getting serious about carrots

[Forage420]

Growing carrots in water tanks has always been a failure for me, and this is likely because my plot is south/west facing with no overshading. The tanks bake during the day with no let up, and hence the soil dries fast and the virility of the plants are destroyed, no matter how religious I am about watering.

I'm curious to know if this would occur if I sowed them direct?

This is what seed I have and would like to grow for cropping this year:

autumn king 2
royal chantnay 3
nairobi F1 (seed tapes)
nantes 2

Firstly, am I likely to get a crop this year with any of these?

Secondly, do they need a shaded location if sown direct?

Thirdly, I have taken a huge delivery of spent mushroom compost recently. It will be a mulch of about 6 inches applied on top of the undig clay soil, and I intend to sow into it. Any issues with this?

I have come to the conclusion that water tanks are a terrible idea for growing raddish, carrots and other root vegetables and unless their placement on site is absolutely optimal, it's the difference between a complete failure and a major success with little in between.

[Small pumpkin]

Don't know how much help I will be
I would always sow direct, carrots really really don't like being transplanted.
Your carrot varieties I'm afraid you'll have to look on the back of the packet for a rough sowing/ harvesting guide. I'm not good at remembering who likes being sown when.
I don't see why water tanks and location would be a problem? I'm sure someone will enlighten me.
I grow my carrots in a bath in my polytunnle

[Penellype]

Carrots hate being hot and dry. If you can't keep the water tank damp enough you would be better sowing the carrots somewhere else.

Nantes 2 should be ok to sow now but they won't be huge. Bit late for Autumn Kin, I'm not sure about the others.

I don't see any problem with spent mushroom compost.