Just wondering what everyone's thoughts were on lighting a tank with natural sunlight.

I have been reading a bit on reef forums where members have used those solartubes to light their reef tanks.

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We have decided to build another house next year and I wouldn't mind having a larger tank. I thought of using these during the day and supplementing with Metal Halides and then T5's for night viewing.

Actually I had built this aquarium some 6 years back. The eastern wall of my room faces the terrace. I built the front face of the aquarium by knocking out the wall and the rest of the aquarium is actually on the terrace. 30" above the top of the aquarium is a 3 feet concrete projection of my room's roof. I made the aquarium 3' wide under this projection, and used granite sheets for the remaining three walls. I have insulated the three sides of the aquarium with thermocole. By using aluminium frames and clear glass I have made the intervening height between the aquariums top and this roof projection into windows. The final size of the aquarium is 6' by 3' by 2'. The morning sun streams into the aquarium from sunrise to about 11am through the windows falling on the water from the top. I had normal medium light plants and no CO2 and the aquarium was doing well as a tetra and rainbow community with some algae eaters and loaches.

For a year now been reading much about CO2 and IE system, I got infected with the bug. Reluctantly I emptied the aquarium, re-did it with 3 MH 150W 100000K lights to supplement the natural sunlight, CO2 and inline reactors, and 5 T5 28W tube-lights for evening viewing. I have just re-started this aquarium on 15 March 2007. Plants:- Anubias nana, Amazon with red new leaves, Normal Amazon, Chain amazon, Pink hydrophylla, Green Hydrophylla, Ludwiga, Brown Cryptocorene, Cabomba, Wisteria, Screw vals (not yet growing well but still hopeful) java fern, and java moss.

Looking for some other plants to add. Got most of my fishes back from their itinery to my other tanks, except for the larger rainbows who are still parked in my Q.

Just sharing my experience for you to think for designing of your tank. I have a hanging door above the aquarium on the room side which allows me to do all the routine work, WC, Feeding, planting, trimming, etc.. Then I also have the option of going to the terrace and opening the windows to do whatever needs to be done at the back of the aquarium.