racechase Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 yeah before you add your CUC do a big WC just to make sure all of the nitrates are gone. youre doing a great job on cycling! keep up with your testing and it'l be pretty easy. Link to comment
dadashot Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 HEY guysi just got a 12g too! everything is dissolved and clear. looking to get 10LBs or so liverocks and maybe a clown to start things off. i wish i can post up some pics of my tank. it looks great on my computer table. its also so bright that it lights up the whole half of my computer room. this is actually my first reef tank and i love how simplified it is. definitely not as scary as the ones i see from the aquarium shop close by me. thanks for all the info, soooo helpful Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 HEY guysi just got a 12g too! everything is dissolved and clear. looking to get 10LBs or so liverocks and maybe a clown to start things off. i wish i can post up some pics of my tank. it looks great on my computer table. its also so bright that it lights up the whole half of my computer room. this is actually my first reef tank and i love how simplified it is. definitely not as scary as the ones i see from the aquarium shop close by me. thanks for all the info, soooo helpful Great! I'm happy for you and I love mine so far. I have mine on my computer desk with my dual LCD's and my 42" plasma just over the desk/couch . Where I spend 90 percent of my time when I'm not working. Check out user Smee! and Nano Sapiens for more info on this great tank. Make sure you cycle your tank with the live rock before adding any livestock. Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 Okay, sorry to be a post-whore Cycle is complete. Ammonia = 0. Nitrates are 20. I just performed about a 40-45% water change after letting the salt mix well with a power head. Pre-water change values: Temp - 77.5 Sal. - 1.024 Amm. - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 20 PH - 8.2 Post-water change values: Sal. - 1.0255 Nitrate - 10-15 I was hoping for less nitrates. I only waited an hour after water change to test. I'll test tomorrow. I'm worried about adding CUC with nitrates above 10. Link to comment
J-Bass Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Do they offer that tank without the refugium part? I'd rather have just the bare tank and drill it to add a sump. Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Do they offer that tank without the refugium part? I'd rather have just the bare tank and drill it to add a sump. As of a few months ago they sure did. Check out the CADLights website for more current info. or call them up. Link to comment
dadashot Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Oh man thats the best part. the fuge is like the money shot! the fuge really sets the CADs apart. first time in my life where i am hanging ut in my work room even in the weekends, thanks to the CAD tank i think i am going to be more productive Do they offer that tank without the refugium part? I'd rather have just the bare tank and drill it to add a sump. Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Nitrate - 10-15 I was hoping for less nitrates. I only waited an hour after water change to test. I'll test tomorrow. I'm worried about adding CUC with nitrates above 10. CUC's are tough buggers, so you should be fine to add them. I routinely have a 10-25 Nitrate (NO3) range (depending on how much I feed the tank) and I haven't lost anything. Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted May 17, 2009 Author Share Posted May 17, 2009 Update In the last week I added 3 astrea snails, 2 blue legged hermits, 1 scarlett hermit and a skunk cleaner shrimp. 2 of the astreas died right away. 5 days later, I added 2 margarita snails. From what I've read, I hear they don't last long in warm water aquariums 78+. But they are moving around great. The hermits are happy and scavenging all over. The 1 out of 3 astrea is great, but two were duds. I saw the blue legged hermits pulling apart one of the astreas the other night. The shrimp is great. I slowly acclimated him over 2 hours. He crawls all over, is bold, and within 2 days was cleaning my hand when I put it in the tank and watching me constantly when I am at my computer. He was just cleaning off the shells of the new margaritas. Salinity -1.025 (with new refractometer, no more problems wow this thing is great RHS-10ATC) PH - 8.3 Calcium - 500+ Nitrates - 15-20 Oh and I added chaeto and started my refugium up today and hope nitrates will start coming down. Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 Refuge - Used some lights I had lying around that plug right in. Looks like a couple of hitch hiker snails... Link to comment
Smee! Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Lookin' sweet, any thoughts to what's going in yet? Link to comment
NappyRoots Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Day 6 Cycling Temp - 76.6 (heater popped into chamber 2 per Nano Sapiens advice - still heating up) Salinity - 1.0265 (the Deep 6 hydro is a real POS! Wildly fluctuating readings unless you tap the S@(*# out of it) EDIT - Just ordered a refractometer Ammonia - 1 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 20 PH - 8.2 Anyone know what is going on with the cycle here? Nice tankkkk!! I really gotta thank you, nano sapiens, e12pilot, smees, you all helped me decide for this tank.. hehe! Sorry for this noob question, but i bought a maxijet mp1200 like urs, to have more flow, even with the control nozzle, i still get excessive flow and lot of sandstorms, i have it located exactly as urs...! any recommendations? ty take care Link to comment
MLK Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 how is the stock lighting working out for you? im thinking about getting this tank but the lighting just seems too weak. Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 Nice tankkkk!! I really gotta thank you, nano sapiens, e12pilot, smees, you all helped me decide for this tank.. hehe!Sorry for this noob question, but i bought a maxijet mp1200 like urs, to have more flow, even with the control nozzle, i still get excessive flow and lot of sandstorms, i have it located exactly as urs...! any recommendations? ty take care I haven't replaced the stock pump. I temporarily put a mj600 in the tank to help circulation during the cycle. I now have a Koralia Nano. The stock pump puts out supposedly 19.5x turnover which I feel is sufficient. Thanks for the comments. Check out member scottyreef also as he has a very popular 22 I think. how is the stock lighting working out for you? im thinking about getting this tank but the lighting just seems too weak. I have a couple of zoas, some gsp, green ricordia, a mushroom, and a new toadstool. Except for the toadstool, the others are thriving and open fully and are growing and increasing in size. I got the toadstool about 9 days ago, while it hasn't opened fully yet, it is not decaying or anything. As soon as it opens, I will take some new pics for this thread. Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 Update. I just created a filter shelf for filters using egg crate. I have removed 90 percent of the live-rock-rubble. I don't know how I fell for that trend but I've recently found out from more reading and experience that it is totally unnecessary and in the end has the same effect as bio-balls. This is how my chambers are currently set up. I have had 0 (YES 0) nitrates for the last month. I am thrilled about that. I just recently rinsed my chaeto which is growing great. My auto-top off has been perfected and although evaporation is on the heavy side, I am now able to keep my salinity absolutely rock-solid! I'm sorry I haven't posted pictures in so long. I don't yet have full-time access to a camera. Check out a rough diagram of my chamber setup. I am so excited about this system and how it is set up. Please provide any comments or suggestions, but this is working great and the water is 100% crystal clear and beautiful! Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Update. I just created a filter shelf for filters using egg crate. I have removed 90 percent of the live-rock-rubble. I don't know how I fell for that trend but I've recently found out from more reading and experience that it is totally unnecessary and in the end has the same effect as bio-balls. This is how my chambers are currently set up. I have had 0 (YES 0) nitrates for the last month. I am thrilled about that. I just recently rinsed my chaeto which is growing great. My auto-top off has been perfected and although evaporation is on the heavy side, I am now able to keep my salinity absolutely rock-solid! I'm sorry I haven't posted pictures in so long. I don't yet have full-time access to a camera. Check out a rough diagram of my chamber setup. I am so excited about this system and how it is set up. Please provide any comments or suggestions, but this is working great and the water is 100% crystal clear and beautiful! Good to see you are happy with your setup. True, LR rubble is not necessary in a properly set up reef tank. Due to a somewhat higher nitrate level I threw a dozen 1-1/2" chunks in my fuge to see if there would be any effect, but it didn't seem to hurt nor help. I would say that they function a bit differently from bio balls since the chunks have a much denser structure which, in theory, should still promote some denitrification in a lower flow area like the fuge. Bio-balls were designed to provide an optimal surface for aerobic bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate quickly and efficiently within a highly oxygenated environment, but not to foster anerobic bacteria to convert nitrate into nitrogen gas. Hope all goes well as your tank matures. Looking forward to a few update pics Link to comment
baylisc Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Hi, Great looking tank, I am in the process of cycling my new CAD 12 and have some questions for you. I orriginally had my heater in chamber three (return pump chamber) but the heater was just heating that one chamber. I believe the hot water was just rising and sitting on the top of the water colum and the pump being down at the bottum was not grabbing the hot water. I had a vast difference in temp between the display and chamber 3. I have the same heater as you, have you noticed this at all? What lights did you use for your fuge? I need to get my cheto up and running but cant find a good light. I would love the JBJ LED fuge light but 60 bucks.... not worth it. *Also, can we see another full tank shot? I would love to see how the Koralia nano looks in the tank. Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 Update***** Upgraded to Sunpod 16.5 70w MH about a month ago w/ ushio 20k bulb. Last 6 months.... -cleaner shrimp died of unknown causes a while back, water parameters were good, only thing that changed was my salt type from reef crystals to instant ocean -refugium is gone, chaeto slowly shriveled and died, I think it was the cheapo light I had on it -margarita snails crawled out of tank and died, added 5 nassisarius snails recently -nitrates hit 0 back in July and have been 0 ever since -kept up with regular water changes with my trusty Mighty might ro/di Future goals... -set up refugium and possibly protein skimmer. I like the cpr aquafuge2 but that is really $$$$. I see some small particles floating in the water and want it to be a little crisper ***** Sorry for the crappy pics, with my crappy camera and 0 photo skills. Hermit just walked on my green zoas in the center. Pictures don't do justice Link to comment
.Newman. Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 What is that SPS-looking coral there? I would really like some of that in my 3 gal pico, can you please give us a name of that awesome thing? Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 a couple more shots.... What is that SPS-looking coral there? I would really like some of that in my 3 gal pico, can you please give us a name of that awesome thing? I think you are referring to the large pink one in the lower center. It is a Devil's Finger leather coral. I just got it a few days ago so it hasn't fully opened up yet. Link to comment
.Newman. Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 of course, the Devil's Finger leather! how could I have forgotten that name! How much did that sucker cost you? Link to comment
bps7772000 Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 30 bucks at a local shop. Link to comment
.Newman. Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 I am so going to get a green variant of that....thank you for the inspiration ! Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Coming along nicely! Looks like you are getting especially good coralline algae growth on the back wall and plastic parts. Link to comment
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