OzarksReef Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 I've decided to take the plunge into an ADA Cube Garden Trimless tank setup! I'm maintaining a 50-gallon display and 40-gallon prop system - so have plenty of nice stuff to stock this little tank with. I really like the quality of the ADA tanks and look forward to getting this going! I ordered the 30-C from ADGshop.com. They offer great service if you're looking for one of these tanks, and have a great selection of sizes available. The package arrived late last week - they really know how to pack these to avoid damage! The silicone work is amazing on these tanks - virtually invisible! Lighting for this beauty also arrived last week ... the tank will be lit complements of Cree ! Link to comment
lgreen Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Very nice! Can't wait to see how you set this up! Link to comment
pazhope Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Those ADA always look so sexy.... Wish they were cheaper Link to comment
fly_boer Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Another build, awesome! Tagging along... Link to comment
reeftankguy Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Love these tanks so I'll be watching this one also... Link to comment
gabe_j Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 another soon to be great tank i gotta follow this Link to comment
OzarksReef Posted June 11, 2010 Author Share Posted June 11, 2010 Glad to have everyone along - I'm hoping to make it worth watching ! I need to get schg to add me to the ADA Reef Owner's Club ... but it's probably not official until it's full of water. And speaking of schg - here's my new light: This fixture was made by Sammy113 for schg earlier this year. He sold it to AdrianBryce .... who sold it to me (whew)! It's a nice fixture - but I'm still trying to decide how I want to mount it over the tank. Here's some more shots: The blue & white LED's are adjustable using the pots. I think the optics are 60-degree - though I'm wondering if I will really need them for a 12" x 12" x 12" tank. Hoping some the LED experts can weigh in on this for me. I'm hoping to get the light mounted this weekend and get it filled up! Link to comment
supernip Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 this is wins. welcome to the 30C club Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 I recognize that light! Pictures are really great, I can't wait to see what you'll do with this tank. I'll add your tank to the thread in a few minutes, tagging along for this one. Link to comment
OzarksReef Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 Hey supernip and schg - thanks for stopping by! Your tanks inspired me to go with the 30-C ... they're amazing setups! I picked out a stand ! I wanted the overall impact to emphasize the clean lines of the tank and add some interest. I found this little accent table at target and had the glass sitting around already. I'm going to try to find some type of sculpture or other artwork to sit on the lower level. Anyway, the stand is sturdy and the circular shape leading to the cube tank should be interesting. My next dilemma was how to suspend the light over the tank. I wanted to keep it as clean as possible. I looked at LCD arms, wire suspension ... but couldn't find the right solution. Then I came across this gooseneck stand at Music123. I ordered two 19" pieces. They thread together to make a single stand and are only $3.99 each! I really thought I had this thing figured out! Link to comment
OzarksReef Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 The gooseneck stand is pretty rigid - but not rigid enough for the light - back to the drawing board. I stopped by HD and found a 3-foot aluminum rod. The rod slipped down the center of the gooseneck and provided the extra stiffness needed to support the light! I drilled out a small "foot" for the stand and attached it to the back of the table. Here's a shot from the back: I'll attach the light (I hope) using a couple cams I found at Ace Hardware. Here's a shot of the finished light support - you can see the cam that will be inside of the light at the top. I should be able to run the wiring from the light down the gooseneck stand using black zip-ties. More to come... Link to comment
OzarksReef Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 What a day! This light stand was a real battle - it's amazing how much strength it takes to support 3 pounds at the end of a half-inch rod. I ended up making an acrylic platform mounted to an oak block to support the light. I plan to paint the oak black at some point in the future. Here's some quick shots - water goes in tomorrow ! Room shot: Link to comment
Rehype Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 ^^ I totally agree. He just took it to a whole nutha level... Link to comment
gabe_j Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 COME ON MAN SET IT UP ALREADY! hahaha that looks smooth! Link to comment
clowns101 Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 Looks good like normal David! Link to comment
OzarksReef Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 Water is in! I used sand, rock, and water from my established system - instant reef . I'm not sure if I should expect a cycle or mini-cycle ... or none at all. Here's a few of the first pics - let me know what you think! I needed a place for the cords - had this little cedar chest sitting around and routed the cords in it... The aquascape: Closeup of the front of the 'scape: I was surprised how quickly the corals opened up under the new lights. I've got the RB's at 100% and the whites at around 55%. It looks like around 20K. One thing of note is that in the shots I took, my camera was still shooting at around 1/200 - makes me think the light is fairly high intensity. I'm anxious to see how things shape up! Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Um wow, way to make this tank ####ing awesome within like 2 days. :bowdown: Great job! Link to comment
OzarksReef Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 Thanks - I really love the way these lights look over the tank! But I'm struggling with capturing it on camera - will have to continue to experiment. The lights look awesome - I can adjust from a crisp 10K to 25K++... I'm lovin' it! Link to comment
mbarton2010 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 im hopefully going to get leds soon! Link to comment
J-Ranko Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Whoa! Instant reef alright! This tank is so clean, even with the aquaclear filter. Are you hiding the heater in the HOB filter? Link to comment
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