Pros and Cons of Natural Sunlight

[snowmansnow]

So... I'm thinking of moving my pretty lil tank to a more prominent location in the same room (BIG ROOM). However, there would be natural sunlight for a few hours each day that would hit the tank through the window.

I've had a tank here before and the only issue I remember was temp. My corals LOVED the sunlight, and it puts out UBER more PAR than ANY light I could ever buy.

What am I forgetting?

Algae shouldn't be an issue with the correct parameters regardless of lighting right?

Maybe I could rig a fan to a temp controller to come on if temp > a predetrmined temp and take care of the temp issue.

Thanks for any insight.

THANKS A LOT for any insight gleaned from experience:thumbs:

B

 

[tokejr]

I have my dwarf seahorse tank where it gets morning sun for about 2 hours. I specifically placed it there for two reasons: 1) because I intended to use macroalgae which would benefit from the sunlight and 2) because dwarf seahorses are really particular how you bring up the lights. Bright light, turned on suddenly really startles them.

I can control the lights off with room lights and moonlight, but the lights on was a bit more difficult, so I decided to use Mother Nature.

The cons are that algae grows on the glass (acrylic, actually) must faster because of the sunlight. I have to clean the glass every day and on really sunny days, by noon, or you can't see clearly into the tank. I let the algae go for a couple days after the babies were born, and couldn't see them by midday on the 2nd day.

 

[dakota9]

I've heard that the recooperative power of the sun it amazing for corals and inverts. Great for plants too.

The lighting/heat issue can be helped by NOT having your tank lighting on while the sun is shining in, so I timer to cut the lights off during that time would help.

My last tank got a lot of sun, and I also ran tap water, but algae was never that big a deal, just watch for macros to start sprouting on your rock. I had grape culerpa (sp) which I never liked growing on my rocks, the same rocks I'd had for years w/o any sign of macro growth, until I upgraded tanks and raised the tank higher on a new stand, and the rock started getting sunlight. After that, it was like my main tank became a refugium as macros just exploded!

 

[tokejr]

Dakota9;392342 wrote: I've heard that the recooperative power of the sun it amazing for corals and inverts. Great for plants too.

The lighting/heat issue can be helped by NOT having your tank lighting on while the sun is shining in, so I timer to cut the lights off during that time would help.

My last tank got a lot of sun, and I also ran tap water, but algae was never that big a deal, just watch for macros to start sprouting on your rock. I had grape culerpa (sp) which I never liked growing on my rocks, the same rocks I'd had for years w/o any sign of macro growth, until I upgraded tanks and raised the tank higher on a new stand, and the rock started getting sunlight. After that, it was like my main tank became a refugium as macros just exploded!

Yeah, now that you mention it, I'm seeing an explosion of Neomeris sp. on the rock in the seahorse tank.

 

[dakota9]

it takes some diligence, but you can just clip them back as you find them with little effort.


Overall, natural light, atleast a little, is a good thing, I believe.

 

[tokejr]

Dakota9;392359 wrote: it takes some diligence, but you can just clip them back as you find them with little effort.


Overall, natural light, atleast a little, is a good thing, I believe.

For my seahorse tank, it's an advantage. Neomeris makes a great hitch for dwarfs.

 

[lees]

Makes sense about natural light. I mean, after all isn't that what powers the oceans anyhow? Saw a tank on RC I believe one time where the guy had no filtration, only powerheads for circulation and natural sunlight only. It was one of the most amazing tanks I had ever seen. I think he hadn't even done a water change in like 2 years or something.

 

[dakota9]

ares;392387 wrote: lots of par, but the spectrum of light is often very unappealing to us :/ so its a trade off. the idea of 5500k would be ridiculous to consider otherwise. you may not get the most colorful tank in the world under sunlight.

something to remember, most corals are atleast 10-30feet underwater, which filters out the yellow wavelengths naturally. so corals are not designed for shallow sunlight either, though they will do just fine, they rather 10-14k or so for maximum color.

algea on the other hand is all about natural sunlight, and will thrive like it would under an old bulb. you can manage it with phosphate and nitrate control, but your not helping your cause.

All this is very true, and for those reasons, I'd not suggest natural light for more than a few hours a day. Fortunately since tanks are in doors, and sunlight would only appear through an open window, a few hours of natural light is all that a tank would get, and my inhabitants have always enjoyed it.