# Using just day/sunlight?



## Poochie (Nov 3, 2004)

I have a 29 gal Angelfish tank that needs a redo.
I have a ton of Java fern, anubis nana, java moss.
Would one be able to set up a tank el-natural with topsoil and use all low light plants and rely on daylight/sunlight during the day and fluorescent lighting for several hours at night?
I can't leave the tank light on during the day while no one is home. (no way around this)
So is there any way I can get this tank to work?

Thanks


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

You probably wouldn't have to rely on low light plants if it were by an east or west facing window. Or a south window in the winter time. How much light would it be getting from the window?


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> I can't leave the tank light on during the day while no one is home. (no way around this)


Just curious. Why?


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## Poochie (Nov 3, 2004)

Jimbo205 said:


> Just curious. Why?


I call him my husband

The room gets sun/daylight from a west and south window.
I get up at 8AM and pull the blinds all the way up.
When I get home at night around 6pm I put the tank lights on until midnight.


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## Poochie (Nov 3, 2004)

Does anyone think this will work?


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Poochie said:


> Does anyone think this will work?


I do. I have a 2.5 gal that sits in front of a north-facing window and the plants (C. wendtii, bacopa, java fern, christmas moss, and others) do just fine. The only problem is that I get a lot of hair algae. I should probably fill this tank up with tons of plants so there's almos no floor space left....

Anyway, the only way to really tell is to set it up and see what happens. If it's not working, you can always put on a timer to come on in the morning before you leave for work and turn off when you do and then to turn the lights on again in the evening if you find the plants aren't getting enough light.

-ricardo


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## nopain00 (Jun 12, 2006)

I find that sunlight only always leads to algae. Can you put lights on the tank, but have cardboard or something around it so that the light doesn't escape and wake/bother your husband?


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

Poochie said:


> I have a 29 gal Angelfish tank that needs a redo.
> I have a ton of Java fern, anubis nana, java moss.
> Would one be able to set up a tank el-natural with topsoil and use all low light plants and rely on daylight/sunlight during the day and fluorescent lighting for several hours at night?
> I can't leave the tank light on during the day while no one is home. (no way around this)
> ...


Those plants are pretty slow growers (maybe not java moss, but it doesn't really grow _that _fast). Slow-growing plants (from _Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_) are basically shade plants, so any excess lighting in a tank filled with shade plants only contributes to algal growth.
The Ecology book recommends fast growing (especially emergent) plants that can use excess light levels. I've found duckweed and water lettuce make green water disappear in a week's time. Whatever lighting level you use, duckweed can probably adjust to it. If you want to make algae disappear then (in addition to manually removing the larger tufts of hair algae) I'd recommend duckweed; it's a lot easier to scoop up & throw out than most types of algae.


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

And in reference to your original question, I have a 33-gallon that has *no cover* and thus no artificial lighting of any sort right now (I'll get a cover later). It's next to a window, and receives a few hours of direct sunlight in the morning, and diffused light for the rest of the day. Even with no lighting except window-light, the echinodorus tenellus is spreading nicely across the soil/gravel.


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## Poochie (Nov 3, 2004)

Thanks all......I am going to try it. Algae or green water does not bother me....it can be dealt with. I just don't want to do something that will kill off my angels.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Poochie said:


> Does anyone think this will work?


Daylight/sunlight during day plus lights on from 6 PM until midnight?

I think that this regimen would work fine. Plants typically don't object to a longer photoperiod, but your fish may need to sleep. They'll get their sleep time with the midnight to daybreak dark period.

I'm not sure that I understand why you think it wouldn't work. The daylight lighting for these low-light plants should be plenty. I would consider the fluorescent light period optional.


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