sunlight?

[blazingazn]

out of curiosity, has anyone tried or ever wondered about keeping a heavily planted aquarium by a window so it can get natural sunlight instead of using a hood? if the temp of the tank can be well regulated somehow, any reason y this wouldnt work?

[livingword26]

I think it would be an algae factory

[THE V]

If it was very heavily planted and very lightly stocked with CO2 and properly fertilized it might not turn into a green pea soup. The other issue is all of the plants will be leaning towards light. It will give you a wonderful diagonal effect in your tank.

[sundevil_brian]

I have a tank just like you described.
It's a ten gallon heavily planted with corkscrew vals that cover the entire bottom, a big ball of moss and a bunch of floating hornwort.
I think the tank has been set up like that for at least a year but probably longer than that. and all the light comes from the window its sitting by.
as for inhabitants, there is a chinese algae eater, a couple of tetras from another tank i tore down and about 100 cherry shrimp and somewhere around 1000 pond snails.

the only algae "problem" is that there is a thread algae that grows in the tank, but it doesn't attach to anything and grows in bunches and i think it looks good, and if there is too much of it i just pull some out and throw it away.

oh and as for temp regulation i use.... nothing. In the summer it actually gets less light so heats up less.

[sundevil_brian]

If it was very heavily planted and very lightly stocked with CO2 and properly fertilized it might not turn into a green pea soup. The other issue is all of the plants will be leaning towards light. It will give you a wonderful diagonal effect in your tank.

I also tried the Diy co2 thing and it was more trouble than it was worth. i've been co2 free for a long time now and the tank is still fine oh and no ferts either.

probably one of my favorite tanks because the dense growth and minimal maintenance

[Mgamer20o0]

If it was very heavily planted and very lightly stocked with CO2 and properly fertilized it might not turn into a green pea soup. The other issue is all of the plants will be leaning towards light. It will give you a wonderful diagonal effect in your tank.

thats the issues keeping it all balanced. it can work its very hard.