General Care Discussion :: Relevance of tank being by window

[Spiritualjoy]

Hi there. I was looking at the questionnaire and saw that one of the questions is if the tank is by a window. I am curious to know what the relevance of that is please. I have always had my turtles tank in the window, and now that they are sick I am wondering if that had anything to do with it. Thanks for your input!

[octpusgirl8]

If there's a draft by the window it could make them more susceptible to RI.

[steve]

1 - Temperature swings, especially with smaller tanks. Overheating is a serious issue.
2 - Cool/cold drafts should be avoided.
3 - The light will cause excessive algae growth.

[Spiritualjoy]

Ahhh...I see! They both just got an RI and I couldn't figure out HOW. We just moved less than a month ago into a new house and they were in front of the kitchen window. Probably draftier in this new location. I just moved them into my office where there are NO windows today! I was having an algae problem as well. That explains alot - thanks!

[mikee]

S-Joy -- An aquarium tank by a window itself is no problem. The only issue would be that the temperature was such that it cooled the aquarium too quickly and then back to regular temp. If your heater is working properly that should not be a problem, any sunlight will cause an algae problem.

[Spiritualjoy]

Unfortunately I didnt have a heater in the tank until one day when I stuck my hand in it and the water was really cold! At my previous house, the water was always the same temp and I never needed a heater, or so I thought. I went right out and bought a heater, but I think it was a little too late for that. The RI had already set in. I was battling algae for sure - so it will be nice to see if that slows down now that I have moved them. Thanks for the info - it is helping!

[megcornell]

In smaller tanks the sunlight can drastically heat up or cool the water even with a water heater, so it's best you moved the tank out of the window.

[eugenetimpog]

My post is not relevant to the topic since your question is already answered. Just wanted to say you have a beautiful turtle on your avatar. Maybe you can share some pics in the gallery

[Spiritualjoy]

Hi there- I just posted pictures of George and Weezy in the gallery!

[emma]

Just wondering, my tank is right in front of my window, if I leave the curtain shut can these things still occur like algae and overheating?

[SpotsMama]

If you keep the curtain shut you probably will never have a problem. The only things to watch for would a lot of heat near the window (probably would be trapped by the curtain so not a problem) or a draft if you leave the window itself open.

You can still have algae if nitrates are allowed to build up in the water but it won't be serious unless the nitrates get very high. Most of us have a little algae growing on the surfaces in the tank but if it starts turning the water green, then you've got a problem.