creating a fake reef tank

erb · 09/04/2021, 09:42 PM

I have a 30 gallon fish tank with fresh water that was thoroughly nuked with bleach and then water changed a couple of days later . It has fake corals to make it look like a reef tank. There is no life, no living things in the tank. No skimmer and minimal circulation but it does have floss filtration. I want to prevent any algae from growing so the fake corals keep their color and the white sugar sand stays white.
How do i keep it this way? Add Bleach? Bromine? If so, how much and how often. Or, should i find some Chloramine and use that instead?
I don’t want the fake corals to lose their color so this has to be done carefully.
Can anyone suggest a method?
TIA

Vinny Kreyling · 09/05/2021, 11:28 AM

Low light to help with algae.
Try a spray of peroxide on a place you can sacrifice when it needs cleaning.
PITA to work on a tank like this,

VWD · 09/05/2021, 12:54 PM

You will alway grow unwanted algae, the only way I can see keeping the fake coral clean is to periodically pull them out and bleach clean. That’s what we did before reef tanks with fish only tanks with dead coral. We had extra pieces always ready to be swapped out.,

outssider · 09/05/2021, 03:35 PM

chlorine should work but it may bleach the color out of your fake coral over time....

Vinny Kreyling · 09/06/2021, 08:37 AM

That's why I suggested Peroxide as an alternative.

SantaMonica · 09/18/2021, 10:30 PM

Do what swimming pools do... low levels of chlorine. Maybe get a hot tub water testing kit.

09/04/2021, 09:42 PM	#1
erb Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Olympia WA Posts: 31	creating a fake reef tank I have a 30 gallon fish tank with fresh water that was thoroughly nuked with bleach and then water changed a couple of days later . It has fake corals to make it look like a reef tank. There is no life, no living things in the tank. No skimmer and minimal circulation but it does have floss filtration. I want to prevent any algae from growing so the fake corals keep their color and the white sugar sand stays white. How do i keep it this way? Add Bleach? Bromine? If so, how much and how often. Or, should i find some Chloramine and use that instead? I don’t want the fake corals to lose their color so this has to be done carefully. Can anyone suggest a method? TIA

09/05/2021, 11:28 AM	#2
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Low light to help with algae. Try a spray of peroxide on a place you can sacrifice when it needs cleaning. PITA to work on a tank like this, __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

09/05/2021, 12:54 PM	#3
VWD Smelly fish Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Denham Springs, LA Posts: 262	You will alway grow unwanted algae, the only way I can see keeping the fake coral clean is to periodically pull them out and bleach clean. That’s what we did before reef tanks with fish only tanks with dead coral. We had extra pieces always ready to be swapped out., __________________ Vince 120 RR Bare Bottom & 56 Bean animal connected to one sump. Life Reef external/blueline 40 HDX, Carbon reactor, GFO reactor, proton 48 led, 2 Kessils 160we tuna blue on 120 & 6 HQ t-5 on 56, b

09/05/2021, 03:35 PM	#4
outssider Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Reseda, Ca. Posts: 1,717	chlorine should work but it may bleach the color out of your fake coral over time.... __________________ Please don't feed the bears because the bears will become dependent on free handouts and forget how to take care of themselves …... Current Tank Info: 75 Gal. Mixed reef mostly sps

09/06/2021, 08:37 AM	#5
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	That's why I suggested Peroxide as an alternative. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

09/18/2021, 10:30 PM	#6
SantaMonica Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Santa Monica, California, USA Posts: 2,511	Do what swimming pools do... low levels of chlorine. Maybe get a hot tub water testing kit. __________________ Inventor of the easy-to-DIY upflow scrubber, and also the waterfall scrubber that everyone loves to build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1424843