Why not in front of a window?

2

2004jetta

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Jan 6, 2008
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I've have a few tanks running right now, none in direct sunlight for more than a few hours. I just bought a new 20 gallon and want to set it up in front of a south facing window in my bedroom. I've always been told not to put one in front of a window for one reason or another but my GF's father had a 55 in front of a window (UV coated) in south florida for years with no issues.

Is it possible to have a tank in front of a south facing window? Would I be able to utilize the sunlight so I could just use some weak LEDs like marinelands new led fixture and still keep med. light plants?

Thanks for the help guys/ gals
 
I had a tank that received a few hours of sunlight each day, and after a few weeks the water turned to pea soup. Even after I moved the tank, it took me weeks to get rid of the green water. If you don't mind green water, you can keep it in the sunlight. Some people like it.
 
Anyway to explain why my GF's fathers tank was clear? He did like bi-yearly waterchanges...
 
Hmm, well you did say his window was UV coated, maybe that's why his water was clear?? I'm not sure if a tank that received direct sunlight will ALWAYS turn green, but I know in many conditions it certainly can. I shudder just remembering trying to get that water clear again.

Editing to say, wow, he only did bi-yearly water changes? What kind of fish did he have in the tank?
 
May just have been tinted. Not sure to be honest. I know I've had green water before and a uv cleared it up in under 48 hours. There has to be something that can be done since it happens in nature. Any try to using an oversized filter?
 
I have 3 tanks right next to windows, but 2 of them don't get direct sunlight and one get 3 hours of filtered sunlight (sun screened window). No algae issues.
 
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I think it all matters how much sunlight is actually hitting the tank. I have tanks that get hit with some sunlight and it causes algae to grow on the glass but not enough sun to make the water green. I would say try it with a plan B available if it gets bad.

bi yearly water changes, sounds like my dad. His tank was the reason I wanted to get one when I grew up. But now that I am grown up I can't believe the mistakes he made. He buckets the fish twice a year and does a full 100% cleaning and scrub of everything. UG filter pretty much everything bad. When I tested his tank for Nitrates it was off the charts. 2 80% water changes in a months time got it down low enough to register on my test kit.
 
Thanks for the link platy. Seems like the plants, Shrimp, and snails all seem to combat the algae. I think I'll give it a shot and leave a clean up crew in there to grow before adding anything that might thin them down.

I guess the extended waterchange crew is all the same. He would do that exactly. Bucket everything and rinse everything not living. Somehow though it worked for him.
 
One of my tanks (46 gal) is in my kitchen, and near a south-facing window. It gets a few hours of sunlight each day (I do not know if the windows block UV rays or not), but my Amazon sword and other plants LOVE it. they're doing phenomenal since the move to this location. Prior to this, the sword wasn't terribly happy with the lighting in the tank. Now it's huge and getting bigger. I may have to cut it back soon. :)

I've had slightly more algae in that tank than in others, but nothing unmanageable with a few otos and some ramshorn snails, as well as the mag float that I use each week when I change the water. It's not in the water that the algae resides (no green water), it's mostly on the back glass of the tank.
 
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