I'm back.
LiquisShaneo,
I'm working on getting some pictures I have been traveling quit a bit lately so it hard to find the time.
Like I said I have four of the 10in tubes that sit about 2ft off of the surface of the water. The tank is 60 x 36 x 32 all glass. There is no support in the middle to block the light, and when I made the canopy I made the top open so that there were no obstructions.
I have a 6in deep sand bed and approximately 150lbs of hand made live rock (ARF Style). I went with the hand made rock so that I could make the structure as functional as possible but yet as reef friendly as I could. I have a friend that gave me some live sand from is reef to seed my tank.
I covered the top of my tank for 6 months with a shade cloth to keep the bulk of the sun out of the tank so that it could cycle (the best thing I have ever done and the hardest).
Once the tank had cycled I added a small protein skimmer (Turbo Floater) now I only use the skimmer for 8 hours a week and I do a 5% water change a week (Automated). I have one large 3/4 horse pump that runs a large rectangle spray bar type system located at the top of the tank. This creates a massive chaotic water flow that can only be described as (Intense).
No supplements are added to the water at all. The water changes take care of all the issues of water quality. And the extreme water flow combined with the open top takes care of the gas exchange and provides great glitter lines.
I have at least 50 types of SPS corals and five large clams (all farmed). The tank was setup as an experiment to prove that I could have a natural based reef tank that didn't need all that techno stuff and that would not take anything from the real reefs of the world.
The only thing I would do differently is have something like the Eco-Wheel that provided a more natural environment. I have been saying for the last 7 years that the artificial sounds in our systems have a negative effect on the animals we keep.
Again I would like to say I use NO supplemental lighting what so ever!!!!
Spasse,
I would agree that the number of sunny days is important but the number one concern is the intensity of light that you receive. Arizona has by far the most intense light in the U.S. except for parts of California. I bought a light meter to determine the number of tubes and how far to bring them to the surface of the water.
MchEdward,
I would like to know where you got your Eco-Wheel from. Here in Arizona there are no dealers that will carry this system.
The first tank I setup was the typical reef tank with Metal Halides and Protein Skimmers and Ozone and etc....etc....etc....etc.... The only people that have a problem with natural light are the people that have a nutrient problem. With the system I have now there has never been a problem with alga.
No heat is transferred to the tank by the Sola Tubes. That is a major issue in Arizona where it can reach to 120 degrees in the summer. I keep my house around 75 degrees in the summer and 65 in the winter.
DgenR8,
The amount of light that is reflected down is affected by the length of the tube, so I know for a fact that the tube would be to long to be effective in a two story house. I have a flat roof so it enabled me to have the shortest tube possible.
tic,
I looked into having a window that allowed light to enter the tank, the problem with that (in my opinion) is that the sun is in an optimal location for such a short period of time that it would not be beneficial. The other issue would be the heat during the summer and the cold during the winter entering in from the window could have a negative effect on the tank. Also the glare would be to distracting for me (in my opinion only).
crap,
I live in Arizona, we do not have daylight savings time so at 7:00pm it's still light outside (in the summer) also I work from 6:00am to 2:30pm so there is not an issue for me. I have all day on the weekends to view my tank, plus my wife doesn't work so she has all day to enjoy my efforts
Like I said before there shouldn't be a problem with alga if the system is kept in good health. You can't produce alga without food for it.
SPasse,
Ditto. I would like to state that I'm trying to re-produce the reef as a whole and the sun is only out for so many hours a day and the fact the some of us are trying to extend the (viewing hours) is unnatural. I also disagree with the 12 hrs of light 7 days a week 365 days a year. The natural reef is not that way, what makes us belive that that is what's best for our animals.
DgenR8,
Amen to that, this is one of the reasons for setting this type of system up. When the moon is out on a clear night there is a tremendous amount of light in the tank, so much in fact that on a full moon the tank has glitter lines. I have a curtain that wraps around the tank a night so that the lights in the house don't penetrate the tank and so that on a full moon the house isn't filled with light.
I have had my clams spawn several times. The health of all my corals is incredible and they are growing like weeds. I thought that these things were hard to keep but with this tank I have had nothing but success. The only issue I have is that the cuttings I take from the parent colonies cannot be sold to anyone with a techno system.
I feel that that type of system will not provide the same environment that is achieved here.
Not to say that the techno system is inferior or will not work but that it is different and that the difference may have a negative effect on the animals.
And lets face it that is why were in this, to provide a stable environment that allows all the creatures we keep to thrive and flourish.
I hope this helps,
440cudaman
I'd love to see your tank, how you have your SolarTubes setup, etc. We've talked about this a number of times on the Reefkeepers mailing list but so far we haven't seen anyone using them for their tanks. It would be great to see someone actually using them and hearing how successful they were at implementing them on their tank, what they would change, some tips that they might have, etc! I've thought about this concept a number of times as an alternative to using so much halide lighting. Please let us know the DETAILS! 
