Overflow box question

[ZigZagZombie]

Should you clean your overflow box. I have hair alge growing in it. Does this act as a mini refugium or should you take it out???

 

[goldrim]

When I was running my 58 that used an overflow box, I just tossed in a snail or crab or something when I thought it needed cleaning.
HTH

 

[ZigZagZombie]

But does this alge take the elements out of the water of the main tank??"as small as it may be" Or does it put some back in??

 

[DK]

There are only two issues. One, if the algae grows too dense, it can reduce the flow through the overflow. The second is the possibility of increasing the spore content to a degree that it can out compete other types of alge for new growth - like corraline algae.
Personally, I cut a piece of black plastic and draped it over the tube - problem solved.