Can You Place Your Fish Tank In The Sun?
- Aug 01, 2021
- Rita
- 3231 0 0
It can be very tempting to place your fish tank in a sunny window, but how good would that really be for your fish? Fish tanks have certain requirements to keep your fish healthy. Here is how sunlight will affect these requirements.
Temperature
Most fish have a temperature range in which they thrive. For your aquarium to function as a healthy ecosystem, you will need to set up your tank in such a way that it accommodates your choice of fish and plant life. If you have a tropical tank, the water will need to be warmer than for a cold water tank.
When you place your tank in a sunny window, the water temperature in your tank will rise. If you have a cold water tank, the temperature will quickly become dangerous to your fish. Some might go into shock and die because of temperature fluctuations.
If you have a tropical tank, the temperature will rise even higher than it already is. This can also push the water temperature into a dangerous range.
Algae
Another obstacle you will face is excess algae growth. Natural sunlight will cause algae blooms due to the amount of sunlight your tank receives all day long. Algae just like plants need light to grow after all.
If you place your tank in natural sunlight, you will need to do maintenance almost every day to keep up with the excess algae growth on your decorations and tank walls. Algae is much better at using fertilizer, nitrates, and nitrates produced by your fish than your aquarium plants are.
War of fog- Algae bloom by Kai Schreiber
Convenience
Keeping your tank in sunlight will mean a lot more work for you. You will need to constantly clear away algae growth and do very regular water changes to keep the quality of the water stable.
Keeping your fish tank away from sunlight gives you more control over your tank. It might also be much easier to install your tank near a plug point as well. You might also find that some of your plants don’t do so well in very bright light. In a fish tank with artificial light, you’ll have more control.
Visibility
Placing your tank away from a window may improve visibility and aesthetics. Being able to see through your tank isn’t always ideal and your fish might feel stressed being so exposed. If your tank is placed away from a window, you can give it any background you desire. Your fish will also feel safer and hide less if the light in your tank isn’t overwhelmingly bright.
Keeping A Tank In Sunlight
If you insist, it is definitely possible to keep your tank in sunlight. You will need to be prepared to do a lot of work though. Here is what you need to keep your tank in sunlight.
- A way to shade your tank
It is very important to have a way to shade your tank during the hottest part of the day. If you cannot shade your tank, the temperature in your tank may rise too high causing stress and fish death.
- Tropical fish
It is best to keep fish that naturally prefer a warmer tank. You should be able to put off your aquarium heater while the sun warms the water. Just make sure the temperature doesn’t fluctuate so much that it puts your fish at risk.
- Algae eaters
You will need fish and critters in your tank that eat algae to keep your tank clean. Options for this function are shrimp, snails, otocinclus, and other algae-eating fish.
Macro of an aquarium snail-eating algae on the glass by Ivan Radic
- Maintenance
Tank maintenance is very important if your tank get’s normal sunlight. You will need to do regular water changes and water tests to make sure your water quality stays pristine. Another thing you’ll have to do is clear any algae from your plant leaves and decorations. Also, make sure to keep an eye on water temperature and do a partial water change if it reaches dangerous levels to cool the water slightly.
- Plants
Keeping actual plants in your tank will also help with algae blooms. Plants naturally compete with algae for resources. The extra sunlight along with a CO2 injection should help your plants to outgrow any algae in your tank. Plants will also help to regulate water quality.
As you can see, keeping your tank in sunlight is not ideal unless you’re prepared to do a lot of work and install expensive CO2 systems. Rather place your tank in a visible location away from any sunny windows. Your tank will still look great even though you won’t have actual sunlight.
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