Sun Lit Reef Tanks. Anyone have one?

[Reefing8EZ]

I saw a discussion about sunlight and artificial light for reef tanks and wondered how many people actually have these natural sunlit reef tanks..
Would love to see some pics if you do..

 

[gar732]

I've seen people using solar tubes or having green house style prop systems. I'd also like hear more about it.

 

[Ace25]

Here is my friends build thread who used to use SolaTubes. He has now switched to LEDs though because the solatubes only lasted a year in a saltwater environment. He got the company to send replacements but he didn't want to redo the work every year replacing tubes so he switched. Other than the tubes going bad so quickly, it did work great on his tank.

Gone Solar In California - Reef Central Online Community

 

[AZDesertRat]

solar tubes

 

[Reefing8EZ]

Thanks for the links! I live in the SoCali desert and get lots of sun all year. Might try this on a smaller tank first.

 

[Steelerfan747]

Here is my friends build thread who used to use SolaTubes. He has now switched to LEDs though because the solatubes only lasted a year in a saltwater environment. He got the company to send replacements but he didn't want to redo the work every year replacing tubes so he switched. Other than the tubes going bad so quickly, it did work great on his tank.

Gone Solar In California - Reef Central Online Community

I have always been interested on solar tubes. Its a bummer they won't last in a saltwater tank

 

[Steelerfan747]

Here is my friends build thread who used to use SolaTubes. He has now switched to LEDs though because the solatubes only lasted a year in a saltwater environment. He got the company to send replacements but he didn't want to redo the work every year replacing tubes so he switched. Other than the tubes going bad so quickly, it did work great on his tank.

Gone Solar In California - Reef Central Online Community

I have always been interested on solar tubes. Its a bummer they won't last in a saltwater tank

 

[Steelerfan747]

Sorry for the double post, I don't know what happened

 

[tiag]

We've got a guy in the Houston area that has a couple massive 700+ tanks and he uses sunlight and augments with additional artificial. He has some of the most amazing colonies I've seen in a personal tank.

 

[Ace25]

I have always been interested on solar tubes. Its a bummer they won't last in a saltwater tank

Ya, we were both surprised how quickly they went bad. To the eye, they looked just as good at 1 year as they did at day 1, but readings from a PAR meter told a different story, output was cut in 1/2 due to corrosion/pitting on the interior of the tubes, greatly reducing its reflectivity. He used the covers that come with the tubes the entire time, never exposing the lower end to the humidity, but unfortunately the covers are not sealed because they need to be able to breath in order to prevent condensation from forming on the inside of the dome on the roof. It took my friend 4 months of fighting with SolaTube just to get them replaced (they have a warranty), but after they replaced them for my friend they updated their warranty page to state the warranty does not cover SolaTube installations over aquariums.

 

[knightnsd]

Thank you for this great post and everyone that contrubuted to it, sounds like a no for my 300 reef as I consider lightinhg options! Too good to be true and avoid the cost of either led's or electricity bills of other lights