Post pics of your sunlight powered reef here

[amfynn]

Hello,

For all you reefers out there that use sunlight to fuel your SPS reef....please post pics of your tank and what you use for filtration.

here is mine:

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/lokani.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/bluestag.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/chromis.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts4_23_01_11.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/Secale.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/granulosa.jpg

Stuck a blue sheet on the back, so to get a good contrast in the pics

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts6_23_01_11.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts5_23_01_11.jpg

Filtration:
1000lb's (500kg's) of live rock, 3 protein skimmers and lots of macroalgae. I run carbon and ozone, dose 12ml of vodka daily

[Nam Nguyen]

wow all cool picture. it's good idea to used sunlight for coral:))

[allsps40]

Corals all look healthy. However the thing about NSL is that it is way yellow. That is why your sps are brown. You can see some different colors wanting to come out though. May I suggest adding some T5s for actinic supplementation. You will find that will bring out those purples, blues and pinks I can see in the pics.

[hk855]

Nice, I hope to set up a NSL tank some day. How does the light get in the room, skylight, sola tube or custom?

[amfynn]

Thanks, I've built a sun room with basically clear 8mm twin walled polycarbonate sheeting. I have a light unit but will only hang it up in winter (around June) as temps are quite high as it is.

I hope to get my hands on ChromatiNet Blue shade cloth, it reduces the spectrum of red and far-red light and increases the blue light spectrum. Currenty have 40% green shade cloth.

Here is a link as to how I got here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1838193

So anyone out there....with something similar?

[cubical]

Pretty impressive!
I LOVE the idea!
I know of one Acro farmer down here in Southern California that uses sunlight but filters it through blue plastic, with phenomenal results!!!!
Garret's Acropolis, I've seen him at many trade shows

[amfynn]

So got my grubby paws on a PAR Meter, readings were taken around 11:30am.
I installed 40% blue ChromatiNet shade cloth over the weekend....will see what gives in a months time around color changes.

Readings astounded me partly because of the shade cloth and the filthy polycarb roof, still allowed enough PAR for my set-up.

When the sun was at it's clearest the reading alone in the sun room was around 1200!...I compared this to my 250w BLV globes about 30cm away with only clear air between the bulb and the sensor and I only got around 280.

The pic below ilustrates more or less what the readings averaged around. At 8am in the morn, the readings were about 300-400 less than whats shown.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/30%20Jan%202011/PARReadings.jpg

[Felixc395]

Terrific photos, and some nice PAR readings! Can't wait to see some more pics!

[rhys123]

So anyone out there....with something similar?

My system is very similar to yours apart from mine being a mixed propagation & display tank with 2 addon tanks off to the side propagating LPS and Xenia under polycarbonate using a blue shade cloth to reduce the sunlight a further 25% (even shallow water coral IME bleach out under unshaded direct sunlight).

I also use lighting (on a light rail) during winter to supplement the sunlight (which is indirect) and though my systems spectrum is yellow due to the sunlight (it is no use adding supplemental lighting sunlight will just wash the blue out) I have found that I am also getting awesome colors and phenomenal growth rates + I like the natural look anyhow

Mine 4x4x2 + 2 2x2x1.5

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN81.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN127.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN91.jpg

Cut the reading by about 25% as I use a blue shad cloth to further reduce the sunlight

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TS93.jpg

Some corals

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN109.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN98.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN102.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN110.jpg

[rhys123]

System Volume 1500 liters

Filtration 100kg live rock

DSB & Macro

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN141.jpg

Clean Sump

SWC 300A Skimmer and FBF running GFO

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN142.jpg

100 micron filter bags

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN143.jpg

[dvanacker]

WOW...rhys123. Amazing color for natural sunlight. Wish I lived in Australia.

[amfynn]

My system is very similar to yours apart from mine being a mixed propagation & display tank with 2 addon tanks off to the side propagating LPS and Xenia under polycarbonate using a blue shade cloth to reduce the sunlight a further 25% (even shallow water coral IME bleach out under unshaded direct sunlight).

I also use lighting (on a light rail) during winter to supplement the sunlight (which is indirect) and though my systems spectrum is yellow due to the sunlight (it is no use adding supplemental lighting sunlight will just wash the blue out) I have found that I am also getting awesome colors and phenomenal growth rates + I like the natural look anyhow

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/123Rhys/TSN98.jpg


Mines is also propagation and display, all running off the same sump/system. I agree on the bleaching, had that as well on some of the corals before I shaded.

Some questions:
How are you getting your green plating monti to stay so green? mines all turn a drab beige while under the sun. I also use blue shade cloth.

Are you dosing amino's, iodine or potassium to help boost colors?

I found in our winter colors were much better, suspect something about how corals photosynthesize with less harsh sun, added to cooler water temps.

[vitor pestana]

Hello,

For all you reefers out there that use sunlight to fuel your SPS reef....please post pics of your tank and what you use for filtration.

Hi amfynn!

Here's my old green house project:

http://translate.google.pt/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aminhaestufa.blogspot.com%2F&sl=pt&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Regards

Vitor Pestana

[amfynn]

Ah Vitor my good man. I remember your thread of your reef in the ground. You wont believe how much I wanted to do something similar.

You have an very informative site, thanks for sharing.

[rugby74]

Awesome setups! I'll have to move to get a setup like that. Someday!

[rhys123]

Mines is also propagation and display, all running off the same sump/system. I agree on the bleaching, had that as well on some of the corals before I shaded.

Some questions:
How are you getting your green plating monti to stay so green? mines all turn a drab beige while under the sun. I also use blue shade cloth.

Are you dosing amino's, iodine or potassium to help boost colors?

I found in our winter colors were much better, suspect something about how corals photosynthesize with less harsh sun, added to cooler water temps.

Sorry mate missed this question

I don't do anything special it just seems to soak up the sunlight it actually losses it's color slightly over winter under MH

No amino acids no potassium just a very basic system keeping alk,calc and mag stable and 10% water change every week.

Cheers

[karsseboom]

I see a lot of people running these tanks that live in flordia or australia but can people that live in the midwest to east coast run this type of set-up?

[jc-reef]

^^^ I wondered the same thing.....my thinking is that I would doubt it due to the large temp swings and extreme cold in winter.

[SAZAMA]

that is freakin awesome

[DBarsotti]

bump.. Love these sunlight tanks

[DBarsotti]

my old system was right by the garage door so if you opened it in the morning i could let the sun in on my reef

not as crazy as the rest on here but it was fun to look at.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/dbarsotti/photo2-46.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/dbarsotti/photo3-32.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/dbarsotti/photo4-22.jpg

[HHIreefer843]

Wow y'all are amazing! Great looking tanks!

[feruz]

wow..amazing..i also planning to build frag tank under NSL..

[Franklin B.]

Amazing.

[amfynn]

So going back to the post that started this thread, here is my system in January this year.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts5_23_01_11.jpg

And here it is now, a year in the making.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x1cLa-jIUyg/TtPNTREa-WI/AAAAAAAABtg/8JWNVH8LBtw/s800/DSC_0007.JPG

[zaheda]

Your tank looks super, well done Adee.

[sandhog]

Wow amazing growth in 1 year. Looks awsome.

[DBarsotti]

So going back to the post that started this thread, here is my system in January this year.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts5_23_01_11.jpg

And here it is now, a year in the making.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x1cLa-jIUyg/TtPNTREa-WI/AAAAAAAABtg/8JWNVH8LBtw/s800/DSC_0007.JPG

WOW... amazing growth! When i buy a house i am definitely going to set up a tank like this

[msp307]

Awesome growth

[ongnoi]

What a beautiful Tank! Just amazing growth!!! Congratulation! It's a really good thing for my eyes

[ange062]

Awesome growth in a year, and it looks like a lot of colonies have colored up well!

[allsps40]

So going back to the post that started this thread, here is my system in January this year.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts5_23_01_11.jpg

And here it is now, a year in the making.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x1cLa-jIUyg/TtPNTREa-WI/AAAAAAAABtg/8JWNVH8LBtw/s800/DSC_0007.JPG

Wow beautiful. I need to take back my statement on your colors being brown. Very good color and growth, I like it.

[Mock]

So going back to the post that started this thread, here is my system in January this year.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts5_23_01_11.jpg

And here it is now, a year in the making.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x1cLa-jIUyg/TtPNTREa-WI/AAAAAAAABtg/8JWNVH8LBtw/s800/DSC_0007.JPG

This is just freak'n incredible!!!!......

[amfynn]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. Sunlight is truly a great growth lighting medium for SPS. Colors are great when the system is in a low nutrient mode. Slip up, and colors fade into brown very fast. I'm hoping to get some sps to reach the water level surface by end of 2013.

[29reef]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. Sunlight is truly a great growth lighting medium for SPS. Colors are great when the system is in a low nutrient mode. Slip up, and colors fade into brown very fast. I'm hoping to get some sps to reach the water level surface by end of 2013.


I bet they are at the top by the end of 2012, possibly sooner. They have grown to a good size and their growth will continue to accelerate. Great work with the aquarium.

What temperature are you trying to maintain?

[REEF SMAC]

Awesome!

Gotta love those sunlit tanks.

[amfynn]

Thanks.

The tank temp range is around 27 deg Celsius on average. Hotter the days we have a heat wave.

[DML08]

oh wow,, thats just awesome right there...

[PasserAngelfish]

i appreciate environmental friendly

[Reef1589]

wow those are some gorgeous tanks, and i love the natural look to everything.. ! :)

[jsdancer]

Awesome tanks guys! Always thought that a system like this would be an algae haven but you guys have proved me wrong! Great work!

[DBarsotti]

Awesome tanks guys! Always thought that a system like this would be an algae haven but you guys have proved me wrong! Great work!

I've heard this on serval occasions throughout my time in the hobby, even to the extend that I shouldn't have a tank near a window because it'll grow algae. I don't understand this? Why would it grow algae any more than a heavily lit tank? If sunlight gets to the tank what's the big deal? Free light for the corals right? If you've got a ton of algae in your tank I would assume its due to excess nutrients or a lack of animals consuming the algae, not too much light.

Not trying to be mean, just curious where this is rooted from.

[apt220]

I assume it was carried over from people who kept fish only salt and fresh water tanks which were high in nutrients and that were lit by very low PAR lights. They assumed it would do the same thing in a reef tank because they didn't know the root of the problem, which is obviously excess nutrients.

I do think, however, that sunlight will favor a different type of algae that "artificial" light doesn't favor, which probably depends on the differences in wavelengths. But of course, without excess nutrients, this is a moot point. ;)

[amfynn]

I've heard this on serval occasions throughout my time in the hobby, even to the extend that I shouldn't have a tank near a window because it'll grow algae. I don't understand this? Why would it grow algae any more than a heavily lit tank?

One of the biggest myths in this hobby. :)

Keep your nutrients low...and you won't have a problem. Step out of line...and I mean just a little bit...and sunlit tanks will grow algae like there is no tomorrow. Artificially lit tanks are more forgiving, mainly due to the spectrum output being different to that of sunlight. Algae like the spectrum output given out by the sun (around 5500K - 6500K). On artificially lighted tanks, we tend to use higher kelvins in the 10 000 to 20 000K range.

[blakers82]

Very nice. That's quite a year, amfynn!

[amfynn]

Very nice. That's quite a year, amfynn!

Thanks...:beer: Here's to 2012!

[DBarsotti]

One of the biggest myths in this hobby. :)

Keep your nutrients low...and you won't have a problem. Step out of line...and I mean just a little bit...and sunlit tanks will grow algae like there is no tomorrow. Artificially lit tanks are more forgiving, mainly due to the spectrum output being different to that of sunlight. Algae like the spectrum output given out by the sun (around 5500K - 6500K). On artificially lighted tanks, we tend to use higher kelvins in the 10 000 to 20 000K range.

Makes sense to me

[jdpiii3]

Hi guys I came across your thread today and though I would show my natural sun-lit reef using two 21" sun domes

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2040499

[REEF SMAC]

Hi guys I came across your thread today and though I would show my natural sun-lit reef using two 21" sun domes

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2040499

Glad you did! :thumbsup:

[HHIreefer843]

That is unreal!!! The growth is awesome!! What kind of skimmers do you use??

[denny crain]

I knew you could use nsw but never knew you could use nsl.
Amazing

[karsseboom]

I knew you could use nsw but never knew you could use nsl.
Amazing

lol serious? how do you think the reefs get there light?

[Gary Majchrzak]

but enough that Sanjay noticed immediately

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/gary334/sunlight_on_aquarium.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/gary334/Sept2012d_zpsb381da60.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/gary334/topdownAug2012.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/gary334/April2012.jpg

[Gary Majchrzak]

So going back to the post that started this thread, here is my system in January this year.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/a079535/sunlit%20reef/fts5_23_01_11.jpg

And here it is now, a year in the making.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x1cLa-jIUyg/TtPNTREa-WI/AAAAAAAABtg/8JWNVH8LBtw/s800/DSC_0007.JPG
has your lighting changed since the first shot til now?

[sirbatta]

i need help..i am very new to salt water tanks..i just started building ma second tank which is a 90 gal tank..i live in srilanka as u know it is right above the equator..my problem is the lights if i try to bye mh in srilanka itsgoing to cost me around 1000usd so i am thinking use the sunlight but my knowledge about this field is very low...can u guys plez help me out..if i keep the tank outside what are the problems i am going to face..if i use a uv sterilizer will that keep the algae away???

[Gary Majchrzak]

I see sunlight powered reef aquaria as a growing future trend.
Please post or link more solar powered reef aquariums to this thread.

[salty joe]

I've used the sun on my tank for four months and am loving it. I only have live rock for now including a cabbage leather hitchhiker.
I need supplemental lighting for the winter before I stock with coral. What do you guys think of using several 50W 450nm LEDs with a lens to concentrate the beam to a 20" diameter and a single 50W 405-410nm LED with wider coverage as a fill light? I only intend to illuminate the areas with coral and want the spotlight effect.