Guest Rileyporter October 8, 2006 Share October 8, 2006 I noticed that the sun's light is directly shining on my tank through my window this morning. Is that a bad thing? Thx Riley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snapper October 8, 2006 Share October 8, 2006 depends. how is the tank's temp holding up? I get about 1 hour of oblique sunlight in the evenings on my fuge with no ill effects. As long as you can keep your temp under control, and algae doesn't bloom, I'd say you're fine. Might even be a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw October 8, 2006 Share October 8, 2006 You need to watch the algea. My first tank (55g) got about 3 hours of sunlight a day and I had bad algea problems. I moved it to the other side of the room where it got no sun and all the problems went away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak October 8, 2006 Share October 8, 2006 Sun light leadsto very angy undesireable algea blooms, I have the blinds in my room drawn all daw if I'm not home. Also can cause some what of temp hike. So pretty much what they said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rileyporter October 8, 2006 Share October 8, 2006 Yah for a few weeks now I could not figure out why one of my return PVC pipes was getting some made brown algae on it. When I got up early this morning turned out that the sun was directly hitting where the algae was. Guess i need to draw the blinds in the morning. Riley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar October 8, 2006 Share October 8, 2006 Riley, If the algae is only on the pipe, you can wrap the pipe with black tape. I wouldn't wrap the whole tank in black tape though. Jon Yah for a few weeks now I could not figure out why one of my return PVC pipes was getting some made brown algae on it. When I got up early this morning turned out that the sun was directly hitting where the algae was. Guess i need to draw the blinds in the morning. Riley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat_13 October 9, 2006 Share October 9, 2006 I was going to ask about sunlight and lighting a frag tank. So... Then how do the coral farms that are in green houses do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi October 9, 2006 Share October 9, 2006 I read in many places ( Calfo, Fenner ) reccomendations to use sun light whenever it's possible. How and how to avoid algea bloom - have no idea. I'll check the "corals propagation book" tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal October 10, 2006 Share October 10, 2006 I read in many places ( Calfo, Fenner ) reccomendations to use sun light whenever it's possible. Have read the same. Also in Paletta's book "Ultimate Marine Aquariums" there are a couple of examples of phenomenal tanks using natural sunlight. One uses a "light chimney" to bathe 1/2 the tank in nothing but sunlight, while the other 1/2 is lit with standard MH/VHO lighting. The comparison is unbelievable. The growth on the side under the light chimney dwarfs that of the other side. Another tank owner credits his success to the three hours of morning sunlight that hits his tank every day. I thought the rule about not letting sunlight hit your tank pertained to freshwater, not reef tanks. In other words, there are some situations in which you might seek to control nuissance algae by limiting the amount of PAR that hits your tank, but a tank in which you are trying to grow corals is not one of these situations. Instead of reducing light, most reefers dealing with algae problems try to reduce nutrients, right? I would be more concerned with controlling temperature than worried about excess PAR hitting your tank. If you can avoid temp swings, I say let the sun shine in. Now, this is all just based on what I have read, and seen (in pictures). If others on this board have different experiences, I would love to hear them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inedukated October 10, 2006 Share October 10, 2006 I used to have my 55gal. set up in my bedroom, where there was no sunlight hitting it. After a year, I moved it into my living room so I could see it more during the day (and sleep quietly at night). It was exposed to around 4 hours of sunlight each day, and the hair algae was out of control. I tried cleaning, adding a refugium, water changes, watching nutrients... but until I blocked out the sunlight, the algae kept coming back. Just my two cents... -Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak October 10, 2006 Share October 10, 2006 Maybe it has to do with the properties of glass it's self, I'll be thats it.... both of the windows and the tank. I know that glass does many things to the wavelenght etc. of sun light, that sunlight shining directly on water would't be subjected to. I think my physics and bio professors would both give me a cookie and smack me at the same time for this lackluster explaination. But i think I've got a point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snapper October 10, 2006 Share October 10, 2006 Well, these things actually come from a place where there is, from time to time, sunlight. I doubt it's lethal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak October 10, 2006 Share October 10, 2006 (edited) Well, these things actually come from a place where there is, from time to time, sunlight. I doubt it's lethal. Read the thread a little more carefully, it's about algae growth resulting from sunlight Edited October 10, 2006 by jason the filter freak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardofNOVA October 10, 2006 Share October 10, 2006 I just realized my tank has direct sunlight going through the middle of it for about 20 minutes this evening. Was cool to see the ray of light slicing the tank in half! I believe natural sunlight would be an awesome addition to a tank setup, ex; Dr Mac and Roozens, both use them for their locations. Problems is temperature control, so as long as you have a chiller running, you should be able to contain it for the most part. But I agree, the glass could be subject to a slight temperature rise, giving algae a chance to get hold in those particular spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snapper October 10, 2006 Share October 10, 2006 Read the thread a little more carefully, it's about algae growth resulting from sunlight Actually, the original question: "is sunlight a bad thing" makes no predication about algae. And it was the original question I was replying to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inedukated October 11, 2006 Share October 11, 2006 Actually, the original question: "is sunlight a bad thing" makes no predication about algae. And it was the original question I was replying to. All I can say is that for me... sunlight is bad. For you...maybe its good... who knows. -Ben and Jason... ch. 15 & 33 of my physics book mentions reflection and refraction, and its affects on wavelengths (as well as amplitudes) of light (and sound) i.e. mirrors, sound-proof glass. So, yes. I guess the glass tank and windows, and angle of the sunlight into your house, all affect light waves I guess i should do my physics homework now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal October 11, 2006 Share October 11, 2006 I believe natural sunlight would be an awesome addition to a tank setup, ex; Dr Mac and Roozens, both use them for their locations. You can add ORA to that list. http://www.orafarm.com/corals.html And here's a quote from Reefkeeping's October 2003 TOTM winner: "As an added bonus, the tanks also receive some degree of direct sunlight, since I live in a 10th floor apartment that is very sunny with the tanks situated near a large picture window." No unwanted algae growth in that system. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/totm/index.php So in theory, and in practice for some, it seems that sunlight is a good thing. On the other hand, the experience of others is that it has lead to uncontrollable hair algae. Maybe the physics boys are on to something, and the color temp. depends on the glass used for the windows & tank + the angle of refraction; or maybe it is just all about nutrients. This last is what I had previously thought, but that doesn't seem to explain the experience of those who have had algae blooms. There must be more going on there than just an increase in light. An interesting topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardofNOVA October 11, 2006 Share October 11, 2006 maybe it is just all about nutrients. This to me seems it would be the determining factor, if a system is on edge with maintenance, water changes, over feeding, etc. The sunlight would push it over the edge? I remember reading something a while back about someone putting in a skylight above their tank and then add a lighting system that they could roll over the tank, after the sun went down. I want to say RC, but might be wrong. Had some cool twist to this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrubberbandman October 11, 2006 Share October 11, 2006 Whats the topic here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal October 12, 2006 Share October 12, 2006 Whats the topic here? I noticed that the sun's light is directly shining on my tank through my window this morning. Is that a bad thing? Thx Riley I thought that was a pretty broad question, and a good one. Interesting to me, at least. I have been considering incorporating some amount of natural sunlight into my next system. Since this will probably not be for another 12-15 years, I guess I have plenty of time to consider. Anyway, there is a lot of discussion/debate/ideas on this on the boards: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsunusefaqs.htm http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/search.p...rder=descending Most, but certainly not all, seem to feel that the addition of sunlight is a good thing, provided that temp can be controlled and nutrients are low. Riley, if you decide to leave as is and see how it does, keep us posted on your experiences and conclusions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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