Lighting/Placement Question

[mdbronco]

Hello,

Although not new to the hobby, I have been away from it for about 10 years. I am looking to get back into it with something from the Red Sea line (Max E etc).

I live in Stockholm, Sweden. In the winter, a hot tank is not an issue. But in the summer, the sun is out about 18 hours a day. My apartment is blessed with large windows everywhere, and placement of the tank away from natural light access isn't possible. I plan on getting a chiller for the couple of months of warm weather, but my questions are:

1) is this a non-starter, being that the duration of light is so prolonged in the summer? I would like to keep corals but worry about over-exposure simply due to length of exposure.
2) is this a non-starter simply for the algae control aspects?
3) does anyone have a good recommendation for a chiller for a Max E 170?

Thank-you all for your help!

M

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Welcome to R2R!

You can definitely make your situation work, it may be difficult at first but I've seen several successful tanks in the sunrooms of Florida homes. As far as algae goes, make sure your nutrient export systems are running great and you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[mdbronco]

Welcome to R2R!

You can definitely make your situation work, it may be difficult at first but I've seen several successful tanks in the sunrooms of Florida homes. As far as algae goes, make sure your nutrient export systems are running great and you shouldn't have a problem.

Thanks! Any thoughts on "how much is too much" in terms of light exposure for corals? I'd hate to take ownership of these beauties only to bleach them out...

 

[JBKReef]

natural sunlight seems to work just fine in the oceans, you will just want to fine tune your lighting schedule and intensity to compensate. I would this it will depend on the intensity and penetration through your windows and aquarium glass.

Be sure to have a good CuC and blennys/tangs to keep any algae in control

 

[JCM]

Can you not close the blinds to block the sunlight? Does your apartment have air conditioning? I live in an area that routinely sees temps over 100° F / 37° C and don't have issues, of course my house isn' nearly that hot.

 

[scott11106]

a good plan if it works with decor is to have blinds, even sheer curtains. just enough to cut the direct sunlight to reduce algae. the corals will love the light but you will fight the algae. as far as your lights , you may want to invest in a par meter so you dont have too much or too little light, especially as our eyes cannot see the real intensity of the lights.

 

[mjlash22]

After you find where you want to place your tank, just ensure you have window treatments if you feel the sun is causing negative effects on the tank. You may need to play around with your lighting spectrum/intensity more than others, but think of it as a challenge than an obstacle. If you really want the tank, there are plenty of ways around your situation.

Temp wise, if you have A/C, you should be fine.

If you go the route of a chiller, I like the Teco chillers.

 

[anomeda]

Welcome to the forum! (From a fellow swed)