Is natural sunlight bad for your aqaurium?

celticreefer85 · 12/24/2011, 10:01 AM

hey guys,

i was planning on starting a new sw aquarium and was planning to put it in my living room. the one thing that i know right away is that a lot of natural light comes into this room. have you guys had problems with natural light hitting your aquarium? i could easily see long hours of natural light causing a huge algae problem within a sw tank so i wanted to check with you guys and see if you have had issues with this before. thanks!

AquaReeferMan · 12/24/2011, 10:04 AM

Algae will grow under any light if given the proper conditions...

Express proper nutrient export practices and you will not have an issue.

Almost all my tanks are or were located by windows and Ive never had any problems.

sjwitt · 12/24/2011, 10:08 AM

The only thing I'd be concerned with is increased heat in the summer.

Toddrtrex · 12/24/2011, 10:11 AM

Heck, I love it when I takes get hit with sunlight.

From years ago, at an different place, a skylight above the tank.

As luck would have it, the downstairs tank in my new place gets the sun in the afternoons,

psteeleb · 12/24/2011, 10:14 AM

it will make it harder to control algea. I learned a little trick with color spectrums in if you keep your color spectrum over 10-12k in the display you can discourage algea but still maintian healthy corals. Now on the flip side I run lower kelvin lighting in my sump (5k to 6k) and I get great macro algea along with other nuisance growths, like cynobacteria, in the sump with nothing showing up in the main display.

Palting · 12/24/2011, 12:02 PM

It's about control. There may be times you will want less light or light at a different time. If you are having algae problems, you may want to decrease the photoperiod, or go lights out for several days. Or you just introduced a fish or coral, and want the lights out or turned down. Or, you are at work most of the day, and want to enjoy the tank at night, but don't want your tank lit for 18 hours a day with sunlight during the day and tank lights at night. Obviously, you cannot control the sun, so I prefer an area where the sun does not hit the tank.

Not saying it cannot or should not be done. It can be done, and for some people, quite successfuly actually.

aleonn · 12/24/2011, 12:30 PM

I like how the natural sunlight hits my corals and tank. I do notice mild algae and corraline growth in certain parts of the tank. I cut a piece of styrofoam to cover the parts of the tank with silicone, in case the heat causes it to expand unevenly.

12/24/2011, 10:01 AM	#1
celticreefer85 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 128	Is natural sunlight bad for your aqaurium? hey guys, i was planning on starting a new sw aquarium and was planning to put it in my living room. the one thing that i know right away is that a lot of natural light comes into this room. have you guys had problems with natural light hitting your aquarium? i could easily see long hours of natural light causing a huge algae problem within a sw tank so i wanted to check with you guys and see if you have had issues with this before. thanks!

12/24/2011, 10:04 AM	#2
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	Algae will grow under any light if given the proper conditions... Express proper nutrient export practices and you will not have an issue. Almost all my tanks are or were located by windows and Ive never had any problems. __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

12/24/2011, 10:11 AM	#4
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Heck, I love it when I takes get hit with sunlight. From years ago, at an different place, a skylight above the tank. As luck would have it, the downstairs tank in my new place gets the sun in the afternoons, __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

12/24/2011, 10:14 AM	#5
psteeleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 5,249	it will make it harder to control algea. I learned a little trick with color spectrums in if you keep your color spectrum over 10-12k in the display you can discourage algea but still maintian healthy corals. Now on the flip side I run lower kelvin lighting in my sump (5k to 6k) and I get great macro algea along with other nuisance growths, like cynobacteria, in the sump with nothing showing up in the main display. __________________ A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's

12/24/2011, 12:02 PM	#6
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	It's about control. There may be times you will want less light or light at a different time. If you are having algae problems, you may want to decrease the photoperiod, or go lights out for several days. Or you just introduced a fish or coral, and want the lights out or turned down. Or, you are at work most of the day, and want to enjoy the tank at night, but don't want your tank lit for 18 hours a day with sunlight during the day and tank lights at night. Obviously, you cannot control the sun, so I prefer an area where the sun does not hit the tank. Not saying it cannot or should not be done. It can be done, and for some people, quite successfuly actually. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

12/24/2011, 10:08 AM	#3
sjwitt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: USA, East Coast Posts: 896	The only thing I'd be concerned with is increased heat in the summer.

12/24/2011, 12:30 PM	#7
aleonn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,041	I like how the natural sunlight hits my corals and tank. I do notice mild algae and corraline growth in certain parts of the tank. I cut a piece of styrofoam to cover the parts of the tank with silicone, in case the heat causes it to expand unevenly.

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