Natural Sunlight

muecyl · 07-05-2008, 02:54 PM

So after my last post concerning the lack of synthetic lighting, I have been impressed with my tanks health with having a fair amount of sunlight in addition to bulbs. I came across this great article that gives some readings of photosynthetically active radiation in terms of where in the tank and how much... (t5 + sun, t5 alone, MH + sun, MH alone)

How many of you 3reef's use any sunlight at all?

Photosynthetically Active Radiation

article by Adam Bludell: Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Lateral Lines: The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas

skip past the intro and read the PAR readings....

muecyl · 07-06-2008, 12:14 PM

So nobody utilizes natural light???

SmittyCoco · 07-06-2008, 12:21 PM

Thank you for posting that link . Very interesting stuff. I had a lot of natural light on my tank when I first started , but just close my blinds now. Way too much algae.

PharmrJohn · 07-06-2008, 03:12 PM

I purposefully located my tank in a place where direct sunlight could not hit it. I do not want an algae problem. And so far, I have been blessed. Everything I have read says to stick with traditional lighting.

Tangster · 07-06-2008, 03:29 PM

Unless you have the proper glass in a hot House type deal then what sunlight you would get through a house window will cause light intensity and spectrum distortion and this can cause a problem . Light will be refracted and shifted to red and yellow wave lengths and cause a sever algae issue . The Guy who I manage a coral grow out system we built a 25 x50 hot house last Fall . I mentioned what I would happen with the wave lenghts of the light and it was a pure mess I have been told with algae until they got the proper glass panels on the roof and sides that direct sunlight comes through this spring sure happy I missed that party (: Never use natural sunlight Especially if the near by windows are doubled pane insulated as the Gases inside will really mess with wave length shifts . Now all that having been said what is growwn in a hot house under the natural sun are weak in coloration and they all have to be colored up under the proper M/H and Actinics. Its the same with corals grown out under the Old Iwakie's 65K M/H the just look brown and off color.

muecyl · 07-08-2008, 08:03 AM

Tangster, sounds like an amazing shindig you have going on, feel free to most more info/pic of your projects pertaining to alternative lighting. Thanks for the post...

Tangster · 07-08-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muecyl

Tangster, sounds like an amazing shindig you have going on, feel free to most more info/pic of your projects pertaining to alternative lighting. Thanks for the post...

I don't do Photos (: I have them of our corals and such and I had a few of the light tubes on a semi cloudy day , The hot house is just a hothouse seen one you have seen them all just row's of 12 ft troughs for coral growing. I have never been much with a camera and to old to start now (: I just brought a nice one and found someone to use it LOL Told her it was for Xmas LOL When I get back to work I'll post some of the hothouse,

geekdafied · 07-08-2008, 09:12 AM

NVM, that was Joe Jaworski....

amcarrig · 07-08-2008, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tangster

I just brought a nice one and found someone to use it LOL Told her it was for Xmas LOL When

Nice...and I fell for it too

I think I had some pictures of the hothouse but they were in the old hard drive in the laptop so they're long gone now

Tangster · 07-08-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amcarrig

Nice...and I fell for it too

I think I had some pictures of the hothouse but they were in the old hard drive in the laptop so they're long gone now

SURPRISE!!!!!

Lets bag it up LOL

07-05-2008, 02:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
muecyl Feather Duster Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: L-town Age: 30 Posts: 223 Skin: Mint Karma: 803	Natural Sunlight So after my last post concerning the lack of synthetic lighting, I have been impressed with my tanks health with having a fair amount of sunlight in addition to bulbs. I came across this great article that gives some readings of photosynthetically active radiation in terms of where in the tank and how much... (t5 + sun, t5 alone, MH + sun, MH alone) How many of you 3reef's use any sunlight at all? Photosynthetically Active Radiation article by Adam Bludell: Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Lateral Lines: The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas skip past the intro and read the PAR readings....

07-06-2008, 03:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tangster 3reef Sponsor Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Va/Ct Posts: 5,569 Skin: Mint Karma: 34991	Unless you have the proper glass in a hot House type deal then what sunlight you would get through a house window will cause light intensity and spectrum distortion and this can cause a problem . Light will be refracted and shifted to red and yellow wave lengths and cause a sever algae issue . The Guy who I manage a coral grow out system we built a 25 x50 hot house last Fall . I mentioned what I would happen with the wave lenghts of the light and it was a pure mess I have been told with algae until they got the proper glass panels on the roof and sides that direct sunlight comes through this spring sure happy I missed that party (: Never use natural sunlight Especially if the near by windows are doubled pane insulated as the Gases inside will really mess with wave length shifts . Now all that having been said what is growwn in a hot house under the natural sun are weak in coloration and they all have to be colored up under the proper M/H and Actinics. Its the same with corals grown out under the Old Iwakie's 65K M/H the just look brown and off color. _________ Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible (Doug Larson) Visit our website at: http://www.aquaticarttechnologies.com/contact.asp

07-08-2008, 09:12 AM	#8 (permalink)
geekdafied Giant Squid Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: TN Age: 33 Posts: 3,917 Skin: Mint Karma: 6729	NVM, that was Joe Jaworski.... _________ [CENTER]Renaming Our Corals "Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." Andre Gide Last edited by geekdafied; 07-08-2008 at 09:19 AM.

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07-06-2008, 12:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
muecyl Feather Duster Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: L-town Age: 30 Posts: 223 Skin: Mint Karma: 803	So nobody utilizes natural light???

07-06-2008, 12:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
SmittyCoco Fire Shrimp Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Modesto,Cali Age: 30 Posts: 311 Skin: Mint Karma: 840	Thank you for posting that link . Very interesting stuff. I had a lot of natural light on my tank when I first started , but just close my blinds now. Way too much algae.

07-06-2008, 03:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
PharmrJohn Giant Squid Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Shelton, Washington Age: 46 Posts: 4,595 Skin: Mint Karma: 25954	I purposefully located my tank in a place where direct sunlight could not hit it. I do not want an algae problem. And so far, I have been blessed. Everything I have read says to stick with traditional lighting.

07-08-2008, 08:03 AM	#6 (permalink)
muecyl Feather Duster Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: L-town Age: 30 Posts: 223 Skin: Mint Karma: 803	Tangster, sounds like an amazing shindig you have going on, feel free to most more info/pic of your projects pertaining to alternative lighting. Thanks for the post...