Post pics of your sunlight powered reef here

[amfynn]

Hello,

For all you reefers out there that use sunlight to fuel your SPS reef....please post pics of your tank and what you use for filtration.

here is mine:

Stuck a blue sheet on the back, so to get a good contrast in the pics

Filtration:
1000lb's (500kg's) of live rock, 3 protein skimmers and lots of macroalgae. I run carbon and ozone, dose 12ml of vodka daily

 

[Nam Nguyen]

wow all cool picture. it's good idea to used sunlight for coral)

 

[allsps40]

Corals all look healthy. However the thing about NSL is that it is way yellow. That is why your sps are brown. You can see some different colors wanting to come out though. May I suggest adding some T5s for actinic supplementation. You will find that will bring out those purples, blues and pinks I can see in the pics.

 

[hk855]

Nice, I hope to set up a NSL tank some day. How does the light get in the room, skylight, sola tube or custom?

 

[amfynn]

Thanks, I've built a sun room with basically clear 8mm twin walled polycarbonate sheeting. I have a light unit but will only hang it up in winter (around June) as temps are quite high as it is.

I hope to get my hands on ChromatiNet Blue shade cloth, it reduces the spectrum of red and far-red light and increases the blue light spectrum. Currenty have 40% green shade cloth.

Here is a link as to how I got here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1838193

So anyone out there....with something similar?

 

[cubical]

Pretty impressive!
I LOVE the idea!
I know of one Acro farmer down here in Southern California that uses sunlight but filters it through blue plastic, with phenomenal results!!!!
Garret's Acropolis, I've seen him at many trade shows

 

[amfynn]

So got my grubby paws on a PAR Meter, readings were taken around 11:30am.
I installed 40% blue ChromatiNet shade cloth over the weekend....will see what gives in a months time around color changes.

Readings astounded me partly because of the shade cloth and the filthy polycarb roof, still allowed enough PAR for my set-up.

When the sun was at it's clearest the reading alone in the sun room was around 1200!...I compared this to my 250w BLV globes about 30cm away with only clear air between the bulb and the sensor and I only got around 280.

The pic below ilustrates more or less what the readings averaged around. At 8am in the morn, the readings were about 300-400 less than whats shown.

 

[Felixc395]

Terrific photos, and some nice PAR readings! Can't wait to see some more pics!

 

[rhys123]

So anyone out there....with something similar?

My system is very similar to yours apart from mine being a mixed propagation & display tank with 2 addon tanks off to the side propagating LPS and Xenia under polycarbonate using a blue shade cloth to reduce the sunlight a further 25% (even shallow water coral IME bleach out under unshaded direct sunlight).

I also use lighting (on a light rail) during winter to supplement the sunlight (which is indirect) and though my systems spectrum is yellow due to the sunlight (it is no use adding supplemental lighting sunlight will just wash the blue out) I have found that I am also getting awesome colors and phenomenal growth rates + I like the natural look anyhow

Mine 4x4x2 + 2 2x2x1.5

Cut the reading by about 25% as I use a blue shad cloth to further reduce the sunlight

Some corals

 

[rhys123]

System Volume 1500 liters

Filtration 100kg live rock

DSB & Macro

Clean Sump

SWC 300A Skimmer and FBF running GFO

100 micron filter bags

 

[dvanacker]

WOW...rhys123. Amazing color for natural sunlight. Wish I lived in Australia.

 

[amfynn]

My system is very similar to yours apart from mine being a mixed propagation & display tank with 2 addon tanks off to the side propagating LPS and Xenia under polycarbonate using a blue shade cloth to reduce the sunlight a further 25% (even shallow water coral IME bleach out under unshaded direct sunlight).

I also use lighting (on a light rail) during winter to supplement the sunlight (which is indirect) and though my systems spectrum is yellow due to the sunlight (it is no use adding supplemental lighting sunlight will just wash the blue out) I have found that I am also getting awesome colors and phenomenal growth rates + I like the natural look anyhow

Mines is also propagation and display, all running off the same sump/system. I agree on the bleaching, had that as well on some of the corals before I shaded.

Some questions:
How are you getting your green plating monti to stay so green? mines all turn a drab beige while under the sun. I also use blue shade cloth.

Are you dosing amino's, iodine or potassium to help boost colors?

I found in our winter colors were much better, suspect something about how corals photosynthesize with less harsh sun, added to cooler water temps.

 

[vitor pestana]

Hello,

For all you reefers out there that use sunlight to fuel your SPS reef....please post pics of your tank and what you use for filtration.

Hi amfynn!

Here's my old green house project:

http://translate.google.pt/translat...estufa.blogspot.com/&sl=pt&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Regards

Vitor Pestana

 

[amfynn]

Ah Vitor my good man. I remember your thread of your reef in the ground. You wont believe how much I wanted to do something similar.

You have an very informative site, thanks for sharing.

 

[rugby74]

Awesome setups! I'll have to move to get a setup like that. Someday!

 

[rhys123]

Mines is also propagation and display, all running off the same sump/system. I agree on the bleaching, had that as well on some of the corals before I shaded.

Some questions:
How are you getting your green plating monti to stay so green? mines all turn a drab beige while under the sun. I also use blue shade cloth.

Are you dosing amino's, iodine or potassium to help boost colors?

I found in our winter colors were much better, suspect something about how corals photosynthesize with less harsh sun, added to cooler water temps.

Sorry mate missed this question

I don't do anything special it just seems to soak up the sunlight it actually losses it's color slightly over winter under MH

No amino acids no potassium just a very basic system keeping alk,calc and mag stable and 10% water change every week.

Cheers

 

[karsseboom]

I see a lot of people running these tanks that live in flordia or australia but can people that live in the midwest to east coast run this type of set-up?

 

[jc-reef]

^^^ I wondered the same thing.....my thinking is that I would doubt it due to the large temp swings and extreme cold in winter.

 

[SAZAMA]

that is freakin awesome

 

[DBarsotti]

bump.. Love these sunlight tanks