loves saltwater
Premium Member
My question is this. Do you use your natural light coming in from windows to set your sun up/sun down with your lighting or do you keep the room dark and set your own sun up/sun down ?
How do you use natural light
- Thread starter loves saltwater
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parothead22
New member
I let the full sun come into my fish room, to increase the amount of light to my corals! It doesn't shine in for more than an hour, so the heat issue is not really a problem but the irradiance increase is a good thing IMO.
loves saltwater
Premium Member
The window in my room does not get sun shining in the room as it faces south but does get natural light all day. I was thinking that maybe I should leave the curtains open then start my lighting up near dusk them with them going off around 10 or so.
SurfnFish
New member
When the sun comes up, it shines right through a window and into part of my tank where I have some mushrooms on my LR. I don't have a reef tank, other than these little mushroom things, but they love when the sun comes in. I have my lights come on at right about the same time as the actual sun comes up. After about 10 a.m., the sun has moved over the house, and does not shine directly into the tank. The rest of the day the tank still sees natural light, but not as strong as the morning. Then my lights go off around the time the sun is no longer shining into the house. It's about a 10 hour cycle.
loves saltwater
Premium Member
Surfnfish so you don't have any lighting on your tank in the evening hours say from 6-10 pm ?
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
Utilizing natural sunlight and a articicial light source together can be iffy at times. Potential for massive algae blooms will be there. Just be cautious. Personally, I block the windows in my fish room since i run the lights from about noon to 10 at night. I don't get home from work until almost sundown and would hate to not see my fish tanks with lights going.
SurfnFish
New member
Right. My lights go off at around 6 p.m. It does kind of suck not being able to watch the guys at night, but that's why I have "moonlights". That way I still get to enjoy them a little bit. My little boy (19 months) is home all day, and he gets a huge kick out of watching them so at least someone is enjoying the tank all day. I have had no problems with algae to this point papagimp, but I am definitely aware of the possibility. I have tried many different lighting cycles, and this one seems to work the best for my tank.
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
Most often I hear of algae blooms during this type of lighting when ALOT of natural light is coming in...jsut a little bit for a smaller amount of time isn't bad at all, the tank can adjust nutrients exports and whatnot easily for smaller changes or increases in light.
SurfnFish, maybe you should setup a webcam aimed at the tank so you can look at it while your at work, lol. (serisouly though, I've thought about this one myself
)
SurfnFish, maybe you should setup a webcam aimed at the tank so you can look at it while your at work, lol. (serisouly though, I've thought about this one myself
)
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Re: How do you use natural light
you can do either. Aquariums always look more impressive in a dark room, but if you're trying to grow light loving reef organisms how can you beat something that's free?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
thanx. (See new "reflectionless" pix in my RC gallery.)
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
for a moment I thought you meant my gigantea carpet anemone!<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10246838#post10246838 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redox
gary that is a very nice looking setup and by the looks of the carpet you have had real good luck with no overspills
thanx- I've never ever received a compliment on our carpeting before! :lol:
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