Natural Sunlight

[Donovan Joannes]

I always believe that sunlight is the best light for reef tank. I self collect wild SPS frags for my tank and trust me, the only real SPS color you will see is when looking at it, top view under the sun.

 

[curlysearcher]

I became interested in this thread as I had an unknown cataclysmic event which killed a lot of my fish, etc., and I ended up moving what little remained to a 10 gallon quarantine tank. This tank was hurriedly slapped together in my kitchen and gets intense sunlight approximately an hour every morning. My corals have gone nuts with growth and this in about a week and a half. Would love to reproduce this effect in my large tank again with sunlight but have no clue.

 

[Superlightman]

Some of my corals brownished a bit the last weeks, all my parameters are ok, icp also , couldn't explain why some and other not. This morning, when I wake up and pass before my aquarium, I saw that these corals were touch by the sunlight from the open window.As it is spring here now, the sunlight is more intense than two weeks ago .I think it is because of the sunlight. But what I not understand is why some people get better colors with the sunlight, some not. In Germany I knowed a guy which every year put outside in summer a small tank with corals, he got each time crazy colors and growth, but in the aquarium inside it seems to brownish.

 

[Cory]

Some of my corals brownished a bit the last weeks, all my parameters are ok, icp also , couldn't explain why some and other not. This morning, when I wake up and pass before my aquarium, I saw that these corals were touch by the sunlight from the open window.As it is spring here now, the sunlight is more intense than two weeks ago .I think it is because of the sunlight. But what I not understand is why some people get better colors with the sunlight, some not. In Germany I knowed a guy which every year put outside in summer a small tank with corals, he got each time crazy colors and growth, but in the aquarium inside it seems to brownish.

Its probably nutrient related. High nutrients means more brown corals because of higher zoox density due to more nutrients.

 

[Superlightman]

Its probably nutrient related. High nutrients means more brown corals because of higher zoox density due to more nutrients.

I not think, so my nutrients are not high in this tank and it concerns only a few corals

 

[Superlightman]

Its probably nutrient related. High nutrients means more brown corals because of higher zoox density due to more nutrients.

I not think, so my nutrients are not high in this tank and it concerns only a few corals

 

[Superlightman]

Its probably nutrient related. High nutrients means more brown corals because of higher zoox density due to more nutrients.

I not think, so my nutrients are not high in this tank and it concerns only a few corals

 

[Cory]

I not think, so my nutrients are not high in this tank and it concerns only a few corals

But think about the suns intensity coupled with nutrients, even if for only an hour is like being hit by your tanks light for 2 days. Because our tanks lack red and red makes alges growth take off. And the suns got lots of reds and much higher intensity. Photosynthesis took off.

 

[Bpb]

I love the way it looks. If solatubes were practical and feasible for my tank I’d do it. While some people say it kills the fluorescent contrast of some corals, I happen to think the overall real outdoor appearance more than makes up for it. I absolutely love the way sunlit shallow reefs look.