Are you happy now!

I guess that'll do for now. Pretty sweet lookin' tank...even when it's dry. lol

How's the stand? Pretty sturdy?

I was very impressed with the stand actually. It is very sturdy IMO. As far as AIO's go I think it has one of the nicest cabinet stands. It goes together like ikea furniture.

FYI, the stand comes with an optional shelf that most people do not use (pictured below). I am actually going to mod it by having an additional hole cut in it so that I can pass the hoses and wiring through it. I think I can organize the wires in a neater/cleaner looking way by doing this. I will have the mod done this week and post pics.

Does anyone have any objections to using tap water for the leak test?

I don't see why there would be any objections.

Once you get this bad boy filled maybe we can start brainstorming ideas to quiet her down...if it annoys you like it does me. 3 things -- the overflow, the return pump, and halide fans.

I heard somewhere that you can place some of that filter sponge in the overflow in such a way that it dissipates the sound.

I just got an email that my tank shipped and is due for delivery tomorrow. Wish me luck that I will be able to open the box and find the tank all in one piece.

Right now I am but I'll be and if UPS breaks your tank I'll send a to take care of business.

Here is what I am thinking of doing to the cabinet shelf.

1) Cut second square for drainage line
2) Cut middle square towards back for power cords

By doing this I hope to achieve a more organized look in the sump. I will use plastic cord holders that will attach to shelf and direct cords to a controller power strip. Maybe I can even keep some goodies on the shelf (ie. refractometer, test kits, etc).

Well, my tank arrived today...


I'm not happy. Very poor packaging.

My is on his way to the delivery man.

Click to view attachmentThe sump was cracked too. I was going to unpackage it and see if it held water...then I noticed a crack in it. Bummer of a day. UPS has been notified and oceanreeflections is working with CAD on getting me replacements.

The optional shelf has been modified. Here are some pics.



Here is how it looks in the cabinet

I spent the morning cementing everything together. Here is what the sump looks like with all the hoses in place. Tank only needs saltwater and live rock now! Before I do that I will purchase a ReefKeeper Light, Koralia pumps, and a JBJ ATO.

Here are the pics.

Nice work on the shelf. I'll probably do the same with mine. Thanks for the idea.

Today I purchased a ReefKeeper Lite, JBJ ATO, and a Koralia #4 from aquacave (who, by the way, offered the lowest prices I could find). I think I will be okay for a while as far as equipment goes. Eventually I will either pick up an additional Koralia #4 or #3. Next I will be saving up for the sand and live rock. For sand I will be using "Caribsea Arag-Alive Special Grade Reef Sand." As far as live rock goes I found a local place that sells Totoka Live Rock. For salt I am tossed up between Tropical Marin pro-reef salt or Sea Chem Reef Salt.

Once my order comes in I will start brainstorming on placement. My goal is for the entire setup to be aesthetically pleasing (in and out of cabinet). This is why I modded the shelf to assist in hiding wires. I was daydreaming the other day and wondering how it would look to replace the wooden doors with Acrylic see through doors...not sure I will do that, but it was a thought.

very nice

Hrmmm, I know it's been only a day later, but aquacave hasn't even charged my card. And noone is answering their phones... I know they're legit, but I have also heard they can be really slow. I feel like every step in this hobby is a major training in patience.

+1 for aquacaves responding to me today and shipping out my order
-1 for me worrying.

Hello all...joining in on the fun. Second time posting - see the below pictures of my Cadlights Pro tank. Been running since June. I had to add alot of things like a chiller because the fan included wasnt cooling my tank. Also added a new refugium light.

holy thread hijack batman!

I think he meant to put that in the Cadlights39 G Pro FTS Thread...

My new purchases will arrive monday!

BTW, I noticed upon another look that the Carib-Sea Special Grade Reef sand is not recommended for burrowers. I am considering going with the Western Caribean sand instead. Any thoughts on this?

Special Grade Reef Sand grain sizes are too big for DSBs if you were thinking about using it in your refugium. My wife really wanted that sand, but I was kind of shying away from it for that reason.

I personally prefer the Fiji Pink or the Bimini Pink, but man alive, what about that Hawaiian Black Sand they're selling now (not the Tahitian Moon Sand). That could be sweet. I've read too many people debating over whether your corals won't end up with as much light with the darker sand, though.

To answer your question about the West Caribbean Sand, though, I think it looks really nice in the pictures they show, but my understanding is that the caribsea "advertisement" pictures are nowhere near what you actually end up getting. So, if i were you, I'd go around looking at LFSs to see if you can find a bag to look at, even if you don't buy it from there. Also, i'd recommend going to caribsea.com's website because it tells you the applications for each type of sand they sell (e.g. good for burrowers, DSB-applicable, etc.). pretty useful resource, except for the pictures.

Monday is here and my shipment from Aquacave is out for delivery. I'll keep you posted.

I went with some metal/screw hose clamps where the hoses connected with the bulkheads. I will be putting zip-ties in the areas where the hoses connect underwater.

Also, the only items I did not use PVC cement on was where the durso and return pipes connected down into the bulkheads.

I have an opportunity to buy a full cadlights set up for $600... should I? or should I not?

Wowzers! For a 39G Pro? I wouldn't even hesitate.

Well, I received my ReefKeeper Lite, JBJ ATO, & Koralia Hydor K4 from AquaCave today. Initially I was considering having something custom made that would help conceal all the electrical wiring down below, but after a trying out a few things it looks like that won't be necessary. It seems that simply having the modded shelf and careful placement of the RK Controller and PC4 outlets was enough to keep everything looking very tidy.

Here's all of what came:



The ReefKeeper:




I installed the PC4 on the upper right of the inside of the cabinet. I would not suggest using the included screws, because they are too long and will protrude out the other side. I used smaller wood screws for the job. Also, I recommend placing it here so that it helps hide most of the PC4 power cord. Make sure to leave plenty of room to plug and unplug your RJ connectors in the inputs.





Next I mounted the Controller to the right side door. Too high of placement and it will get smashed between the door and cabinet. I placed it so that it was above the shelf for better ventilation. Also, I hid the wire behind the sump and pulled it up and around and plugged it into the PC4.



See how nice and tidy it all looks!

I confined the mess to the back of the cabinet:



Now, another thing I did was hide most of the wire for the temp probe behind the sump and pull up just enough to go in whatever chamber you prefer it to be in. Since I have the cooling fan in the last chamber on the right with the return pump I will put the temp probe in the first chamber on the far left.

Also, in case it is not apparent, I pulled all cords through the back left whole. Then I pulled all cords that I wanted plugged into the PC4 through the right side hole. Then I pulled the wire taught through the holes so there is minimum wires in the cabinet.

Sweet, everything looks real nice.

Do you think the K4 will be too strong? I currently have a K3, and with only rock in my tank it is hard to tell if it will be too strong. Most other threads that I have read people were recommending 2 x K1's for this tank. I was thinking about adding either 2 x K1's or 2 x Nano's for the opposite side of the tank as the K3.

Depends on what you want to keep in the tank. I was told 1 x K4 and 1 x K3 would be perfect since I want to keep sps eventually. The ocean has very strong currents...much stronger that what 2 x K1's could supply. I think the K4 & K3 would make a more real environment + prevent any dead spots.

riz, this is looking good. making me jealous with the RKL -- looks like a nice piece of equipment.

i also think you're doing good things with cord management. i definitely appreciate how you're setting things up before stocking your tank. hopefully that will pay off for you!

one question for you: are you at all concerned about mounting the RKL/PC4 inside the cabinet, with all the humidity that's likely to be hanging out in there? my thinking has been that i want to get as much electronic equipment on the outside of the cabinet as i can (maybe mount it to the back or sides of the cabinet in a hidden but accessible place) to avoid damage/corrosion from humidity down the road. what do you think?

I am slightly concerned. I recalled that I came across a thread where a guy cut some holes in his cabinet and installed ventilation fans. It's on the first page of this thread:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...148142&st=0

I was thinking about putting one just to the left of my cooling fan in the sump area. I am considering either running it all the time, every 2-3 hours, or just when the cooling fan comes on. Also, I don't imagine salt creep would be able to make it up to the Controller or PC4 because of the way I have it situated. I am keeping the MH ballast outside the cabinet though.


What do you think? Have you heard of people having major issues with it in the cabinet?

I just had another thought in regards to my JBJ ATO. I was thinking about drilling a small hole in the back of the cabinet to pull the hose through. Any thoughts on whether or not this is a good idea? Also, I was planning on using a 5 Gallon Arrowhead Water jug as the reservoir, but I'm not sure how I'd get a pump in there. Help me brainstorm on this guys.

How about this for my ATO:

Aqualifter

Haha, well I suppose that is what I must figure out.


I don't see why not. The only other way is to run it through with your cables.

In regards to your RKL, what do you plan to run off of it? With there only being 4 outlets is seems somewhat limited. Is the advantage of using it to run your heater just to avoid over temp. situations (ie. heater failing)? What other features do you plan to take advantage of?

The reason I ask is I am trying to figure out if it is worth it for me to get one (they are pretty cheap). I don't run the cooling fan, a chiller, or need one for an ATO, so all I would use it for are halide, actinics, fuge light, and heater perhaps...

Can't wait to see what else you will do with your tank!

Thanks.

I will eventually purchase an additional PC$, but for now here is my current setup

Outlet #
1 - Actinics
2 - Cooling Fan
3 - Fuge Light
4 - Metal Halides

I already programmed everything into the controller already. My lighting schedule is as follows: Moonlights Always On; Actinics 8AM-8PM; MH 9AM-7PM; Fuge Light 8PM-8AM (opposite schedule to prevent PH swing). The RKL has a special MH feature where if there is a power outage it will not allow the MH to refire again for 15 minutes. The Riz likes this.

How I made this decision was that I decided there were things I wanted on all the time:

LED Moonlights, Skimmer pump, Return Pump, Koralia K4, ATO. I have this plugged into it's own power strip and when I want to do feedings I can just shut off the whole strip. Eventually as I expand the Controller by purchasing the new SL2 and Salinity probe I will connect the ATO, Heater, and skimmer and return pumps. Honestly, it's not really a biggie to me if most of those never get plugged into the 2nd PC4. I could always simply buy a PC1 and just plug the ATO and Heater in there.

I personally am not a huge fan of drilling a bunch of holes in weight-bearing supports. i'd rather have all the support i can get. there is a *lot* of weight in that tank (i'd estimate 600lbs, with live rock/sand/salt water/thick glass), and because it's a cube, it's got more weight per square inch of footprint than a rectangular/long tank would have (where the weight is distributed over a wider area, thus putting less stress on the square inches of space underneath the tank).

having said that, i err on the side of caution with that stuff. and i'm not an engineer, and wouldn't be able to provide calculations on how much our stand's sawdust-walls can support to convince myself that this type of thing isn't risky. and, just because someone else's hasn't failed doesn't mean it's structurally sound (again though, i'm not an engineer). at the end of the day, the best reason not to drill the hole is because you don't want to void your warranty in case something goes wrong. e.g., you drill the hole, your wall gives just a little (so little that you don't notice), your tank is no longer supported on an even plane, the seams of your tank come apart or your glass cracks.....). but, like i said, i am overly cautious.

as far as the equipment in the cabinet being a problem, i have seen several people do it in other threads (installing power strips/controllers/etc.). again, i'm not sure i would do it myself, but i don't have hard data to back up my theory. my theory is just that you've got equipment running (causing evaporation), you've got potential splashing/dripping, potential salt creep, and you've got a fan running in the sump for evaporative cooling, all in a relatively enclosed/unventilated environment. and, that humidity is going to rise. i know the RKL is obviously "aquarium equipment," but i just don't see that it would have been designed to be run in a high humidity environment like that. i think a good example of the downside is the stock fuge light -- lots of people over on reefcentral had their fuge light rust. again, no real facts to back this up -- i just don't see it as being a good idea, especially when it can just as easily be mounted to the outside of the cabinet as the inside.

Tim,
Thanks for that reply. As far as load, this is how I computed the weight of everything:

Tank = 40lbs
Lights = 20lbs
LR = 50Lbs
LS = 40Lbs
Salt = 50Lbs
Fish, Corals & Inverts = negligable
Water = 39G x 8.5 = 321.5

Total weight load on Cabinet = 541Lbs Approx

I understand your caution. Since there are already 2 holes in the back of the cabinet I could put the vent on the right side panel right next to the cooling fan. From what I have seen in almost all of the Cad Pro tanks I have read is they keep most of the electrical inside the sump area and I haven't heard any issues with that yet. I would just suggest doing a really good cleaning job once a month or so. Or maybe I'll throw some baking soda in there

I will probably keep a good eye on the sump for a while and if it seems necessary, then I will add the extra ventilation.

that sounds good -- i guess the key will be just to keep an eye on it, and if you do drill a new hole, check the stand with a level every couple weeks for the first month or two.

You just reminded me I need to buy a level.

...I'll finally be buying LS and salt this weekend...

I will either go with Sea Chem Reef Salt or Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt.

For sand, I finally decided on CaribSea Western Caribbean...I want a burrower or two...

...Then next weekend I will be buying the Live Rock...

are you concerned about lengthening your cycle by adding the LS and LR at different times? i am picking up my LS either today or tomorrow, but i haven't bought the LR yet -- i was thinking of holding off on adding the LS until I had the LR, too. i was planning on using cured LR, incidentally.

No worries, I just hold on to the LS until I get the LR. I have a thread in the filtration section right now asking which of two companies to go with for the LR.

Dude...stop buying equipment and get that tank wet and cycling.

About LR...look at your LFS. In this economy, unfortunately, some people have had to get out of the hobby for a while. You might find that your LFS has taken in rock from those who have shut down their tanks. You might get lucky and find some really nice fully-established peices that way.

BTW...your estimate of lbs of salt needed (50) is way high. You're probably looking at more like 12lbs of salt to get you going.

...but...but...I heard higher salinity is better Actually, that's good to know. I never really did the research on how much I would need exactly.

There are 2 LFS I step foot in. I am convinced 1 of them is evil. The other one doesn't have a very good range of choices. In the end the only thing I ever buy from them is fish food and I still feel all dirty inside afterwards.

In the end I really want to have THE very best looking Live Rock I can get without breaking the bank and having my wife kill me.

And...I did get my tank wet technically. I cleaned the glass just the other day

Look here (if you haven't already). Their LR looks sick. I don't have any of it as I found what I wanted locally, but I have heard great reviews...

http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/product_info...5d7cf6b0120a558

Woot! That's one of the companies I am considering. The other choice I am considering is the Totoka LR from www.aquatictech.com.

Edit: I can do a local pickup. They are here in LA, so I will save big on shipping if I go with these guys. I heard the Totoka is supposed to be the best. What do you know about it?

If I go with Sea Life then I will split it 50/50 with their base rock. What do you think? Is it worth it if most of that life will die off anyway?

If aquatictech is local, then maybe you can head over and take a look for yourself. I have seen that website before and the Fiji Totoka looks pretty nice, but that rock from Sealifeinc looks awesome.

50/50 cultured base/premium would be a good way to go. I wouldn't plan on most of the life to die off either. You'd be surprised how much of that life is sustained by the time it gets to you and is introduced to your tank.