Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

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define999
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Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by define999 »

So, ladies and gentlemen.... I thought I would share my solution to a vexing problem. One of the basic rules for setting up fishtanks states.... set up in the darkest part of your house. Excess sunlight will cause problems for your tank. Algae blooms will happen with excess sunlight feeding the little hardy organisms! But, what if you need sunlight for your houseplants? What if your aquariums must be placed in certain high sunlight locations because of necessity? Do you close the blinds and shades and live in darkness? Well because my fiance and I live in a condo with massive windows all over the floorplan, and we own many, many houseplants we knew that we were gonna have problems. Also there was really only one place we could reasonably place 90 gallons worth of aquariums... so we had a problem.... here is what we had been doing to address it and it was very, very ugly!
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This was the new solution I came up with, SUNLIGHT BLINDS! I think it is much more pleasing to the eye!
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What you will need is: Some black construction paper, scissors, super glue, some rolled up magnet with adhesive you can find at a hobby store......
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So first thing you need to do is measure the front, and sides of the aquariums you wish to place the sun blinds on!
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Then cut the contruction paper into the sizes you will need to cover the glass... some larger aquariums might need 2 peices to cover the front......
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After you have done this its time to cut the magnet from the roll. Cut about 2 to 3 inch peices for this next part. If you think the construction paper might be heavier than normal than cut even longer pieces of magnet. Better to have too much magnetism holding the blinds than to little.....
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Now remove the adhesive strips and squezze out a thin line of super glue ontu the adhesive strip side of the first magnet. Why do you apply super glue if theres adhesive already there you ask? Cause I tried it without the glue and the adhesive isnt strong enough to hold the blinds for very long. I came home to the blinds on the floor more than a couple of times.....
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Now place very carefully ontu the plastic rim of the aqaurium where the blinds will attach to the said magnets. Please be very careful not to get super glue on your glass.... it will be a nightmare to clean! Continue until all sides are done.
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Now do the same with the contruction paper blinds that are already cut out, the magnets on the corners of the black paper will attract to the magnets already placed on the aquarium and you will now have Sunlight Blinds!
Also I noticed that my mono argentus seemed to freak out more than normal when they were in pitch black, so I now keep my tanks open on the side that is not facing any heavy sunlight windows....
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The beauty of this sytem is it can be tailored for your sunlight blocking needs... This system is great for people like us in a condo with limited space and large windows, students in dormrooms whos roomates get tired of living in darkness, or just people who want to let some sunlight into thier tank room everynow an then.... a panoramic picture of our living room to show you guys just how many huge windows we have! And my beautiful daughter on the couch of course!
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Now I havent had a problem with the magnets wearing out.... over time magnets do lose thier magnetism but I think that if it does happen in the future i should be able to scrape off the dead magnets with a razor blade... also if the black construction paper gets dirty, wet, or just gets bad.... buy some more its cheap.. in fact this whole project is pretty cheap! Anyway hope this helps some of you guys like it helped me!
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by busybones »

Nifty.


Thanks for the ideas!
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by Christemo »

Yours is so much nicer. Mine is... taped to the tank.
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by Camaro95 »

So simple it's brilliant. I actually thought you made them of wood and had them hinged... until I saw more pictures.
define999
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by define999 »

Thanks guys, this thing is actually very simple to do. id love to see pics of others that pull this off, feel free to ask questions as well.....
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by Myaj »

Wow, I'm glad you figured something out because the towels/blankets draped over a tank is a real disaster waiting to happen.
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by Agnate »

By the way, swank house! I love the room colours and the accented walls. :D Did I ever mention that red, white, black, and dark greys are my favourite colour combination? ^_^
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define999
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by define999 »

Much thanks! The red walls were hell to paint though! My finace and I did like 3 coats and we still could have done more, even with a primer applied. Our condo is new, and we have worked very hard into making it a home for us, our daughter, our two cats, and our two fish tanks! Thanks again Agnate......
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by TheBlueMeanies »

i had a simple solution for my sun problem

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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by Sponge bob »

Curtains :goober:
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by ryverrat »

Blue meanies where did you pick up the curtains? National chain?- I need a set for my living room and bedroom (have tanks in both with mean algae growth in some).
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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by TheBlueMeanies »

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Re: Sunlight problem fixed! Sunblinds!

Post by puffertt77 »

Nice idea but why don't you just get a UV Sterilizer for your tanks and then you wouldn't have to ever cover them up
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-SUBMERSIBLE-9W- ... 1|294%3A50
http://www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/sterili ... 1_253.html
http://www.aquariumfish.net/information ... zation.htm
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