Tanks in sunny rooms-advice pls

[mt_marcy]

Hi,
I am thinking about moving (shared acomm, so one room only to set things up in) and I am considering one place with a huge window and not too many "dark corners", hence a sunny room. My question would be, if I choose this place how would you go about settting up/maintianing a tank in such a sunny atmosphere? Would there be a way to limit algae growth and not having the tank heat up due to the warm rays of the sun? Thanks,
mt_marcy!

[jderuiter]

:D Uh,..... curtains? :D
Sorry MT , I couldn't resist lol

[Andy16]

You could buy tank shades and a cooler. You could cover up your tank with the shade when you dont want light to come in. And curtains would help a lot:)

[slipknottin]

sunlight wont cause algae!!

[ChilDawg]

I had always heard that overexposure to sunlight would cause algae, Slip...but I think that I will have to believe you (although I would like a source or an anecdotal example)!

[slipknottin]

Nutrients from overfeeding and too few water changes grow algae. Light, by itself, will not, regardless of the intensity or spectrum.

I know of many fish farmers (and SW coral and clam famers) that use natural sunlight as the light source for their aquariums. With good husbandy skills, by doing water changes and not overstocking or overfeeding, you will not have algae problems.

[ChilDawg]

Okay, good point...I had forgotten the good-old algal triangle. My humble apologies!

~Matthew

[slipknottin]

I thought the same as you for quite a while and spent a great deal of time rearranging furniture to get the tanks out of sunlight... ;)

As Anthony Calfo says, "If many of the hobbyists that could give their tanks natural sunlight did, arguments about artificial lighting would be moot"

Live and Learn, and then you use nature. :D

[FASTRAKR]

algal triangle? I have never heard of it before. What are the three points to this. Might be a good thing for us newbys to here.

[OrionGirl]

Anecdotal evidence: My planted 40 gets direct, early morning sunlight from sunrise til a few hours later--more in the summer, less in the winter. I don't have any more algae in the summer than I do any other time of year. The only effect I have noticed is that the plants on the exposed side of the tank tend to grow facing the outside of the tank, rather than the lights above.

Algae triangle: nutrients, light, CO2. If you reduce or increase either aspect, you can fluctuate the algae growth to some degree, but without all three, algae won't grow. True plants will utilize the nutrients and CO2 before algae can, in most cases. Plants have the same set of needs, but are, in most cases, better at using them. This is why increasing light won't necessarily increase algae, if nutrients and CO2 levels don't change. The exception is if you have lots of nutrients in the tank currently that are not utilized, and light really is the restricting factor.

[beviking]

My tank is in a room with 4 large (30"X72") skylights, 2 doors, 2 30"X42?" windows, and a bay window. I know it's Syracuse and not the sunniest place, but there's lot 'o light. Follow the suggestions above and you should be o.k.!

[ChilDawg]

Sorry, it was something stupid I said last night, akin to the fire triangle, but let's call it nutrients, light, and water!

[beviking]

Wouldn't it be a square? You do need algae (spores?) too right?;)

[ChilDawg]

Nope, I subscribe to theory that it comes from nowhere--kind of like how mice come from open sacks of feed with no other stimulus. (Hmm...that would kind of be cool, like a "Willard" sort of dynamic in my basement...)

Okay, fine, algal "tetrangle," to make it fancy-sounding! :)

[mt_marcy]

Hi, thanks for all the replies and advice:) I know curtons will help...lol! What are aquarium shades by the way? Thanks,
mt_marcy!

[wetmanNY]

mtmarcy, get those Levolor thin-slat adjustable venetian blinds. A stiff sheet of expanded polystyrene helps cool the tank in August.

[Andy16]

they are what some people use for like hospital tanks so taht they dont freak out there fish. You could also just use a towel to serve the same purpose though.

[125gJoe]

http://gordon.sourcecod.com/images/flagicons/american_flag.gif
Just my opinion, but I prefer a controlled lighting situation. I wouldn't want to depend on sulight for an aquarium. I don't like having a darkened tank at night, say 6pm to 10pm, because the tank got enough light during the day. Some of the best viewing times of aquariums are at night with artificial lights on.

Just a thought.... :)