Does anyone have systems lit by sunlight in BC?

[phi delt reefer]

green house supply/building companies sell the shade cloth you are looking for.

[MKLKT]

My tank is essentially back-lit with natural sunlight for a few hours during the day. Doesn't contribute nuisance algae, but it hasn't had an appreciable effect on coral growth that I can tell. You'd need the light to probably come from straight above to be most effective/not passing through glass if possible to avoid it filtering.

[TimT]

I've had tanks in a Greenhouse from 2000 to 2005, then in 2005 I moved into a large shop with 4'w x 5'h south facing windows. Half of the tank now gets direct sunlight all day. I supplement the tank with 800watt of 20k radium. When the sun is shining it totally eliminates the halides. Even a cloudy day overpowers the halides. SPS grows fast but not too colourful. Zoos and Paly's do well, I have Fungia, Echinophyllia, Trachyphyllia, Duncanopsammia in the sunlit area as well.

Do be concerned about macro algae as it grows so fast it strips the CO2 out of the water.

[Ryan7]

I will get some pics soon for those interested.

[mike31154]

Interested for sure. Plenty of sun in the Okanagan in the summer time. No good for winter maybe, but any supplementation should be a good thing. Can't get more natural than natural. I've been contemplating a Sola Tube or two.

[Lampshade]

I've looked a lot at those light tunnel things, seems like it could be doable. You are pretty much focusing the light. would be interesting on a bigger scale.http://www.velux.ca/consumer/product...nel_skylights/

but... solar power LED system might be cheaper:P

[KevinK]

Originally Posted by Lampshade

I've looked a lot at those light tunnel things, seems like it could be doable. You are pretty much focusing the light. would be interesting on a bigger scale.http://www.velux.ca/consumer/product...nel_skylights/

but... solar power LED system might be cheaper:P

solar power LED is still at the $$$, I'm slowly converting my tank to solar

se pumps, when buying the right once only consume lets say 15W each x 5 = 75w a houre = 1.8 KWH a day

a 500 watt pannel will on avarage produce 3.7 times its wattage, so 1.85 KWH a day ore 485 KWH a year.

now the thing is that this is a avarage, and duuring peek season it is pushing 5.8 KWH, but in the 4 winter months in Victoria it might only be 1.7 kwH.

in order to run a tank, you need $$$$ to get all solar as a 500W kit already will run you about $2.500

and gust for fun:

a 200 LED tank at 8 houre lights on = 4.8 KWH at $2.500 for 500W this will be $24.000

ohhh and no battery yet inclouded

and if hydro would be $ 0.10 a kwh, than a 500W system of $2.500 would take you 51 years to pay back, and than still, NO battery.

this is where I would say, things in the world still need to change a bit

if the price development of solar would be the same as LED, than you would se the price go way down for solar, but no
a CREE LED was 2 years ago $9.00, now when keeping your eyes open, you could get them for $ 3.70

solar is now as pricy as it was 5 years ago, so unless there are grants, ther are no savings, exept your pride of making a change




on the end, if the tubes could work, only if it was to light 50% of your tank, than you save already big time as 2x 12 inch solar tubes willl run you about $500, replacing 2- 250W MH at 8 houre it is 4 kwh x 364 x 0.10 a kwh = $145 saved a year, payback = 3 1/2 year not considdering the saving on bulbs, so maybe a 3 MH with 2 solar tubes is interesting