# Natural Light



## Naladari (Jan 4, 2013)

How do you guys feel about natural light for plants. 
Currently I have half of my aquarium in my window with the light light plants on one side with the low light in the shade of my room.
Light only gets into my room for maybe 2-4 hours a day top. Maybe an hour of direct sunlight.
I also use a lamp. I need to double check its power. Given overall My tank gets about 8 hours of light a day.

ANYWHO

How do you guys feel about natural light hitting your tank as in through a window?
Does anyone else do it?
Any success?
I've always been a bit lucky with plants, that or I just have a green thumb(unlikely).


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I have a 3 gallon that I tend to do grow my Cabomda in because it's got a high light source but since it's been near the window where the sun can peek at it for about an hour I just get algae. Talking strictly with growth of the plants I haven't seen any difference in this tank as when it was in my 33.


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## Naladari (Jan 4, 2013)

I dont get much algae except for the hair groths on the roots of my water lettuce


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Well that's good! I'd keep at it and see what comes of it if it's going well so far


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

My 10 gallon tank is in front of my garden window in my kitchen and at this time of year it gets direct sunlight for about 4 hours during the day. I think it caused my blue-green algae growth because I didn't realize how long it got sun during the day and I also had the lights on until I got home at night. So I stopped putting the tank lights on and let it get the direct sunlight during the day and the continuing bright light throughout the day. My plants are doing fine (I think they're fairly low-light plants, though- amazon sword, rosette sword, and green myrio). I still have an algae problem though. I think my snails are slowly munching away at it (It's tougher than brown algae), so we'll see if it stays away after they eat all of it.


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## Naladari (Jan 4, 2013)

Lol honestly the only reason I prob don't have algae is because I have around 7 snails. (I might have a bit of a snail problem...) 
As for my plants. My banana seems to love it tho my lfs told me they are pretty much unkillable, I've had some new growth. My swords and crypts are vibrantly green. And my water lettuce....well it's a pond plant so I wasn't expecting much, it's had a bit of melt but it's still doing better than I had expected.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

If you have enough plants, algae usually wont settle in ^_^
I love natural light. the only thing you'd have to watch for with a window side location is the temperature fluctuation.


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## Naladari (Jan 4, 2013)

Yeah I have to keep a close eye on my thermometer and my fish... You know my bamboo shrimp died without any spikes I bet that's what it was. 
It normally moves between 75-80 at max. I fiddled with my thermometer to keep it around 73-78 for my cories. With spring showing up out of nowhere and the outside major temperature swings. Must have affected my tank, that or the Cory's and my betta killed him. 
A 3-5 degree swing over the entire course of the day doesn't seem to bother anyone else.


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## bettaakapes (Dec 17, 2012)

Sounds ok. Live plants will thrive in natural light but so will algae. If you have enough plants they will control the algae levels in your aquarium.


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