 

[JojosReef]

We did the GSP back wall. Photo taken with iPhone and orange filter.View attachment 128557

Beautiful tank! I'm very impressed by the clam! (also the blue star leopard).

 

[janiners305]

Beautiful tank! I'm very impressed by the clam! (also the blue star leopard).

Thank you!
If you zoom in, you can see the 2nd female near the Mp10 on the right side of the tank. We also have a male pintail wrasse and a female (as of yet) diamond tail flasher.

 

[Jimbo327]

That GSP makes the tank look so lush.

 

[ndrwater]

Beautiful tank! I'm very impressed by the clam! (also the blue star leopard).

Im impressed by the front and center nem!!
Nice job Chris!!

 

[drexel]

Tunze makes magnetic frag holders that are meant to be permanently mounted and I've never had an issue with one of their magnets. In my 22g I glued two pieces of live rock to the back wall, which I had some acropora growing from them. I think you can put some torches back there and they would be okay.

 

[Jimbo327]

Yup, Steve d is hooking me up!!! I'm going to have some custom rock racks made.

Now I need to move my torches and maybe even get new torches.

 

[Dugggyfresh]

Pink lepto from tidal gardens , a back wall of that would be so stunning. I am attempting the easy method of GSP lol.

 

[DanK.Reefer]

I don't have any on my back wall yet, but I have been seeing a lot of tanks with encrusting montis, or stylo on the back. I think it looks pretty cool and I am thinking of giving it a go in my tank.

 

[JasonVH]

Those rock looking plugs look cool!

Due to space issues, there's a goniopora on a frag plug on back wall. It does fine. But it does not like when I try to scrape the glass by it. Sometimes a little bit of algae grow on the glass around and on the (acrylic) frag holder due on not wanting to bother it. That's my con about it.

A mushroom(forget what the name is- some kind of godzilla yuma..?) snuck onto the front before I caught onto what was happening. It's doing well.. except sometimes the flow will get under it and make it take on odd shapes for a while. I can see algae also being somewhat of an issue with the way they move around, leaving little clones in random spots. What if you want to clean the bare areas in between them...

 

[Jimbo327]

I don't ever clean my back glass, so I don't plan to start. My back glass has a lot of coralline again.

 

[Jimbo327]

Steve d hooked it up! Looks awesome.

 

[joeoliver]

that's pretty cool. so I'll see you at aquashella? so much room for new torches!