Just ordered my new cadlight 22g with the 96w lighting. cannot wait for it to get here and cannot wait to replace my 8gal biocube. What a dud of a tank. should have done the right thing in the beginning and opted for the cadlight.

-Dave

Interesting...Can anyone else confirm this?


Anyone else setting up a new cad? I'm thinking about getting a 12g but I don't know yet...It's tempting to just save up for a 39!

Go with the 39 Pro, you won't regret it!

Hey all,
I just ordered a CAD 39 Pro last night.

Plans for the tank are to create an environment for Seahorses. I have been doing research on this for a while and am still reading up.

LR will be 2 to 3 pieces of shelf rock in the middle of the display and stalks of variable length branch rock behind the shelf rock. I will have a few different species of decorative algae on either side of the LR centerpiece.

Corals will be pretty basic. I plan to have Rics/Yumas on the shelf rock and a few Monti Caps mounted to the higher stalks of branch rock.

During cycle I will evaluate whether or not I can maintain temps in the 74degree range without the need for a chiller. There is a fan that comes with the package and it will be placed over the sump in the stand. I will be adding an additional fan atop the display to help keep temps down. Of course this will cause a higher rate of evap, so I will also be adding an ATO.

So, that's the general plan. I will start a thread once I get the tank and begin to set it up.

Thanks to those who provided their feedback on their experiences with CADLights tanks!

Mark

Sounds like fun. Your defintely going to need a chiller to keep temps at a steady 74. unless the room your tank is in is climate controlled. What species of seahorse are you planning for?

If this student loan works out the way I want it to, you better believe I'll have one headed my way! These cad tanks are a thing of beauty.

Be sure to keep us updated, Mark!

I usually keep the house at 74 degrees and the room both of my tanks will be in is where the thermostat is. That room doesn't get much ambient light either. I have plenty of time to watch the temps in the tank while it is cycling. If I can't keep the temps down, I will buy a chiller.

I haven't decided on what seahorses I will keep yet. I'm only planning on 1 male/female pair though. I have narrowed down my choices to:
H. erectus
H. fuscus
H. kuda
H. reidi
I have about 3 months to decide as I want to get the tank cycled and stable before adding the seahorses. Recommendations are appreciated from those of you who have kept any of the seahorse species listed above.

Just put an order for a Cad 22. I'm thinking of setting up the chambers as follows:

chamber 1: floss, chemipure and purigen

chamber 2: chaeto and live rocks

chamber 3: return pump, stealth heater and thermometer

Is this a good setup? I'm thinking to put in a skimmer but don't think there would be enough space on chamber 1?

Thanks.

Hi there,

I am new to the hobby, and am looking at the cadlight tanks... I like the appearance far more than other nano tanks I've seen, and the functionality also seems good. A couple of quick questions:

1. For the 22g, with the stock 56W lights... are those lights good for anything at all, or are they simply too weak for a reef? I see they have a 96W version as well, but am not sure I want to spend quite that much for my first tank.

2. For the 12g, the lights seem like they should be sufficient for a reef... but am I right or wrong?

3. For the 22g, is the water flow from the stock pump sufficient?

I'll probably have other questions later...

Hi all,

I just ordered my 22g today and I am super super excited!!!

I'm upgrading from a Biocube 8 so I already have LR, CUC, and Corals.

I'm actually wondering whether 9.5 pounds of rock is good enough for a 22g. I know the rule of thumb is 1 lb of rock per gallon but seeing that the Cadlights is so narrow and long... aquascaping might be a bit difficult. I guess I'll see when I actually get it.

The only filtration I have right now is floss and I've been reading up on forums and noticed that everyone has chemipure (carbon filter?) in their tanks. Is that really necessary?

Finally, I'm assuming the size of the tank would warrant a skimmer. What models is recommended and is there anything else others would recommend I get? I'm getting a glass cover that hopefully would help curb ATO, if not, I'm planning to make one.

SUPER EXCITED!!

Hi there,

I asked Eddie from Cadlights what corals I can keep for 56W and he said most... except for SPS because these corals require Metal Halide lights.

I also opted for the 56W because I didn't want to spend so much

hello all- after doing a lot of reading and comparing of AIO tanks, I decided to put in my order for a Cadlights 39g Pro. it's supposed to ship next Friday and arrive next Tuesday!

Ordered directly from Eddie, who spent a lot of time dealing with me and patiently answering questions. I ended up getting the UV sterilizer taken off the order because I just didn't want to deal with it, and I've never had any trouble with that kind of thing before.

I'll update with pictures from my Nikon D40 as they become available -- looking forward to "working" with all of you!

(I apologize in advance with what will doubtlessly be a lot of stupid questions).

Welcome to the CAD Owners Club! I know you'll enjoy your tank. If you're interested check out my thread to see how I modded the optional shelf for the Pro.

I really like that shelf idea -- that's probably the first thing I'll do when I put the thing together. My biggest concern overall is what to do about evaporation. Eddie at Cadlights suggested that, based on my location (Richmond, VA), I probably wouldn't have to top off every day (he suggested more like every 4-5 days). However, I'm still looking into ATOs, just because I like the automation -- the problem is that I'm really not sure where I can put the reservoir for the fresh water. Wife is not going to allow plumbing running through our bedroom, so it's got to be an in-cabinet solution if anything (or else a really cleverly-wired through-wall solution where the reservoir ends up hiding in the closet...!!! ). Anyway, so that's one of the biggest places that I think a shelf could come in handy.

How does everyone else deal with ATO? Any in-cabinet solutions?

By the way, I also really like your idea of the "shelf" aquascape. My LFS used to sell sort of "pre-fab" walls of concrete shaped to look like live rock, which I didn't necessarily like, but gave me the idea to maybe construct my own walls out of live rock using superglue/aquarium putty or something. How's your progress on this?

I hit a wall financially, so I am embracing the reef mantra, "Nothing good happens quickly."

I imagine there should be a way to drill a small hole through the wall directly behind the tank, so that it is not visible. The trouble is depending on how your house is laid out, where you will actually have the reservoir. I had the same trouble with my wife, but we overcame that when I told her our options were our bedroom or our living room. She'd rather have the reservoir in the bedroom where no one can see.

I think I've hit a similar wall - just found out my wife has to replace her timing belt and horn (?!?) in her car, so that's going to definitely slow things down for me.

Just picked up a 12gallon Cadlights... very excited. This'll be my first SW tank. I'll post details and so on once I get it going... while I'm waiting, though:

I have the stock lights for now. What sorts of corals/etc. can I expect will work well, and what should I steer totally clear of? There seems to be some debate on this... any insights will be appreciated. Thanks!

Here's a pic of where I am so far...


I picked up the rest of the LR I needed after posting the picture above. This is what it looked like after adding more LR:

I used a 3 gallon water jug, and mounted it in the back right of the stand, just above the sump. I had to cut the top off of the just as it was a little too big. I then just ran an airline from this into my ATO. It holds about 2.5 gallons when full. This lasts about 3-4 days.

Here are a few early pictures of my Calights Pro system. The majority of the pictures are when I was cycling the tank but now ive got a few sps, zoo's, etc in the tank. I added a chiller and new refugium light to my system.

My new cadlight 39g Pro thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=206556

Hi all,

Finally got my 22g. I'm wondering if any of you got the glass cover? i got it cause i know i want fishes that would be prone to jumping. but i'm a bit disappointed in that the glass cover is way too small for the tank... it's like at least 2 inches smaller in width, which means i can't use the flap to feed without risking the glass cover from falling into the tank.

Is it just me? I asked eddie and i think he's trying to avoid me

In addition, what do you guys have in the chambers? I'm cycling the water only right now. I will be adding sand tomorrow and then LR in a few days. do i need to stick in the bioballs to help with the bacteria build up?? I'm actually not into the whole bioballs idea... and how do you stick the filter in without it falling to the bottom?? I guess steve's media rack would come handy huh?

thanks,

Jessica

Call Him. Call him on the phone. He's a great guy. Probably not avoiding you. They ship worldwide so I am sure he's busy with other issues as well.

Jessica. I have a 22G running for 1,5 years with the cover on it. The cover is designed to rest on the legs of the stock CAD T5 light unit. When I changed the light to MH I was able to slide the smaller part of glass in the rubber connector to align it with the bigger part of glass. The glass is not glued to the rubber connector. So just slide it, flip the cover upside down and put the whole thing on the top of the tank. As the result you will have a 2 inch opening on one side of the tank. I feed the fish through this opening. As for the back chambers, I have rock rubble and media pads in chamber 1, cheato and mineral mud in chamber 2, and a heater in chamber 3.

Hope it helps,
Tatyana

Can anyone post pics of the newest lighting used. I believe it is the black fixture.

How do you like it? is it solid? good design? what kind of ballast?

Here's what came with my Cadlights Pro.

IMO it looks nice, solid, and very pro.

what are the size specs on the ballast?

Hello all.

Received my Cadlights 22 Gallon a couple of weeks ago. Ordered the package with the T5 (96W) lighting. When I got it, I noticed that I couldn't fit my StevieT basket in chamber 1. Found out that there was nothing wrong with the basket; the false wall was actually crooked. StevieT was awesome enough to send me a smaller basket, which fits quite well now even with the crooked wall. Thanks StevieT!

Another problem I found was that the light fixture just wouldn't fit snugly on the top of the tank. The acrylic legs support seemed kind of flimsy for such a big fixture. And wouldn't you know it...I had trouble fitting the leg support into the fixture's rubber slot, and the thing broke when I forced it in. So I had to order another one. Ugh.

Anyway, as far as the tank itself, it looks great. I've got the media basket in chamber one, and a Tunze 9002 skimmer in chamber two, along with heater and air pump for my chiller. I did a test run this past week to see if everything worked and if I had any leaks. So far, everything has gone well. Hopefully, I'll get the replacement legs this week so I can put the lights up.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

added new pics of the setup/aquascaping to my thread. nothing exciting, but just trying to provide something to look at...!

I have a two Cadlights tanks coming this week, 12g and a 5g (special order as they stopped making them a while back. I bought both without a light, thinking I would build a LED fixture. I am still going to do that, but I am finding it hard to find a shell that I can use to house the LEDs for the 12g (I will use a Satellite for the 5g). So, I am thinking I might buy the 12g light from Cadlights and replace the T5 with LED.

Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you 12g owners could provide some dimensions and info for me as I cannot find it anywhere on the Cadlights site. Cadlight didn't have any open units when I called so could only approximate. Here's what I need.

Length x Width x Height (in the middle of the fixture) of the outside.

When turned over, the Length X Width of the opening for the lights (the clear area). In some pictures it seems much smaller than the unit itself.

It is hard to tell from the pictures, but is the entire unit aluminum? The sides look like aluminum in some pictures, but in others they looked plastic?

Are there vent holes in the top and the sides?

MANY THANKS to all for your help!

So I have been looking at getting the 34 pro tank, what is the 70G cooling unit? Is it some kind of chiller?

Nope, it's just a cooling fan. It works quite well. Here's a pic:



BTW, there is no longer a 34 Gallon Pro. It is the 39 Gallon Pro.

Thanks I was a little confused on that, sorry i meant 39

No problem.

I'm interested in getting a tank set up again after a few years without one. I am looking for an all-in-one and the Cad Lights 12g caught my eye. Overall, is it worth the price (~$200) and would the T5-NO light included with it be sufficient for keeping soft corals and perhaps an LPS or two for a while until I pick out or make a 70w MH fixture?

Also, I noticed there are now quite a few nano-sized protein skimmers such as this one:

http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticLife_Int...IPSISVS-vi.html

Which if any would fit in any of the rear chambers on the 12g and would they be worth it as far as construction and operational quality and overall effects on the water quality.

I would appreciate any input anyone has to offer and thank you in advance.

-Sean

hi all,

I have a the Cadlights 22g and looking for a protein skimmer.

Any recommendations?

thanks,

Jessica

So 39g owners, is the metal halide a good light? I have the option to buy the tank used with or without the light. Are you pleased with it for sps/clams?

For you guys running Chaeto in the back fuge area on the 22G or 39G Signitures, how is it growing for you? With the overflow letting water in right on top of my chaeto, it is full of junk and doesn't seem to be growing very much. I was using the fuge light my tank came with, just switched to a DIY 20W CF light from HomeDepot.

this thing works great in my 22g check out my diy thread

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...c=196622&hl

I have the 12g and love it. My tank is relatively new, though, and I'm also fairly new to the hobby. You might look up nano sapiens 12g tank thread... his is great, with some sps, etc., even with just the stock light.

I purchased the 115 skimmer and it did NOT fit in the sump of the 12g, so I cannot recommend it for you. It almost fit, but not quite.

my 22 cadlights two weeks into it.

pmemmer i have an aquaticlife 115 skimmer and its a tight fit. im not sure the demensions of the 12 gal. but in my 22 i just took off the the two brackets holding it together and replaced it with a couple zip-ties and it holds together quite well. and just slide it on down there. Its a tight fit but itll work. its so tight the false wall will hold it in place where u want the skimmer to sit..

Couldnt you fit the skimmer in the middle refugium chamber?

Neat -- apparently a new cadlights pro 39g version is going to be available in November: the "Pro X-1"... Link

Looks like they've upgraded the skimmer (Bubble-Magus Pinwheel) and the return pump (1000gph), at least....

very interested to see what they're up to!

I hate the skimmer that came with my Sig Series I dont use it. Anyway here is my new 39g CAD and thread http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=211846

Not on mine... as I said, it nearly fit, but I needed another quarter inch or so. The problem wasn't the side-to-side width, but the front-to-back. jeffncherrie, I think the dimensions of the 22g sump are different than the 12g sump (can't be sure, but it would make sense).

Interesting thing happened today. I was sitting near my tank at about 4pm and my metal halide went off. I immediately looked at my controller to see if it was shut off due to high temp. Everything checked out. I waited for about 8-10 minutes and the light flickered and came back on. Very weird. Not sure what that was about. Anyone else have this kind of trouble? I emailed Eddie about it already. If this is a warranty issue I want it nipped in the bud. Now, it was plugged into my RKL, but I checked it out and it did not occur due to an overheating alarm. Also, the Metal Halide 15 minute protection did not kick in, because it went back on before 15 minutes was up. Lastly, I was concerned about how it seemed to flicker back on. I do not know if this would be an electrical issue within the fixture itself or within the electrical ballast. Any information will be much appreciated.

...bump...

you probably had a short circuit somewhere or your surge protector tripped. many metal halide ballasts dont light up the bulb for about 10-15 minutes after it shuts off. esspecially when the light has been on for a while. you dont have anything to worry about. sometimes when i work on my tank and i accidentally unplug the light i have to wait that long for it to tunr back on again.

i am not 100% but i have not seen any MH lights that will turn on right away after it was shut off as of now.