[Deanna01]

Hi, all. I have a Fluval Chi I would like to use as an NPT. It will be on my desk and will receive natural sunglight as well as its LED lights, but I have a screen I can put in front of it to cut off sunlight to it if I need to. I wonder, though, if anyone has had any luck with the Chi as an NPT? What plants should I look at, with this lighting situation?

 

[frankiefire]

I'm not sure about a npt. I can tell you I have anubias, crypts, small amazon swords, and a bannana plant that have been doing fine in my chi for about six months with the stock light. I use liquid ferts once a week also. I leave the light on 8 hrs a day.

 

[Deanna01]

Thanks, Frankie! Does your Chi get any natural light during the day?

 

[JDM]

I was curious so I went looking to see what the chi was. Cool little tank.

Just don't stock it like the guy in a video that I watched... I laughed out loud at a couple of places where this guy thinks he know what makes the fish happy... warm water for goldfish apparently makes them happy.

He has 3 fancy goldfish and a blue ram in a 5 gallon tank, the chi tank... and the fish "seem pretty happy".:roll:

Anyway,like Frankie said, low light plants should do decently but if you have sunlight each day, you might get away with higher light plants.

Jeff.

 

[Deanna01]

It'll just have a single male betta in it, and possibly a snail.

 

[frankiefire]

Mine does not get any natural daylight. The room is pretty dim during the day.

 

[Geomancer]

Natural daylight can give you some algae issues, depending on how much of it the tank gets. My 125g is next to a window, but even with the shades down I was getting a major brush algae problem. Removing the overhead light from that side of the tank seemed to help.

Natural sunlight, especially direct sunlight, is many times more 'powerful' for plants (which includes algae) than the fluorescent lights we typically use. Obviously it is what plants will grow best under, but it does also raise the bar for nutrients which includes Carbon (from Carbon Dioxide).