Best (and worst) All-In-One tank?

[Oceanic 30g]

Gotta agree with Burt on this one. I think that is the best tank for the money. I cannot get it becuase it is popen top and I have a kid. I do not think you can go wrong with the finnex 30

[X3-3.0i]

$599 for the Finnex tank, Tunze skimmer, new return pump that kinda adds up on the total cost on the tank doesnt it? the tunze skimmer is like $130 bucks. the Pin wheel that i got with my Cad is awesome and no need for upgrading. $750 or so for a modded Finnex tank is not really worth it IMO. in the end the Finnex tank will cost more in money, time and you may not even get a high quality tank like the Cad, Redsea, Solana or even a custom cube.

 

if you are looking to save money, you can get a 30G AGA tank (which looks the same as the Finnex tank), get a hang-on Viper HQI, AquaC HOB skimmer, $30 worth of acrylic and glass to make partitions.

 

i think if you add up the money spent in the long run, it will always be better to get a system that will not require modding and upgrading right from the factory. its like those Japanese import sports cars (not sure if you guys are into them). stocked they are pretty cheap, but to upgrade them into higher performance cars comparable to G35's, M3's Audi's etc, you will always wind up spending more. and the worst part is its not designed by a professional rather, it is you and your mechanic's semi-pro skills. god forbid you break something and service doesnt warranty it.

[burtbollinger]

$599 for the Finnex tank, Tunze skimmer, new return pump that kinda adds up on the total cost on the tank doesnt it? the tunze skimmer is like $130 bucks. the Pin wheel that i got with my Cad is awesome and no need for upgrading. $750 or so for a modded Finnex tank is not really worth it IMO. in the end the Finnex tank will cost more in money, time and you may not even get a high quality tank like the Cad, Redsea, Solana or even a custom cube.

 

if you are looking to save money, you can get a 30G AGA tank (which looks the same as the Finnex tank), get a hang-on Viper HQI, AquaC HOB skimmer, $30 worth of acrylic and glass to make partitions.

 

i think if you add up the money spent in the long run, it will always be better to get a system that will not require modding and upgrading right from the factory. its like those Japanese import sports cars (not sure if you guys are into them). stocked they are pretty cheap, but to upgrade them into higher performance cars comparable to G35's, M3's Audi's etc, you will always wind up spending more. and the worst part is its not designed by a professional rather, it is you and your mechanic's semi-pro skills. god forbid you break something and service doesnt warranty it.

 

First off....I went in not wanting to spend more than 700 total....shipping and everything....that said, DIY stuff is out the window....I want it easy, worry free, proven, and bulletproof....

 

I'm not modding anything....not replacing any pumps....only swapping out a suspect skimmer...and I have the line on a Tunze for cheap...I have zero interest in the solana or the red sea....they were not even considerations, especially the red sea. The Viper light is Junk (JMO)...I'd have gone with an outer orbit or something better....and I'm not gonna trim acrylic on my days off....

 

As for the cadlights.....the tank plus shipping was 750....the stand was gonna be another 150....the big bulbous light looked like cheap generic chinese garbage to me, and I could care less about Eddies magic new pinwheel skimmer...I'd have replaced that thing too....Also, I'm tired of the bent glass look as well....Plus, I dont feel like being a beta tester....I want something that people have been there and done that with...you cannot tell me with a straight face that is the case with your 39g Sig/Pro...but I can with a Finnex....for me, that piece of mind is worth maybe an extra $100+ dollars...ya dig?

 

you know, we could sit here and measure our _i__s all day...but the fact is, at the end of the day, I am fine and relaxed with what I've purchased...that being said....totally honest....if money were less of an object....I would have gotten your Cadlights...justwithout that ugly MH fixture...for real, I dont want to look at that bulbous silver thing...It stuck me as cheap and ugly looking.....I tried to fool myself, but everytime I saw pix, I secretly cringed....anyway...

 

Just as a FYI...this is an email from one of the most respected distributors in the business...his response was rather helpful, and def. not anti-cadlights....but still, I read between the lines and chose what made me feel the best:

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Hi Burt I get this question quit often, both of these are great systems really I myself like the

C.A.D mainly because it just has so much more style to it and has a real custom look to it

also with the glass bowfront and polished rounded corners they had some problems with there

lights in the past model but they have a new manufacturer now and if this is worked out like

they tell me and these lights are as good as the owner tells me this should be the ultimate nano reef

system around, a few tanks should be getting to people hear about now so you should see some feedback

on the forums soon on the lighting....... This tank also has about 13 more gallons of water The Finnex

is about 25g with sand and rock but the C.A.D is about 37-38 with sand and rock, so that's always

nice to have more volume and room for error so that's another plus and something to think about also.....

 

The Finnex is a real nice little system they have been out much longer then the C.A.D'S so all the

bugs with lighting and such have been worked out over the years there a pretty bullet proof little

system never have any complaints about these at all, except the skimmer could be better, the lights are

good quality so you already know there will be no problems with these tanks, and some people like that

piece of mind....

 

Both systems incorporate the same type of filtration with refugium so they are the same in that respect I think it is wise idea and I recommend getting a real quality skimmer the remora with 1200 pump or a tunze 9002 skimmer are the skimmers I recommend the most for tanks of this size. All in all though Burt I like the potential C.A.D has to offer if it lives up to it's expectations I know the owner real well and from how excited he is about these new tanks and what he tells me I think it really will, I am hoping for his sake it does anyway he is a real nice guy..... both manufacturers really have great customer service (Finnex being just a little more prompt and on time about things) so either way there are know worries there, they will both definitely take care of you if any problems arise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Bollinger, Burt

To:

Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:03 AM

Subject: I need an honest opinion

 

 

CADlights vs Finnex....

 

30-M Tank or 39 Sig....

 

I'm interested in build quality mostly.....

 

I'll be replacing either skimmer with an aqua c nano remora

 

I'm looking to buy from you as soon as I get my tax return....

[IPv6Freely]

I love my 5 gallon Homer Pail I got at Home Depot. Man that thing rocks. Along with the 60W bulb I found in the lighting section, my tank is all set up and looks like a pumpkin when the room lights are off. My clown that I put in yesterday is doing so well, along with the 5 yellow tangs, they love it. I plan on adding two clams tomorrow and maybe a shark if I can find some food for it.

 

 

 

oh !!!

 

Stevie, change your forum password, I think FishNemo1 hacked your account!!

[X3-3.0i]

venturi skimmers will always skim less than Key-hole air injectors and Pin-wheel suctions. i am not trying to knock on the Finnex tanks Burt. i myself compared all the ones i mentioned above too before choosing mine. its just that it doesnt add up for me especially since i really dont like tanks with the generic black moldings cause they remind me of my turtle tank when i was a kid (AGA, Perfecto, penn-plax).

 

if you are comparing the tank, equipment quality and design, you can easily tell that the CAD has better stuff. as far as for them not being around as long i really dont know the history of either company. i just looked at what each tank came with.

 

i've had tanks for a long time and i am tired of seeing the seamed tanks with the standard moldings, i guess you are the other way around. curved tanks cost alot more to make than the 5-panel tanks, especially with no mitered edges. the light is 3" high so its not big at all, my coralife strip is higher than that. the light is excellent quality and i have been through many HQI strips.

[Phixion]

Between the CAD 39g and the Finnex 30g.... The Finnex tank has been around for 2 years now, the CAD 39g for only about 2 months or less. The Finnex is tried, proven and true! CAD can't say that with their current tank. Also they are working on a platform with a brand new lighting system (since the previous one was defective in the end) and a completely new tank design, again which isn't tried or proven yet or even close really. The Finnex tank has only been revamped and discontinued ONCE and it wasn't for safety/quality issues like the CAD 34g was. So saying that CAD is better quality is a real misleading statement as Finnex NEVER had the quality issues that CAD had in it's lifetime with the comparable tanks, and in all respect, both tanks are really about as equal of quality. A more astetically pleasing tank does not consitute better quality, just a better looking product, major differance there. When the Finnex tank was discontinued and revamped back in Dec. '06, it was due to Finnex giving up on the tank since probably like 90% of them were shipped out and there began to be a serious shipping issue of tanks arriving cracked or broken. A packing issue, perhaps, but definitely NOT a quality issue. My tank was one of the last st gens shipped out and I got mine mid Dec. of that year. It was VERY WELL packed up and came in one piece thankfully, and I live completely on the other end of the country from where they are built and shipped from. They revamped only to reorient the rear chambers to put the fuge in the middle, move the return chamber to the far right side, and create a complete flow-through path for the water between the skimmer chamber and the return chamber. But the base tank itself (as in the tank munis the false walls) all remained the same as before, as did the lighting options offered and the maker of them. Yes the skimmer is the tank's weakness, but with proper patience like I have, it works just fine and has minimal to no bubble issues, mine is dialed in perfectly. Also the Finnex comes with slightly better components I'd say, specifically the main pump. The CAD has a 500gph for 39g, while the Finnex is 475gph for only 30g. That comes out to a tank turnover rate of 12.8x and 15.8x respectively. A 3x differance might not seem like much, but it can actually make a differance. I felt the stock pump was still under rated for the tank anyways and upgraded to an 840gph Rio 14HF pump which literally dropped in and connected up. CAD also rips people off I feel on the included components. Most people don't need a UV sterilizer, and the fan that comes with the Sig Series is $40 on their site, a fan accessory that's similar that Finnex offers is only $25, and it's a dual fan setup instead. Both serve indenticle functions.

 

I know who wrote Burt's email just knowing how the sender talks, and I'd agree with what he says. Same person that helped me find the right upgrade pump to put in my tank. I trust his opinion knowing BOTH company owners well, and would consider everything he says real closely.

 

In the end, the CAD is NOT a better thank than the Finnex, but it's also not worse either for sure. They are equal tanks with different designs and one main key component differance (the skimmer of course). Also the Finnex tank is now about $30 LESS than I had paid for mine, while the CADs keep getting more expensive. of course a single 3-sided piece of bowed front curved glass isn't cheap either which ups the CAD tank cost buy a lot.

[kc350twin]

I will add just a note. I researched so much on these two tanks before finally making the ZE decision. One thing I will add in the Finnex defense of being the ugly duckling. I emailed Finnex and asked them if the trim could be removed for a rimless effect. There reply was that it could be removed because it serves no purpose but looks and holding the glass lid. Which I know many people either don't us it or could come up with other means to hold it. Their main thing was that the glass was not finished nicely obviously.

 

If I bought the Finnex I would at least look in to it. Worst case scenario you would just glue it back on.

 

Sorry Phixion I forgot to forward that email from Finnex to you.( I think I ask you that question on the trim)

 

 

KC3

[Phixion]

Quite ok, you still can if you still have it.

[scooter1010]

Ummmmm

 

Finnex 5mm Glass

CAD 8mm Glass

 

40% Difference in thickness. I think I'll take that over flow rate, that anyone can change by swapping out pumps, any day.

[Phixion]

Ummmmm

 

Finnex 5mm Glass

CAD 8mm Glass

 

40% Difference in thickness. I think I'll take that over flow rate, that anyone can change by swapping out pumps, any day.

 

You failed to notice/mention that the Finnex glass is tempered which equals more strength than standard glass of the same thickness. The CAD is not tempered that I'm aware of. Anyways that's a rather unfortunate conclusion to which tank to get considering I've never heard of a single Finnex glass tank ever having glass cracking issues. Aquapods are 3mm glass BTW for referance sake.

[scooter1010]

You failed to notice/mention that the Finnex glass is tempered which equals more strength than standard glass of the same thickness. The CAD is not tempered that I'm aware of. Anyways that's a rather unfortunate conclusion to which tank to get considering I've never heard of a single Finnex glass tank ever having glass cracking issues. Aquapods are 3mm glass BTW for referance sake.

 

I actually find it funny :lol: how adamantly you feel you need to protect the "honor" of your Finnex. It's as if you have an ugly wife, daughter, dog or what have you and are insulted personally by anybody saying anything contrary. It's a fish tank...... let it go. Take a deep breath and enjoy it.

[stoney waters]

When I bought my tank I didn't have a choice. In fact this sub forum was called Nano-Cube.

[burtbollinger]

I actually find it funny :lol: how adamantly you feel you need to protect the "honor" of your Finnex. It's as if you have an ugly wife, daughter, dog or what have you and are insulted personally by anybody saying anything contrary. It's a fish tank...... let it go. Take a deep breath and enjoy it.

 

he seemed to be just stating ommissions to your argument...pointing out that your issue with thickness is rather a non-issue. all that aside, there's no need for snarky condesending 'take a deep breath' comments...especially when you have 2 posts to your name....neither which has been filled with anything of of value.

[douglam]

aquapods are the best. IMO

[Phixion]

I actually find it funny :lol: how adamantly you feel you need to protect the "honor" of your Finnex. It's as if you have an ugly wife, daughter, dog or what have you and are insulted personally by anybody saying anything contrary. It's a fish tank...... let it go. Take a deep breath and enjoy it.

 

*take a deep breath*

 

Frankly considering you obviously can't read, nor own the tank to begin with, your comments and obvious lack of knowledge make you not onlly look like the ultimate newb, but like a complete idiot as well. You see it has nothing to do with needing to "protect the honor" of my tank as much as put an ignorant newb in their place. Nice way to make your appearance on here. Your snarkiness as Burt put it, proves you knew how bad you were called out and can't simply fess up to it. Like you said, it's only a fish tank, so why bash on it and state incorrect info about it?

[scooter1010]

*take a deep breath*

 

Frankly considering you obviously can't read, nor own the tank to begin with, your comments and obvious lack of knowledge make you not onlly look like the ultimate newb, but like a complete idiot as well. You see it has nothing to do with needing to "protect the honor" of my tank as much as put an ignorant newb in their place. Nice way to make your appearance on here. Your snarkiness as Burt put it, proves you knew how bad you were called out and can't simply fess up to it. Like you said, it's only a fish tank, so why bash on it and state incorrect info about it?

 

My IGNORANCE....? My God! Did you even pass second grade English? Your rant was overshadowed by your run-on sentence, spelling mistakes, and overall poor grasp of proper written English. Do me a favor and go back to school and get an EDUMACTION ! I am still laughing and will stop baiting you. You are a simpleton. EOP

[burtbollinger]

My IGNORANCE....? My God! Did you even pass second grade English? Your rant was overshadowed by your run-on sentence, spelling mistakes, and overall poor grasp of proper written English. Do me a favor and go back to school and get an EDUMACTION ! I am still laughing and will stop baiting you. You are a simpleton. EOP

scooter1010....I think you should start a new account...you've already embarassed yourself enough with this one...futhermore, as far as forums go...I don't think its very good form to get into a falsly informed tit-for-tat with a valued member with over 6000+ posts to his name...and then, once you've been emasculated, rather than humbly accept that your opinion might not have been fully informed/thought out...you resort to name calling and...grammar checking?! wow.

 

Anyway...back on topic...and to summarize, on reflection, I don't think any of the major tanks out there right now are junk...but the ones that stood out for me were CADlights and Finnex...there's pros and cons to both, and in the end, you just choose what makes you the most comfortable. I do kinda think that the days of PCs is kinda over IMO....I'd try to find something with MH or T5s...and that does eliminate some of the AIOs right off the bat...

[StevieT]

Stevie, change your forum password, I think FishNemo1 hacked your account!!

 

 

haha, man thats good!

[Phixion]

My IGNORANCE....? My God! Did you even pass second grade English? Your rant was overshadowed by your run-on sentence, spelling mistakes, and overall poor grasp of proper written English. Do me a favor and go back to school and get an EDUMACTION ! I am still laughing and will stop baiting you. You are a simpleton. EOP

 

Ahh yes, the typical troll here. You can't find anything better to attack seeing that your initial post () crashed and burned like your reputation is quickly doing, so you resort to the infamous "grammer patrol." I'm sorry if you don't approve of my posts, but being a forum I'm not going for a fine tuned or properly typed speech here considering it's ONLY a forum, and frankly your phlegmatic sorry ass isn't worth the effort to grammer check begin with. But thanks for playing.

[X3-3.0i]

i have had tanks for about 20 years already graduating from an O'dell 20G (man remember those things?) i bet some of you guys werent born yet, Uh-OH showing my age again. then i got the Eheim canisters to do saltwater, it was really hard and time consuming. kept it for years until i moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island and stayed away from the hobby for a few years. then we re-modeled our basement and i decided to put a tank in our wall. it is 72" x 24" x 36" built by my LFS with 60G Refugium, Pm Bullet 3 skimmer, AquaUltraviolet 80W, MTC Calc Reactor. throughout those years i have had many equipment, light upgrades (dont want to get into too much detail) from Hamilton, Custom Sea-life before they changed into Current USA then to coralife. the point i am trying to get to is that through many saltwater and reef tanks i have had and ugraded, modded etc. the CAD 39G is the closest you can get to a professional full sized custom-made reef tank. i am TRULy impressed with the CAD 39G Signature tank that i have bought. the quality of the work, design and just how everything fits and works great is amazing and till now i have not seen any other system that comes close, IMO of course.

 

here are the things i like about my tank that i have not found from any other manufacturer and what sets the CAD tanks apart:

 

its 39G

8MM thick diamond polished glass edges (no moldings) and looks just like furniture

100% acrylic protein skimmer that makes the most foam of any "non" air injection skimmer i have seen.

built-in ballast, LEDHO, HQI, T5HO all built into this little light strip. this light is better than any of the Coralife, Hamilton, Current lights in the same size.

silent pump

UV sterilizer which is a must for reefs since treating parasites will definitely hurt your whole tank.

very big refugium area that doesnt need trap detritus.

of course the overall look and style of the tank is amazing.

the cabinet is completely water-proof, very good quality and HARDWOOD. no wabbling at all like the Finnex cabinets i have seen.

 

 

i dont really see how you can compare this tank to a Finnex 30G. it looks totally different and it really doesnt come out to too much you are saving since you are actually getting less for the price dont you think so? hey Phixion i respect you lots and took some of the advice from your threads so i hope you wont take offense to what i am saying. its just i added up and compared everything one by one with about 3 manufacturers before i chose the CAD.

 

the 34G used to sell for $700 and the new 39G sells for the same price even with all the upgrades and new features so that in itself is a super discount. you mentioned that the Finnex is now cheaper? thats great to hear but more importantly to me is what improvements and new features are in the new models? new skimmer, pump, light?

 

i mean i considered the Finnex 30G and i knew i would have spent less $$ but i wanted to get something better and nicer looking with better equipment.

[scooter1010]

X3-3.0i

 

I have also owned successful tropical tanks before and was an avid hobbyist for 15 years. I breed Discus, Severums and mostly kept South African Cichlids. I studied the pros and cons of all the current "cubes" and would have to say that the Cad blows them away in comparison. I just recently got mine and am currently in the reef building process. I agree in your comparison and it is objective rather than being subjective. Nice write up and put me down for agreeing. +1

 

Scooter

[ravynnm]

overall poor grasp of proper written English

 

Scooter,

 

Before you go throwing stones at glass aquariums, in your sentence, quoted above, "proper" modifies written, not English. In that syntaical situation it makes it semantically an adverb not an adjective, so it should be, ". . . properly written English." I suspect you meant to say something along the lines of, ". . . written proper English." Awkward, but grammatically correct.

 

X3, that's the most articulate arguement I've heard on cad vs. finnex. End of April I'm getting one or the other. I've struggled through forums for a case by case. I've been hampered by not being able to get a fiew of the back chambers on the cad.

 

I'd more than welcome emails or pm's to sway me one way or another.

 

Oh, Scooter, I've probably made more grammatical errors than you did in your post. I am, however, all about communication, and collecting the knowledge from experience. Give me someone who can talk me into a tank; someone who can guide me through the mods; someone willing to share their experience. That's something I value. If you're going to go the grammar route, make sure you know the differece between and adjective and an adverb; knowledge of how to use a semicolon, is a powerful tool.

 

Rav

[burtbollinger]

ravynnm....theres no need to send you anything PM to sway you....looking back at this thread, I think it does a good job of comparing the two of the higher end tanks....as I said in an earlier post, if money was no object, and I was not totally tired of staring at bent glass, the CADlights is a no brainer....this time though, I'm going for that whole widescreen 16 x 9 look

 

Normally, I'd do nothing in this hobby on the cheap...but as it is, I have a JBJ with a bad ballast and need a new tank pronto, using a set amount of cash...Looking at post after post, talking to distributors at length, there was no real reason not to opt for a Finnex over most other AIOs...

 

Anyway...maybe I've just been staring at my JBJs for too long, but I really think the Finnex is sweet looking...I can recall wanting a Finnex brand tank for about the past 3 years or so...but hey, I may be crazy. Now....give it a year or 3, there may be a 39g pro sitting in the computer room...time will tell.

[Phixion]

i have had tanks for about 20 years already graduating from an O'dell 20G (man remember those things?) i bet some of you guys werent born yet, Uh-OH showing my age again. then i got the Eheim canisters to do saltwater, it was really hard and time consuming. kept it for years until i moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island and stayed away from the hobby for a few years. then we re-modeled our basement and i decided to put a tank in our wall. it is 72" x 24" x 36" built by my LFS with 60G Refugium, Pm Bullet 3 skimmer, AquaUltraviolet 80W, MTC Calc Reactor. throughout those years i have had many equipment, light upgrades (dont want to get into too much detail) from Hamilton, Custom Sea-life before they changed into Current USA then to coralife. the point i am trying to get to is that through many saltwater and reef tanks i have had and ugraded, modded etc. the CAD 39G is the closest you can get to a professional full sized custom-made reef tank. i am TRULy impressed with the CAD 39G Signature tank that i have bought. the quality of the work, design and just how everything fits and works great is amazing and till now i have not seen any other system that comes close, IMO of course.

 

here are the things i like about my tank that i have not found from any other manufacturer and what sets the CAD tanks apart:

 

its 39G

8MM thick diamond polished glass edges (no moldings) and looks just like furniture

100% acrylic protein skimmer that makes the most foam of any "non" air injection skimmer i have seen.

built-in ballast, LEDHO, HQI, T5HO all built into this little light strip. this light is better than any of the Coralife, Hamilton, Current lights in the same size.

silent pump

UV sterilizer which is a must for reefs since treating parasites will definitely hurt your whole tank.

very big refugium area that doesnt need trap detritus.

of course the overall look and style of the tank is amazing.

the cabinet is completely water-proof, very good quality and HARDWOOD. no wabbling at all like the Finnex cabinets i have seen.

 

 

i dont really see how you can compare this tank to a Finnex 30G. it looks totally different and it really doesnt come out to too much you are saving since you are actually getting less for the price dont you think so? hey Phixion i respect you lots and took some of the advice from your threads so i hope you wont take offense to what i am saying. its just i added up and compared everything one by one with about 3 manufacturers before i chose the CAD.

 

the 34G used to sell for $700 and the new 39G sells for the same price even with all the upgrades and new features so that in itself is a super discount. you mentioned that the Finnex is now cheaper? thats great to hear but more importantly to me is what improvements and new features are in the new models? new skimmer, pump, light?

 

i mean i considered the Finnex 30G and i knew i would have spent less $$ but i wanted to get something better and nicer looking with better equipment.

 

No offense taken X3. You've been quite level headed about the CAD vs. Finnex debate, rather than someone in here being a supposed long time person of fish tanks and make their first post a rather ignorant one stating they wouldn't get the Finnex simply because it has 5mm glass while the CAD uses 8mm.... That guy failed to read or even acknowledge that the Finnex uses TEMPERED glass which is stronger. It's like case hardening steel for strength, except it's for glass. So in the end, it's just about as strong as the 8mm glass of the CAD, the ONLY downside is that you can't drill tempered glass. But that would 95% of the time defeat the purpose of an AIO in the first place.

 

There hasn't been a new model of the Finnex since January '07 and that's pretty much due to the design of the Gen 2 tank not needing any improvement design wise. The ONLY bad part of the tank is the skimmer, which as bad as it's made out to be, I seem to be satisfied with mine and I'm patient enough to work with it and get it to operate properly. I can't fathom however, why Finnex won't invest in the new skimmer that the CAD 39g uses, and even more can't fathom why on Earth CAD won't sell the dang skimmer WITHOUT having to buy the tank. Bad move CAD on the revenue side of things.

 

The Finnex light fixtures are great quality, they never had safety, recall or quality issues with them, ever! CAD did in the past, but only due to them contracting out to a substandard supplier from China. The Finnex pump is whisper quiet. Especially at night, even the skimmer (which is pretty quiet) is still louder than the main return pump, and it's only the actual venturi of the skimmer you hear, not the pump from it. The fuge on the Finnex is as large as the CAD fuge, and has the benifit of the T-pipe feature which uses the main pump to both provide flow for the main return, as well as provide 100% adjustable flow to the fuge to keep water moving through it. And the stand is also waterproof (that I'm aware of) since I've had water on it and drip from it, and other than lift the vinyl covering from off it at one corner, the stand is in the SAME condition as when I originally unboxed it. I can't speak for how wobbley it is on hard flooring, but on carpet I'd say just about ANY stand will be wobbley especially with the weight being elevated a few feet off of the ground rather than down lower. A UV sterilizer I wouldn't say is a must, I've heard lots of info suggesting that they in some cases can do more harm than good by killing benificial things in the tank. I'm not saying it's not good to have one, but it's definitely not required nor essential. It's more convenience really much like how a controller is.

 

All that aside, the CAD takes the cake hands down for the slickest looking tank out there. It's extremely asthetically pleasing and DOES offer a wonderful all-in-one solution. The price is still a gut wrencher to many. In all honesty all it offers over the Finnex is 4 things, a nicer exterior look, a good working skimmer, a UV sterilizer and a WAY overpriced fan cooler (NOT a true chiller). To me, those aren't worth the almost $200 higher price tag. The equal function Finnex fan that's offered as an accessory is only $25, and I've seen UV's for $60. Minus $30 from the tank price to omit the skimmer, and instead by a Tunze and you're still saving money. Granted in not as nicely shaped tank and at 9g less... But it all really comes down to personal preferance. In the end both tanks do the SAME thing for the same prupose, and that is to display our reefs and fish.

 

Scooter,

 

Before you go throwing stones at glass aquariums, in your sentence, quoted above, "proper" modifies written, not English. In that syntaical situation it makes it semantically an adverb not an adjective, so it should be, ". . . properly written English." I suspect you meant to say something along the lines of, ". . . written proper English." Awkward, but grammatically correct.

 

Oh, Scooter, I've probably made more grammatical errors than you did in your post. I am, however, all about communication, and collecting the knowledge from experience. Give me someone who can talk me into a tank; someone who can guide me through the mods; someone willing to share their experience. That's something I value. If you're going to go the grammar route, make sure you know the differece between and adjective and an adverb; knowledge of how to use a semicolon, is a powerful tool.

 

Rav

 

Great observation Rav. See, trolls will always make a mistake trying to point out another's mistake when the chips are down for them. A real man would just fess up and say "you know, I did overlook that and apologize." But instead he just digs his hole deeper and deeper, I love it!

 

Moral of story, don't attempt to correct someone's English or grammar without correcting your own first. Scooter = FAIL!

[ravynnm]

Phixion,

 

I feel like a ping pong ball. I'm back in the finnex court for at least the next 24 hours.

 

I think what sways me is the T, adjustable flow to fuge, easy upgrade on pump as you did. If I lack your patience I can swap out the skimmer. On the CAD I like the extra volume. Sexy looks? So few people will see it other than myself it's a non-factor.

 

Other thing is that I can see details of the front and back and all the flow chambers online on the finnex. I haven't found that on the cad.

 

You've made me back to a Finnex guy. April 22 is the cut date. I get my bonus. I get to buy. Yeah, I don't have a contract for someone to drive me to a LFS to get rock and sand until May, but it just shows I have patience and think ahead.

 

Thanks guys.

 

Rav