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CadLights 12G Nano Build


e12pilot

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I have been out of the hobby for a couple of years but recently decided to start back up again with a CADLIGHTS 12G. Have not seen a lot of posts out there regarding this tank, so I thought I would start a build thread for others that may have interest in the tank.

 

I ordered the tank from John @ FishTanksDirect (www.fishtanksdirect.com) . The order shipped via DHL from CAD in NYC, so it took DHL 5 days to get the tank here in Oregon. John is great to deal with and was very prompt in answering all my questions regarding shipping, etc.

 

Everything arrived in great condition and I got a water test done today. The tank is stunning, definitely an extremely high quality arylic build and the depth to height ratio is also very nice. Hopefully I will get it filled with salt and sand tomorrow, and maybe get the rock in before the end of the week.

 

Here are the specs:

 

- Cadlights 12G (w/ the glass top, we have a cat ;-)

- 4 x 8W T5NO (2x10k, 2xActinic) - hoping to keep softies under this guy, it looks fairly bright

- Refugium

- Ebay 4-bulb LED refug light

- Koralia Nano

 

Hoping the 4Bulb LED refug light will be good enough for some cheato growth, but who knows, there is always the Finnex T5 refug light.

 

Here are some picts:

 

Freshwater Test:

 

IMG_0001_640.jpg

 

 

Freshwater Test (side):

 

IMG_0004_640.jpg

 

On the stand, T5 lights:

 

IMG_0006_640.jpg

 

Hood Down, spectrum looks good:

 

IMG_0008_640.jpg

 

I will post picts along the way, hopefully I can get everything in before the weekend.

 

YAH!

 

Pete

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I've been thinking about getting this setup...how do you like it?

 

I like the tank a lot. The quality of the build is very high and I am really pleased with the tank.

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Well that was interesting.............

 

Bought some premixed saltwater yesterday and while I was out I stopped by another LFS to purchase some rock for the cycle. Got home and added the water and did a quick SG test before putting the rock in....1.014 :o

 

Not good.

 

I ran out and purchased some salt mix and brought the tank up to 1.019, but I am a little apprehensive to bring the SG up further as based on the amount of salt I have added, I should be at 1.023. I let the salt mix overnight as well, so I am hoping my Coralife DeepSix SG gauge is not broken or mis-calibrated. Planning on heading over to the LFS this morning and have them test the water.

 

Anyone with DeepSix hydrometer experience this issue?

 

I ended up purchasing a little too much rock, so the FTS is a little crowded. A few pieces will be going into a friend's tank in the next few days, so hopefully I can get a better pic then.

 

Sand is AragAlive Bahama OOlite, I like it a lot.

 

FTS:

 

IMG_0011_640.jpg

 

Hitch Hiker on the rock:

 

IMG_0013_640.jpg

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matty0206

Very nice tank! Looking forward to seeing it progress! What lfs are you using? I always like to hear others experiences with the stores around here!

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Very nice tank! Looking forward to seeing it progress! What lfs are you using? I always like to hear others experiences with the stores around here!

 

I live in southwest Portland, so I believe the closest to me is Waves, and I am really not disappointed with that either ;-) They have a phenomenal store and selection, and the frag prices are hard to beat anywhere around here.

 

How about you?

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Observations on the CADLIGHT 32W T5NO Fixture:

 

- Runs silent (no fans)

- Almost zero heat output, I can notice a slight heat difference when holding my hand 1 inch from the glass on the housing

- Spectrum is a little blue, but I like it

- It looks fairly bright, and I hope it will support softies and some LPS (maybe)

 

Anyone else have the same tank/fixture and want to comment on the corals they are keeping?

 

This stuff is too fun ;-)

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matty0206

Yeah I pretty much only deal with waves they have been awesome and very helpfull! Joel is a great guy and always has the good deals. I am in tigard so they are also the closest to me. I like the selection at upscales but they are expensive and more geared I think to large expensive tanks.

 

If ya ever need any help with anything just holler, Im no pro but im always willing to help a fellow nano-reefer from around these parts!

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Whoa bizzaro world my skimmer is on the opposite side as yours. I've had mine running for some time now and its doing ok....i dont spend alot on it so i doesnt really look as cool as it could. i only have one zoo frag a mushroom rock and 2 leathers....the mushroom rock has algae problems but the leathers and zoos seem to be doing ok. I kinda wanna upgrade the lighting im looking at the 16.5 inch sunpod but it seems pretty rare and expensive....i was also thinking maybe a hqi viper clamp lamp, idk im still pretty new its my 1st tank. I have a palm light with cheato in the back and i dont seem to grow like crazy but its not dead so who knows.

mytank.jpg

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I have had my 12g cadlight for about 9 months. Its a great tank. I have sinse switched over to a 70 watt sunpod. The T5 fixture was pretty good and I was able to keep some LPS. My issue was the bulbs. The bulbs burnt out very quickly and the only place I could find 10K replacments was from Cadlights. I would suggest buying some backup bulbs. That way they are ready to go.

I also upgraded the pump to a maxijet 1200 and added a korilia nano for extra flow.

Great tank over all. The light fixture is not the best quality though.

 

Whoa bizzaro world my skimmer is on the opposite side as yours. I've had mine running for some time now and its doing ok....i dont spend alot on it so i doesnt really look as cool as it could. i only have one zoo frag a mushroom rock and 2 leathers....the mushroom rock has algae problems but the leathers and zoos seem to be doing ok. I kinda wanna upgrade the lighting im looking at the 16.5 inch sunpod but it seems pretty rare and expensive....i was also thinking maybe a hqi viper clamp lamp, idk im still pretty new its my 1st tank. I have a palm light with cheato in the back and i dont seem to grow like crazy but its not dead so who knows.

mytank.jpg

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Quick update for everyone.

 

Current Water Parameters:

 

- SG: 1.025

- Temp: 77.8

- Ammonia: 0

- Nitrates: 0

- Nitrites: 0

- PH: 8.3

 

I used CaribSea AragAlive "live sand" and 16lbs of LFS cured live rock and had a very short cycle. Nitrates and Nitrites all are 0 after a 12 day cycle, so today I added about half the final CUC to the tank.

 

CUC Consists of:

- 10 blue leg hermits

- 5 astera snails

 

FTS:

 

IMG_0018_640.jpg

 

Astera:

 

IMG_0017_640.jpg

 

I also recently added an ATO from AquaHub to the tank. The ATO works great and everything seems to be functioning properly.

 

Shot of ATO/under stand (I know it is a little messy):

 

IMG_0019_640.jpg

 

I am planning on adding a small frag of GSP in the next couple of days as long as the water parameters remain constant.

 

Pete

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Not really much of an update for everyone, except that my algae problems look to be gone now that the CUC has been added. I was able to get rid of a couple pieces of rock last night, and I like the aquascape much better now, far less crowded.

 

I did a 15% water change yesterday evening (2 weeks since getting the tank started) and have some rics and zoas coming from Ken @ SeaLifeInc next week sometime.

 

Current FTS:

 

IMG_0020_640.jpg

 

Quick CUC Shot:

 

IMG_0021_800.jpg

 

More picts to follow once the tank starts looking interesting ;-)

 

Pete

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Quick update, received the first set of corals today from Ken @ Sea Life Inc, everything looks awesome!

 

IMG_0024_640.jpg

 

IMG_0027_800.jpg

 

IMG_0028_640.jpg

 

IMG_0029_640.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update:

Tank has been running fine for the past 4 weeks now, and I have added an additional 3 frags: 2 zoas and 1 small frag of GSP.

 

All the corals from Sea Life Inc. have been doing great, however I am a little bummed about the loss of color on a couple of the rics.

 

After speaking with a couple people about the stock T5 lighting on this tank, I think I am going to take the plunge and get either an Aqua Medic 150W HQI pendant, or the Coralife 150W HQI hang-on-tank fixture. The Sunpod 16.5" 70w seems to have been discontinued, I can't find the thing anywhere.

 

The goal is to one day keep a clam in the tank (Maxima or Crocea), probably after things have been running 6+ months. Tank is 15" deep.

 

I am leaning toward the Aqua Medic, since I can adjust the height as required and think it will look killer over this tank. Thinking about running the 14k Phoenix on it, unless someone recommends the 20k AB bulb? Feedback on this would be appreciated.

 

I am not too worried about heat with the Aqua Medic, but I am with the Coralife. The room the tank is in reaches a max of 70 degrees during the day (AC controlled), and I do have an ATO on the tank. What would you do?

 

Obligatory FTS:

 

IMG_0034_600.jpg

 

New Zoas:

 

IMG_0035_600.jpg

 

Looking down the tank:

 

IMG_0037_600.jpg

 

Faded Ric:

 

IMG_0039_600.jpg

 

Any advice would be much appreciated about the lighting.

 

Cya,

 

P

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  • 4 weeks later...

Ended up ditching the 32w T5 fixture that came with the tank and went with a 150w AquaMedic HQI Pendant with a 14k Phoenix bulb. In the process of acclimating the corals to the new light now, so pardon the messy egg-crate on the top of the tank.

 

I can say without a doubt that adding the pendant to this tank is the best thing I could have done. The tank looks phenomenal in person and it is still about 13" off the surface! I am aiming for a final height of about 9" off the surface, anyone have any suggestions on this?

 

Temp does not seem to be a factor yet, but I will be building an acrylic housing for a couple PC fans in the next couple of weeks to stop any temp issues.

 

CRW_0007_1024.jpg

 

I also recently added a juvi maroon clown (~ 1") and plan on having a larger tank for him within a year.

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Added a couple more corals (Monti caps) and got a couple good picts....

 

Current FTS:

 

CRW_0009_1024.jpg

 

Ricordia Carpet Land:

 

 

CRW_0010_1024.jpg

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the new halides looks great. B) any heat issues? evaporation must be banannas!

 

No heat issues right now :huh: , but I try and keep the room at ~70 with AC, so I think that is helping keep things cooler.

 

Evap really isn't that bad right now, probably because I don't have a fan blowing over the water. The ATO clicks on about 3 times and hour for 2-5 seconds each time.....and it is from an aqualifter at 33" head height, so it is just drips into the tank.

 

Thanks for the compliment on the light, the thing is freakin rad......Unbelievable change from the stock light to this thing.

 

We will see what the tank temp does next week when I begin to bring it down a couple of inches. I think the final resting spot will be about 9" off the water, about 4" lower than it is now.

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singmealullaby

good to hear you don't have any heat issues :) . i was actually thinking of upgrading to a 70 watt metal halide for my 10 gallon... i really like the look of your hanging setup, but i since i live in an apartment it's not possible.

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good to hear you don't have any heat issues :) . i was actually thinking of upgrading to a 70 watt metal halide for my 10 gallon... i really like the look of your hanging setup, but i since i live in an apartment it's not possible.

 

Paint and some caulking are your friend :D .......The holes on this mount are actually pretty small...easy to fix when you move out, would take about 30 minutes of your time....

 

I thought about going 70w on this tank, but the bulb selection with the 150w won me over. With this thing I can always adjust the height if lowering it causes too many heat issues. Right now though everything seems fine, temp goes from 79 with lights off to 80.5 (max) during the middle of the day, just about perfect.

 

awesome looking tank....

 

Thanks! It is starting to "get there" for me, stocking it is the best part.

 

I can't wait to get this light lowered to it's final height and cleanup this stupid hanging cable from the pendant. Too bad I can't drill the wall, I have to figure out some way to run the black cable down the white wall with minimal ugliness :huh: Someone needs to invent wireless power capable of doing 150w @ 110v ;-)

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