planted tank with some natural light.

[Star_Rider]

I am experimenting with an aquarium set up with low artificial light(20 watts) I believe this a flora gro bulb and some filtered natural light( 6-8 hrs dependant upon the cloud cover.sunlight is controlled with shutter blinds). a sort of shoot off from the natrual tank set up I have heard about.

I have 1-1.5 " of laterite topped with 1" small gravel.

the tank is a 30 gallon with water sprite, anubias (nana) attached to driftwood. a med sword. anacharis, several crypts. a java moss carpet and wisteria scattered about.and cabomba.

as I mentioned this is an experiment. there is no CO2, no added ferts..there are 4 small angels currently in the tank.

this tank has been running since may.the cabomba appeared to be dying off.lost about 50% of it .but has since begun to re-establish.
the other plants are growing and I have taken cuttings from watersprite, annacharis..the sword has increased by 25% the crypts will need to be thinned soon.

wisteria is floating and developing thin root hairs and will be planted in about 1 week dependant upon the roots.

algae is kept incontrol with 2 albino bn's but has not been a real problem to date.

I will try to get pictures one of these days and report what happens.

short of what appears to be a pair forming with the peruvian scalare. :dance2:

 

[djlen]

I am not a fan of using solar light to illuminate an aquarium. It is too variable in intensity and very difficult to balance the other elements necessary for a planted tank with. You could come home one afternoon and find you have a tank that looks similar to lime jello in color.
My suggestion would be to stop depending on the sunshine and get yourself 60 watts of CF lighting over the tank.

Len

 

[Star_Rider]

as mentioned this tank is an experiment and this tank is not set up without some studying.

on another forum there is a thread by a plant enthusiast and scientist.

she uses only 1-2 wpg and natrual sunlight..tho the tanks go to more extremes by being left pretty much ala natural. this is what feeds my interest in this tank and how well it does..I expect the tank to go thru seasons and the sunlight is filtered (I can nearly elimintated direct sunlight.)

so far this tank is exeeding plant growth of my 75 with CO2, 220 watts of light(VHO) natural lamps. and ferts.

the plants grow fairly slow but steady.

I'm not going to advocate the use of sunlight but I also believe it has it's merits.

 

[twig]

nothing can compete with the power of the sun ... but it isn't as consistant as pointed out.

If you can make it work the tank will be beautiful.

There was a huge tank posted here once that only used sunlight but the tank was very big =O

 

[Star_Rider]

the idea of course is au naturale.

the sun is not consistent anywhere in nature. the environments many of us provide is un-natural. plants in this tank are expected to go thru natural ups and downs..the only thiong that remains fairly consistent is temperature which also get fluctuations during water changes..usually minor temp changes.

there is consitent light provided in low volume supplemented with natural sunlight.

I don't expect this tank to thrive like a tank that is supplemented. but the inhabitants of this tank are wild peruvian scalare..I figured I would try and mimic nature as much as I could.

must be all those college science classes..