Creating sunlit seascapes: Do you use sunlight for your macroalgae?

[Peace River]

Creating sunlit seascapes: Do you use sunlight for your macroalgae?

There are several approaches to lighting a reef tank and these lighting approaches can change when you include macroalgae in the display tank. Of course, the type of macro that you are trying to grow will also impact your decisions about lighting. A couple of the common ideas in this hobby is that sunlight has negative effects on the tank and, secondly, sunlight grows algae. However, if you are trying to grow macroalgae then sunlight may or may not be bad. After all the sun is the lighting for ocean reefs. What do you think – do you use sunlight for your algae? Please tell us if you have had experience with sunlight and macroalgae. Also feel free to chime in with your thoughts and experience with sunlight and reef tanks in general. Bonus points if you share pictures of a sunlit reef aquarium!

Photo by @lakereef

This QOTD is sponsored by: www.topshelfaquatics.com

"Offering one of the largest selections of coral and dry goods online. Top Shelf Aquatics is your one stop shop for all of your aquarium needs. We have made our name by not only providing the healthiest and most vibrant frags shipped straight to your door, but we pride ourselves in providing excellent customer service. Whether you are looking for that one of a kind piece or for the perfect beginner coral to start your reef, our dedicated staff is always eager to help!"

 

[Crabs McJones]

I didn't let sunlight hit my tank when I had it. Was too worried about algae growth. My macroalgae was kept in the sump lit by a kessil fuge light. But a sun lit macro display would have been pretty awesome

 

[Naekuh]

My new tank gets about 3 hours of direct light per day on that side.
I always was a fan of giving your tank some direct light.
But you can see how that direct light effects the algae... lol.

But its also because my cheato reactor is not up, and my refugium is still brand new, as i just came out cycle on this tank less then a month ago.

 

[shakacuz]

i do get a tinge of sunlight onto my DT, but its brief and short lived. nothing intentional, its just because of where the window is.

 

[Katrina71]

I have one side of the tank by a window. It definitely impacts algae on that side, but I've learned to use it to my advantage for some things. Planning on using it for photosynthetic gorgs in the new tank. Maybe a clam too.

 

[MnFish1]

Sun is not going to hurt anything (unless a sudden addition - IMHO because the light produces so slowly allowing adaptation). I had the best success with gonipora when at least part of the day was pure sun. Just a comment - not a recommendation

 

[betareef]

Just a story, but I had a tiny pico sized tank that sat in a greenhouse, so sunlight on it was filtered through the ceiling glass/plastic. It had no artificial lights. The tank was just a place to grow caulerpa and it fell into neglect. The caulerpa thrived and filled the tank (growing on a sand substrate). Many months later I decided to clean the tank up and found a small butterfly (similar species to copperband) that I was sure had died. But no, he was happy and fat. Obviously living on algae and copepods or something.

in short, sunlit tanks can be very successful, even by accident.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Sun is not going to hurt anything (unless a sudden addition - IMHO because the light produces so slowly allowing adaptation). I had the best success with gonipora when at least part of the day was pure sun. Just a comment - not a recommendation

My classroom tank gets 3-4hrs/day of very direct sunlight.

One thing that is interesting is that I’ve seen corals bleach when going from one LED set-up to another, even when spectrum and PAR were comparable, but I’ve never had a coral bleach from being exposed to direct sunlight…even when it is much more intense, and even when there is no acclimation.

I guess that’s what hundreds of millions of years of evolution does for a coral.

 

[steveschuerger]

My tank is in a well lit living room with the sun coming in from the left side. Sunlight that directly goes into the tank is somewhat lessened by my R2R swag towel hung on that side to dissuade my cat from being interested and leaping onto a shelf that holds a houseplant in a multi tier unit. It did get full sun for about an hour before I started doing that however.

 

[Oiseaufeu]

I have 3 windows (2 in my ceiling and one in the wall) and my tanks get some sunlight. I have a tiny branch of cheato.

 

[KC2020]

I figured my fish and corals would appreciate an ocean view Not that I wanted taunt them, but my new Nano has a nice view of the ocean, it's about 5 blocks to the beach, and that window enjoys mid-late afternoon sun for about 3 hours. I'll start the turf scrubber after a couple of months. I've done this before and it's been wonderful.

Many of my LPS, so called lower light corals, just love the sun.

 

[vlangel]

I said that I never had a sun lit tank but I did have a sun lit jar and it did well. I had it in a south facing window and all it had was an airstone for flow and aeration. It had some macroalgae and and coral too. I eventually moved that jar into the livingroom and put it under a tuna blue Led and have enclosed a pic.

I may try a real sun lit tank someday.

 

[Alexraptor]

I routinely have sunlight in all my tanks during the spring and summer months.

 

[Oiseaufeu]

I figured my fish and corals would appreciate an ocean view Not that I wanted taunt them, but my new Nano has a nice view of the ocean, it's about 5 blocks to the beach, and that window enjoys mid-late afternoon sun for about 3 hours. I'll start the turf scrubber after a couple of months. I've done this before and it's been wonderful.

Many of my LPS, so called lower light corals, just love the sun.

What’s the fish called?

 

[KC2020]

What’s the fish called?

That's a Sharknose goby from ORA. Wonderful little fish, docile but fairly active.

 

[Oiseaufeu]

That's a Sharknose goby from ORA. Wonderful little fish, docile but fairly active.

Cool! I bet they’re super pricey.

 

[KC2020]

Cool! I bet they’re super pricey.

They're not in the U.S.. You can buy them online for $35. You can ask your LFS if they have ORA fish for sale. I know ORA ships to dealers in Canada.

 

[Oiseaufeu]

They're not in the U.S.. You can buy them online for $35. You can ask your LFS if they have ORA fish for sale. I know ORA ships to dealers in Canada.

Cool! I’ll look into it!

 

[ZoaSue]

I said that I never had a sun lit tank but I did have a sun lit jar and it did well. I had it in a south facing window and all it had was an airstone for flow and aeration. It had some macroalgae and and coral too. I eventually moved that jar into the livingroom and put it under a tuna blue Led and have enclosed a pic.

I may try a real sun lit tank someday.

I like the jar! What is the size? Is the filtration all live rock/sand?

 

[vlangel]

I like the jar! What is the size? Is the filtration all live rock/sand?

The jar was a gallon cookie jar that I bought at target. The filtration was just live rock, (there was no sand, I only painted the outside of the jar so it looked like sand) and weekly water changes, (almost 100% water change).