stillnzcookie Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 My Christmas present was an AquaOne EcoStyle 61, and we're keen to set it up in the living room, as that's where we spend the most time. However, it is a VERY sunny room, with full length windows on the north side, and big windows on the west side too. In the summer time, I think it will be fine, as the eaves mean the sun doesn't come in the north windows, and we tend to keep the west curtains shut to prevent the room overheating, but in winter the north sun fills the whole room, and we want the warmth from the sun shining in the west windows as well. So I don't want to have to keep all the curtains shut in winter, but I'm pretty sure that means the tank would be getting direct sunlight for part of the day. Is this just going to be a guaranteed algae disaster, or is it worth giving it a try? The tank is 70L, and it will be planted with Anubias and Java Fern, and probably Java Moss. I may also plant some Ambulia and/or other stem plants - am I right in thinking that faster-growing plants will suck up excess nutrients and help reduce algae? I'd love to hear from anyone who has set up a tank in a sunny room - what are your experiences? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 I'm not convinced that sunlight magically causes algae like everyone seems to think. It's just brighter than most people's tank lighting, and just like a well lit tank, nutrients in the water+light=algae. Keep the tank clean and you should be fine, especially if the sun isn't shining directly on the tank. You could just put up a single shade to minimize the sunlight on the tank if it turns out to be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 I'd love to hear from anyone who has set up a tank in a sunny room - what are your experiences? Thanks! I've had experience with tanks in sunny rooms numerous times, always with the same results, algae central. Both high tech and low tech tanks fall victim to algae when exposed to sunlight for more than a few minutes a day. I currently have a tank that's too long for the wall so 5cm of the end sticks out past the window, the glass in this area alone is covered in algae whereas the rest of the tank is fine. Aquariums are best suited to dark corners, that's where they look the best anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I'm not convinced that sunlight magically causes algae like everyone seems to think. It's just brighter than most people's tank lighting, and just like a well lit tank, nutrients in the water+light=algae. Keep the tank clean and you should be fine, especially if the sun isn't shining directly on the tank. You could just put up a single shade to minimize the sunlight on the tank if it turns out to be a problem. +1 - sunlight is just way stronger and longer hours. I think you just need to compensate for the increased lighting (which may mean not turning on your default lighting that came with the tank, unless it has a moon light or something like that) Can you put black plastic (wouldn't want to paint the sides black on such an expensive tank - maybe that's just me though lol) around edges that won't be viewed? (and just make it look tidy) Any light diffusion like shades will work. We have an outdoors tank which is algae central, but it's also not dosed with ferts (the high bioload somewhat helps) and CO2 - BBA was our major issue. We get green spot but that's not a major (never grew on the plants) - but at the moment with summer we're having a HUGE issue with cyanobacteria. We're not really sure how to fix it when we can't control the light hours, but blacking out the sides has really helped. It's also less in areas with high water flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 For some reference the intensity of sunlight on a clear day will be in the region of 100,000 lux. Your average planted tank with moderate lighting will be somewhere around 750 lux. An average house will be 200-300 lux. So, direct sunlight on a nice sunny day would be roughly 500 times brighter than your office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 For some reference the intensity of sunlight on a clear day will be in the region of 100,000 lux. Your average planted tank with moderate lighting will be somewhere around 750 lux. An average house will be 200-300 lux. So, direct sunlight on a nice sunny day would be roughly 500 times brighter than your office. Yup, I imagine its PAR and light spectrum is way more extreme than the tank lighting too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've had same experience as Sam. Direct sunlight on the tank and excess nutrients got me staghorn. These days in sunny rooms I tend to get hair algae but at the moment it's not bad as I keep the lighted time down to 3 hours and close the curtains in the afternoon. The other thing that tends to decrease the speed at which algae grows is current, at least in a low tech tank anyway. I've had less algae when adding more current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 My tank is in a room with windows on every wall and two walls with massive ranch sliders. I simply put black paper on the back and one side to keep it out where possible and have no algae issues at all. Worst case get vertical blinds so you can direct the sunlight enough to be away from tank. If directly in front then yes it could be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thanks for the replies! Am I right in thinking that it is only direct sunlight shining on the tank that causes algae, not simply having it in a bright room? I'm contemplating sewing a cover for the tank to block direct sunlight for the few hours per day in winter that the sun would shine directly on the tank, and only running the tank lights in the late afternoon and evening. I guess all I can do is try it and have a Plan B for if it becomes a problem. We've taken the tank out of the box and put it on the wooden chest, and I agree with hubby that, from a purely aesthetic point of view, it's a great place for a fish tank. The kids are excited too, because it is low enough for them to see in properly, and I think they'll get a lot of enjoyment from it. It will be a while before we set it up, as we need to carpet the room, and it would be silly to set it up then have to move it, but I'm planning to set up a tank log, so I'll keep you posted on how it works out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanNSANZ Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I moved my main tank into my lounge around 3 months ago, it receives sunlight from 3 different sides. I run CO2 with a single Arcadia HO strip and experience basically no algae whatsoever. I would go as far to say that out of all the tank setups that I've had, this one is by far doing the best in terms of plant growth and health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueether Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I have a 160L ish tank the is against a window, ie the sun shines right through it from when it rises till it gets quite high maybe 10 or 11 oclock. No algae problems. Just one adult BN to eat the stuff, there was a small goldspot but it is in another tank now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 That's a beautiful fish tank, BrendanNSANZ - thanks for sharing! I presume with CO2 it is easier to get a balance of light and nutrients - my tank will be low-tech. But it's still good to know that people have had success with "sunny tanks"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnadian Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I've had same experience as Sam. Direct sunlight on the tank and excess nutrients got me staghorn. These days in sunny rooms I tend to get hair algae but at the moment it's not bad as I keep the lighted time down to 3 hours and close the curtains in the afternoon. The other thing that tends to decrease the speed at which algae grows is current, at least in a low tech tank anyway. I've had less algae when adding more current. Black hair algae can be removed with either Excel Flourish or spot-treating with peroxide (squirt a couple ml of peroxide directly onto the algae with the filter off and it kills it, then wait a few mins and turn filter back on) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Black hair algae can be removed with either Excel Flourish or spot-treating with peroxide (squirt a couple ml of peroxide directly onto the algae with the filter off and it kills it, then wait a few mins and turn filter back on) I think she meant green hair algae (BBA isn't really caused so much by lighting changes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted January 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Well, maybe the answer to having a fish tank in a sunny room is partly just to cram it full of plants... Our current tank is getting about an hour of direct sunlight each morning at the moment, but the water is crystal clear - the best it has ever been. I think it is because I haven't been pruning the plants at all, as I'm trying to get enough plants for the new tank as well. So the ambulia is running rampant and has covered the side of the tank which gets sunlight - it's growing better than it ever has, and we have crystal clear water, no algae on the glass at all, and hardly any BBA! :happy2: It really is all about getting that balance right, it seems - and it's certainly nice when you hit the "sweet spot"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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