Cadlights 25g Project - New Setup A to Z

[MartyD]

Ok ... it looks like curing the rock for two weeks before I put it in the tank paid off.

 

Ammonia = 0

Nitrite < .1

Nitrate = 0

 

What should it put in first? This is going to be a mixed reef with some nice zoos and maybe a few mushrooms on the bottom. One or two nice LPS (hammer or frogspwn) in the middle and some select SPS in the middle and up high. As far as fish go, a pair of clowns (black Percs), some neon gobies and one or two additional fish. Where to begin?

[Iceman202]

Kind of off your topic, but I just have a question about your bio-balls....Did you leave them in or take them out? What is the benefit and/or detriment of each option. The only reason I ask is because I set up my CAD tank yesterday to check for leaks and will be putting my sand and water in today and adding rock saturday. I just want to know what you would recamend. Just wanted your opinion on it.

[Ryanhdd]

Kind of off your topic, but I just have a question about your bio-balls....Did you leave them in or take them out? What is the benefit and/or detriment of each option. The only reason I ask is because I set up my CAD tank yesterday to check for leaks and will be putting my sand and water in today and adding rock saturday. I just want to know what you would recamend. Just wanted your opinion on it.

i took my bio balls out. i would not use them. they are a nitrate factory. What i am going to do is use LR Rubble.

[MartyD]

Ditto what Ryan said. The balls are outdated trickle filter technology from the early reef keeping days.

[Iceman202]

That's what I've heard. I just wanted your opinions on the matter. If I could figure out how to post a picture on this thing I would do that for you. But I can't get my pictures to attach. I am actually having a little bit of a heat issue right now. My temp today got up to about 86 with just fresh water in it. A little aggravating.

[MartyD]

Some new additions ...

 

 

 

 

[donreefer]

NICEEEE! one day i am gonna get as good as you guys.

[casiano80]

nice coral choices... Do you see any way a 10gl fuge can be run from the stand just seems like alot in the chambers. I was thinking LR rubble chamber 1, then skimmer chamber 2 and some how another overflow to a 10gl fuge in the stand then a return in chamber 3 ...

[MartyD]

I would have to measure to see if a 10 gal would fit under the stand. I was thinking about putting the fuge above the tank and using a maxijet to feed it. The return would of course be gravity fed. I think this is much better arrangement. It could be accomplished without any modification to the main tank or attached fuge.

[casiano80]

I would have to measure to see if a 10 gal would fit under the stand. I was thinking about putting the fuge about the tank and using a maxijet to feed it. The return would of course be gravity fed. I think this is much better arrangement. It could be accomplished without any modification to the main tank or attached fuge.

 

Ya thats true i was lookin at a 10 gl and didnt think it would fit in the stand.. Lucky i work at a cabient shop and can build my own stand.. Ive been thinkin about this so you can have more alge and some mud mybe rock... How would u do the gravity fed back to your tank..

[MartyD]

Put the 10 gal. fuge above the main tank. Pump the water from the main tank fuge to the 10 gal. fuge. A bulkhead in the 10 gal. fuge would gravity feed the water back to to the main tank fuge.

[casiano80]

Put the 10 gal. fuge above the main tank. Pump the water from the main tank fuge to the 10 gal. fuge. A bulkhead in the 10 gal. fuge would gravity feed the water back to to the main tank fuge.

Or what about a HOB fuge.. I just dont think there is alot of room in the fuge it comes with

[MartyD]

I am sure a HOB fuge would work, but it would really increase the depth of the tank.

[lgreen]

Tank looks great. What do you think of the tunze nano skimmer in terms of skimming quality? I'm sort of looking for my next project and your tank has definitely got me thinking about these cadlight tanks.

[GoBlue!]

What a great series of posts. I'm looking to buy my first reef tank for soft corals & fish, and love the look of the Cadlights 25g. These posts, however, are making me wonder if more mods are "necessary" than I want to deal with. I'm not really a DIY'er - I'll do what I have to do, but I'd rather spend my time watching the environment than tinkering.

 

Are you guys modifying this tank because it absolutely requires it, or because you enjoy futzing with it?

 

Also, I'm worried that the 20K lights are going to be really, really blue. I haven't seen a tank with 20K lighting in person, and the photos look VERY blue. Is it different in person?

 

Thanks.

[bilge rat]

something you may want to consider is putting that chaeto into some kind of container.

i put mine in the center fuge just open like that and as it broke apart it ended up all over my tank. I went and bought a 4$ fish hatchery and put it in there, fit perfectly in my fuge, drilled holes in it for circ and have a lil pod farm now that doesnt end up all over my tank.

i have the 34g cad.