I have a coldwater 3ft tank that has alot of natural light going through the tank as both sides are on show, would i need lights to keep plants that need low lighting like java fern?
It's better to have tank lights to first light up the tank on the inside a bit more as well as grow the java fern. Tank lights should only be on for about 6-8 hours a day, to prevent algae from blooming too much. Make sure that your tank isn't in direct sunlight!
If you don't go with live plants then you can keep the light off all the time and only turn it on when you want to show the tank off, or you can go without one altogether. The fish do not need it at all and see fine with the regular room lighting. With java fern you should still provide several hours of aquarium light per day for them to do well.
I would defiantly have lights on the tank. Using a controlled lighting is good for the plants, and it will actually do better in the long run.
