Elos vs Solana vs Cadlights

[Break]

Ok, that's the Starfire model... Now I'm confused why LeeMar is involved with it if it's made in China, their tanks are made in the USA, and here in So. Cali to be specific. Unless they are just a middle-man retailer of the Starfire Solanas. Still all very strange.

 

And you're correct on not mattering if it's quiet or not unless it's stock. But I couldn't imagine modding an Elos.

 

Lee-Mar acts as a middle man distributer for Current. Lee-Mars own tanks however, are produced in So. Cal.

[todd03blown]

Well I bit the bullet and went and bought the Elos mini from Einstein Aquatics here in Atlanta today. I must say it is a thing of beauty!! amazing piece as this is my first ever aquarium of any kind!!

[supernip]

Well I bit the bullet and went and bought the Elos mini from Einstein Aquatics here in Atlanta today. I must say it is a thing of beauty!! amazing piece as this is my first ever aquarium of any kind!!

 

pics of light please

[Timberwerks]

Well I bit the bullet and went and bought the Elos mini from Einstein Aquatics here in Atlanta today. I must say it is a thing of beauty!! amazing piece as this is my first ever aquarium of any kind!!

 

That's a great system. Please post some photos soon. Is the stand white or Maple? If I had the budget I'd order now but I'll have to wait a bit. For now I'll be setting up a Solana.

[elosusa]

That's a great system. Please post some photos soon. Is the stand white or Maple? If I had the budget I'd order now but I'll have to wait a bit. For now I'll be setting up a Solana.

The system mini's that came in were in a small shipment that came in before they were actually being released from Elos Italy. They did not come with the light as we made some changes/improvements to the US model so the 2 end customers that were lucky enough to get systems from an elos dealer, will receive the e-lite when they arrive here next month along with a few little freebies for the wait.

All Elos products are made in Italy.

The standard cabinet is MDF with water resistant treatment followed by a laminate. Of course we make many options including all exotic woods, hand rubbed finishes, metal stands, glass stands, automobile finishes, lacquers etc.

I have only been around the mini's for about a week at Interzoo and for a couple days with this first small shipment but I did not open the boxes, so I believe it is 10mm glass but I will confirm this.

 

The Sump has a built in top off reservoir (that could be converted to a small refugium with a little creativity), no UV. NS100 skimmer is included, filter bag and one more chamber and baffle for the drain.

 

The mini pool uses the same proprietary adhesive used in the larger systems and also has a modified elos overflow unique to elos aquariums.

 

Hope that helps.

[martiniReef]

Funny how people ignore when glass not needing to be thicker when it's tempered. Tempering will make the glass MUCH stronger than standard glass. Hence why the Finnex 5mm glass is as strong if not stronger than the 8mm of a CAD.

 

Again, please PROVE that any tank other than the Elos and CAD are made in China. Do you forget that it's the home of Knock-Offs? Just because you've seen or heard of a Solana like tank being mae in China does NOT mean that Solanas are made there. I know for a FACT that Finnex is made in the USA, they wouldn't have a manufacturing warehouse at their headquarters near Chicago if that wasn't the case.

 

Anywho, typical youd bring up the Finnex argument in yet ANOTHER thread that never mentioned the name Finnex in it. Get your facts straight, I'm not bashing CAD, they are great tanks, but don't bash the Solana saying it's Chinese crap when you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. CAD must be doing something wrong when I know owners of the Pro model 39g that will too say the Signature series is a blatant rip-off for what's included. A UV sterilizer that's better at heating the water and blinding you simutaniously and is good as junk after 12 months (or off the bat depending on how you look at it) and a $100 fan (which is what the $200+ extra for the Sig is pretty much saying) ain't EVER going to perk my interests. Without those items, it's a sure-bet tank!

 

To the OP, the Elos definitely has the right formula. A GOOD quality tank that doesn't include CRAP components or things you can live without/don't need. Plus it's quiet as heck to boot! If you can afford it, get it! Like you said though, the 20g size is dissapointing, but the tank itself (size excluded) more than make up for it I feel.

 

man u are funny Phixion. yeah it says it all over the box of the Solana that it is made in China and the starfire as well, you jut have to call Current and their dealers and ask.

 

its even funnier how you mention crap parts from CAD? yet your skimmer is by any industry standard is crap? if you take the Finnex, DIY or any other tank in that category and then add on a Built-in ballast, LEDHO, decent pin-wheel skimmer, UV 500GPH pump, cooling fan and so much other components thats not just better in quality but more effective, you will go way above the $700 price tag they have on that tank. think about it man and you will see. where in the world did you get a $100 fan from? with the package it comes out to 20 bucks and if you buy it separately it comes out to $40 (what do you get for lying like that?). the Finnex sells for $550 with a Crap skimmer, crap cabinet, ok quality light and what else is there? THATS IT. i checked out all the CAD parts and even saw iT working in a store Phixion and it is beyond great as far as for quality. crap? man you really dont know what you are talking about. you remind me of those ugly chicks that complain about hot girls yet their anger comes from themselves.

 

AGA, Perfecto, Oceanic and all aquarium manufacturers make tanks out of tempered glass because by using tempered glass they can get away with using a Cheaper thinner glass because tempering a piece of glass makes it stronger and harder. but Pray to god that nothing around it will EVEN tap a chip in it or there is not even a slightest chip during shipping cause it is a ticking time bomb once that chip travels 1/8 of a mm, it can just EXPLODE in the house. tempered glass is called safety glass because when it breaks it wont come out as shards and cut someone. the BEST way to make any high-end glass aquarium is to use thicker NON-TEMPERED glass. the rule is simple you tap the edges of a tempered glass tank and it will explode, non-tempered THICK plate-glass aquariums can take much more damage before it can crack and even if it cracks through, it wont explode in a million pieces like a tempered tank. Hence AGA's design, temper the bottom and NOT the WHOLE freaking tank like the Finnex! so that if a tiny chip on the sides wont cause the whole tank to explode in someones's house.

 

why are u so arrogant/dense Phixion? the CAD tanks are great in quality and price too everyone knows that. everybody that bought it loves it. yet you who dont have one tries to be the biggest wannabe there is? have you spoken to CAD? or all this stuff you say is based on your bias, bigot and arrogant tendencies?

 

FINALLY back to ELOS: i placed a pre-order for a CAD 39G Signature because it is the best package available and the best PRICED too. and i spoke to Jason from Greenwich Aquaria to order one of the Elos tanks for my office since i am splitting the cost with my partner. Jason is AWESOME and knowledgeable they also sell all the Elos products. one thing though i heard that certain websites will be selling the Elos tanks and the prices may be better than buying from a store is that true? if it is the same i will definitely get it from a store rather than from a website.

 

thanks for answering my questions and being so informative Elosusa!

[martiniReef]

MartiniReef - I am in the exact same boat as you. I am torn between the CAD 39G and Elos system mini. I just wish the Elos was a little larger then 20G but all the components that come with it are very good from what I understand. Plus I just love the look of the light system on the Elos alot more then the CAD as I will have this system setup in my Den.

 

This is going to be my first reef/saltwater setup as well so I have some concerns about the components on the CAD and how quiet it is. do any of the components on the CAD need to be upgraded at purchase time? I listened to the elos yesterday and there is really no noise at all with it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

yeah i went over to a store that had the CAD 39G Signature set up and running to check out in person all the parts, quality and design of it all. it is so much nicer seeing it in person than on the webiste i gotta say. they had the lighting hanging and it looks amazing (just like some of the pics here on NR.com) the lighting, pumps, skimmer (with the new silencer) and everything else is silent. if you put your ear on the halide strip you can hear a small humming sound of the fan but other than that the lighting is silent. like you i plan on doing this right from the beginning and since i have 2 space in my house and office i chose the CAD 39G Signautre for my house and going to talk my partner in putting the Elos 20G in the lobby of our law office. we were looking to get some artwork but i think this Elos tank hits the spot perfectly and it actually came out cheaper than buying 2 paintings. the size is the main difference for me since both the CAD and Elos are Beautiful and high quality in their own way. thats why i chose the 39G for my house primarily because the space is larger there.

 

i spoke to the store that sells their products and they told me that they hardly have any complaints on any of the parts so far (lighting, skimmer, UV, pump etc.) and that they are great quality. but if i have any problems CAD is always quick to respond. the way i look at it is if the price is ok with you and the size then the Elos is the one to go with. if you want a bigger tank then the CAD 39G Pro or Signature is the best one out there, not to mention the price is great when compared to other tank of the same class.

 

hope thats helpful

[Phixion]

What's your deal with Finnex anyways, and why do you bother following me around flaming me AND Finnex in threads that clearly never even mention about Finnex until you get butt hurt that I say something about CAD that is fact, yet you don't like hearing. Give it up man, Finnex tanks are AS good as CAD, BOTH have their negatives. I'd ask you give me a negative about CAD, but I already know you aren't MAN enough to do that simple task. Of course just like Break did above, you have the ball in your court to prove me wrong on that. Lastly, why does my post count offend you so? I NEVER mention being the ALl Mighty because of it, nor do I flaunt it. I don't sit in the Lounge either gabbing away to bring it up to what it's at, I make HONEST legitimate helpful posts, except when a troll like you come along of course. If you don't like what you see, you have options which you clearly ignore. You can ignore my posts, or just plain not respond to them. I'd like it if you'd stop following me in these threads and bashing a tank that you do know NOTHING about, that being the Finnex. Yes the skimmer can be better, but so can the crude excuse of a UV sterilizer that the CAD comes with.

 

And with that said, I won't further taint your thread Sammy ,which Martini has already done (and not only to your thread either).

[Urchinhead]

Martini-

 

First off I have absolutely no idea what your problem with Phixion is but from personal experience with the man he is a top notch individual, very knowledgeable in the field, and anything but high and mighty in his attitudes or postings. Perhaps you are the ugly girl here humm...?

 

FWIW I faced a decision a while back on what system to get. I looked at Finnex, CAD, Solana, and some others and went with the CAD Pro back when you could order it with out the full kit. I looked at the equipment that came with the CAD and found it to be of lessor quality than I wanted to run in my system regardless of where it was made. It was fair equipment for the price but realizing I was going to heavily invest in things to go into the tank I wanted to go with top line equipment for it. This includes a Tunze skimmer, Icecap lighting and ballast, Mag return pump (lets not start a Mag vs. Enheim war so yes the Enheim is a better pump), and Vortech MP40w power head.

 

The only reason I did not go with the Finnex was because of the tank volume. I wanted as close to a 40 gallon as I could get and Finnex at the time didn't have anything in its lineup. With that said it is a very robustly built tank that makes good compromises on price/performance. Many of which are better than the CAD.

 

Yes the CAD skimmer is better than the Finnex one. But thats like saying that a Yugo is better than a Ford Pinto. At the end of the day they are both crappy cars.

 

As to flaws with the CAD... Two that come to mind are the overall build of the equipment being of somewhat lower quality but that can be excused because of the need to hit the right price/performance level. If one wants better kit one just dumps the CAD stuff and spends the extra $ or see's if one can talk Eddie into shipping without the CAD kit. Specifically the sump, as with pretty much all sumps on the market today, is poorly engineered from a fuge/sump standpoint. Another one that is particularly glaring and actually will get me up on my hind legs is that silly UV Sterilizer that Eddie sells with the tank.

 

Unless you are looking for a REAL NEAT way to cause accidental blindness and heat your tank it isn't worth having in your system. Here is why...

 

UV works based on exposure of a given pathogen or parasite to the radiation emitted in the UV spectrum. This radiation's effect on the pathogen or parasite is to cause mutation to its DNA so that it cannot reproduce, and/or to cause cellular disruption (via heat) so badly and rapidly that it dies off. This means that to be effective a certain speed of flow must be maintained over the UV emitter source. This is known as 'hang time'. At 6 watts of power output the UV light supplied by CAD is be effectively worthless in treating what UV is supposed to treat. That being algae problems and parasites like Ich et al. The reason it is worthless is that the amount of speed that water passes by the bulb is far too high. For example to treat parasites like Ich and the like water has to move past a 9 watt unit no faster than about 65 gallons per hour.

 

All that said I love my CAD tank and feel I made the best choice for my budget and my requirements and think it is a well designed tank.

[elosusa]

martini,

Jason is a good guy and one of the store owners that I call quite often and talk nothing about this hobby/business;) All Elos pricing should be the same at all stores. Of course, some stores are farther away from us in California, so shipping aside, they should all be the same, regardless of online shop or physical retail location. Hope that helps.

[martiniReef]

What's your deal with Finnex anyways, and why do you bother following me around flaming me AND Finnex in threads that clearly never even mention about Finnex until you get butt hurt that I say something about CAD that is fact, yet you don't like hearing. Give it up man, Finnex tanks are AS good as CAD, BOTH have their negatives. I'd ask you give me a negative about CAD, but I already know you aren't MAN enough to do that simple task. Of course just like Break did above, you have the ball in your court to prove me wrong on that. Lastly, why does my post count offend you so? I NEVER mention being the ALl Mighty because of it, nor do I flaunt it. I don't sit in the Lounge either gabbing away to bring it up to what it's at, I make HONEST legitimate helpful posts, except when a troll like you come along of course. If you don't like what you see, you have options which you clearly ignore. You can ignore my posts, or just plain not respond to them. I'd like it if you'd stop following me in these threads and bashing a tank that you do know NOTHING about, that being the Finnex. Yes the skimmer can be better, but so can the crude excuse of a UV sterilizer that the CAD comes with.

 

And with that said, I won't further taint your thread Sammy ,which Martini has already done (and not only to your thread either).

 

That is Fact? that is exactly why i responded with the true facts Phixion. im not following you around, its just that you are everywhere when i am reading up on the CAD tanks or other comparisons with them. the question is why are you following around the CAD threads? your post count doesnt offend me, its just your arrogance and blatant lying about the quality of other systems especially the CAD tanks do. the drop-in UV works and i have seen it working in many CAD tanks and even the store that sells them use them too. have you seen even one CAD 39G with slime algae or red algae, parasite outbreaks? exactly.

 

KEEP IT REAL AND ACCURATE before trying to put the blame on others. of course there are negatives of CAD , every product does but by industry standards, it definitely surpasses many other makes.

 

anyway, ELOSUSA:

the only ones i have seen are the white laminate cabinets. in my law office, i have venetian plastered walls and glass walls. i most likely will have a cabinet made but do you think you can recommend a cabinet style? also i plan on getting the 100G Pin-shell skimmer from CAD to use on the 20G Mini. it has a footprint of 5" x 6" can it fit in the sump area? the 10mm is awesome. and is the bottom tempered?

[todd03blown]

That is Fact? that is exactly why i responded with the true facts Phixion. im not following you around, its just that you are everywhere when i am reading up on the CAD tanks or other comparisons with them. the question is why are you following around the CAD threads? your post count doesnt offend me, its just your arrogance and blatant lying about the quality of other systems especially the CAD tanks do. the drop-in UV works and i have seen it working in many CAD tanks and even the store that sells them use them too. have you seen even one CAD 39G with slime algae or red algae, parasite outbreaks? exactly.

 

KEEP IT REAL AND ACCURATE before trying to put the blame on others. of course there are negatives of CAD , every product does but by industry standards, it definitely surpasses many other makes.

 

anyway, ELOSUSA:

the only ones i have seen are the white laminate cabinets. in my law office, i have venetian plastered walls and glass walls. i most likely will have a cabinet made but do you think you can recommend a cabinet style? also i plan on getting the 100G Pin-shell skimmer from CAD to use on the 20G Mini. it has a footprint of 5" x 6" can it fit in the sump area? the 10mm is awesome. and is the bottom tempered?

Based on my measurement thickness of my mini it appears its 5/16" which equates to 8mm if I did it right?

[martiniReef]

Martini-

 

First off I have absolutely no idea what your problem with Phixion is but from personal experience with the man he is a top notch individual, very knowledgeable in the field, and anything but high and mighty in his attitudes or postings. Perhaps you are the ugly girl here humm...?

 

FWIW I faced a decision a while back on what system to get. I looked at Finnex, CAD, Solana, and some others and went with the CAD Pro back when you could order it with out the full kit. I looked at the equipment that came with the CAD and found it to be of lessor quality than I wanted to run in my system regardless of where it was made. It was fair equipment for the price but realizing I was going to heavily invest in things to go into the tank I wanted to go with top line equipment for it. This includes a Tunze skimmer, Icecap lighting and ballast, Mag return pump (lets not start a Mag vs. Enheim war so yes the Enheim is a better pump), and Vortech MP40w power head.

 

The only reason I did not go with the Finnex was because of the tank volume. I wanted as close to a 40 gallon as I could get and Finnex at the time didn't have anything in its lineup. With that said it is a very robustly built tank that makes good compromises on price/performance. Many of which are better than the CAD.

 

Yes the CAD skimmer is better than the Finnex one. But thats like saying that a Yugo is better than a Ford Pinto. At the end of the day they are both crappy cars.

 

As to flaws with the CAD... Two that come to mind are the overall build of the equipment being of somewhat lower quality but that can be excused because of the need to hit the right price/performance level. If one wants better kit one just dumps the CAD stuff and spends the extra $ or see's if one can talk Eddie into shipping without the CAD kit. Specifically the sump, as with pretty much all sumps on the market today, is poorly engineered from a fuge/sump standpoint. Another one that is particularly glaring and actually will get me up on my hind legs is that silly UV Sterilizer that Eddie sells with the tank.

 

Unless you are looking for a REAL NEAT way to cause accidental blindness and heat your tank it isn't worth having in your system. Here is why...

 

UV works based on exposure of a given pathogen or parasite to the radiation emitted in the UV spectrum. This radiation's effect on the pathogen or parasite is to cause mutation to its DNA so that it cannot reproduce, and/or to cause cellular disruption (via heat) so badly and rapidly that it dies off. This means that to be effective a certain speed of flow must be maintained over the UV emitter source. This is known as 'hang time'. At 6 watts of power output the UV light supplied by CAD is be effectively worthless in treating what UV is supposed to treat. That being algae problems and parasites like Ich et al. The reason it is worthless is that the amount of speed that water passes by the bulb is far too high. For example to treat parasites like Ich and the like water has to move past a 9 watt unit no faster than about 65 gallons per hour.

 

All that said I love my CAD tank and feel I made the best choice for my budget and my requirements and think it is a well designed tank.

 

i understand what you are saying of the UV and i agree with you on that how it kills the parasites, pathogens etc. but those requirements you mentioned are for closed pressurized and in-line units. the drop-in style works based on that even though there is more volume of water flowing through it, the water moves slower than pressurized in-line systems. speed of water (contact time) and space contributes together to make the final kill ratio. also the water divides and goes in from 2 surface skimmers instead of one, and only the one going through the bio-balls will reach the UV so it is much slower than the full force of the pump. i read your thread also with the Pro you set up and its very FASCINATING and beautiful, it helped me alot in picturing it in my house. kudos for all the work you put into it. as far as for equipment, i noticed you didnt like them but also have not used them. i compared only based on the people who have bought the whole tank "as is" and have used all the equipment and they all say its great stuff.

 

Thanks Elosusa:

yeah Jason and his wife is great i dealt with him for many years since i work in NYC and go there lots of times in the weekends. many of my friends have bought custom set-ups from him. im glad that all the pricing will be the same cause i would definitely rather buy this from a local retailer than to have it shipped.

[Phixion]

have you seen even one CAD 39G with slime algae or red algae, parasite outbreaks? exactly.

 

Actually yes I have, Urchinhead's tank had those issues at one point which I have seen in person. You aren't going to win this one, sorry bud! But he overcame those without ANY UV type product, CAD or not. So it is FACT that it is not necessary and simply a WASTE of money. A good reefer won't need a UV sterilizer. You claim to be experienced, so you should know that already. I don't blatantly lie about any tank, I state what owners have told me about their experiences. I don't bash CAD, I bash things they include and last I checked, the lame drop-in UV is NOT the tank itself, they are seperate items. There's nothing wrong with the tank itself. Let's get to the Finnex stand which you seem to love to hate. It's good, and works. My tank is still standing after the quake we had last week, and that's WITHOUT being anchored to the wall as it should be. If a stand can't withstand that (I know a guy who's Aquapod stand failed and flipped the tank upside down on the floor from the quake) then you can pick on it. I've had water ALL over my Finnex stand yet last week it passed the TRUE strength test. You failed attempt at bashing the stand now looks as foolish as your lack of knowledge for the tank itself.

 

Please keep the thread on track and refrain from brining up Finnex just because I'm in the thread.

[Urchinhead]

i understand what you are saying of the UV and i agree with you on that how it kills the parasites, pathogens etc. but those requirements you mentioned are for closed pressurized and in-line units. the drop-in style works based on that even though there is more volume of water flowing through it, the water moves slower than pressurized in-line systems. speed of water (contact time) and space contributes together to make the final kill ratio. also the water divides and goes in from 2 surface skimmers instead of one, and only the one going through the bio-balls will reach the UV so it is much slower than the full force of the pump. i read your thread also with the Pro you set up and its very FASCINATING and beautiful, it helped me alot in picturing it in my house. kudos for all the work you put into it. as far as for equipment, i noticed you didnt like them but also have not used them. i compared only based on the people who have bought the whole tank "as is" and have used all the equipment and they all say its great stuff.

 

 

Cheers mate. And thank you. I will be posting new photos shortly. You can see the difference good lighting makes if you follow from photo to photo.

 

But I think you may want to check your facts on how the UV works. You run into an issue of diffusion of the radiation in an open environment like that coupled with the speed of the flow which means that it really doesn't work. Thats why most units are both enclosed and higher wattage. 65 gph (what a 9 watt needs) isn't very fast when you think about it.

[Phixion]

Cheers mate. And thank you. I will be posting new photos shortly. You can see the difference good lighting makes if you follow from photo to photo.

 

But I think you may want to check your facts on how the UV works. You run into an issue of diffusion of the radiation in an open environment like that coupled with the speed of the flow which means that it really doesn't work. Thats why most units are both enclosed and higher wattage. 65 gph (what a 9 watt needs) isn't very fast when you think about it.

 

Which would mean the flow past the exposed unit is essentially passing by at the rated pump spec (450gph?), correct? Definitely too fast for a unit that's right out of the box not even a size to make much if any differance. You'll need at least 9w on a tank the size of the CAD to make any dent in it's intended purpose. UV on any plastics (which is what the rear baffles are made from = destruction over time which a CAD owner here on NR has experienced already so far on their 34g series tank (and size aside they are the SAME tank is design and materials used for building). That is NOT what you want to happen on a $700+ tank now, is it?

 

CAD UV light for referance:

 

That's junk if I've ever seen it, you are literally looking at the bulb itself there, how safe could that possibly be?? If you go CAD, ask Eddie to omit the UV which will probably save you the equivalant to being able to get a Current-USA Gamma model 15w UV light which will actually work, and only require you to toss the bulb when it expires, not the entire unit, oh, and it won't destroy your tank either or eyesight which is key here.

[elosusa]

yeah todd that is right, I got that information today, 8mm.

Martini,

The laminate white is the bone colored like our other stands, the System Mini pictures from Interzoo are lacquered white and the maple laminate. Which color have you seen? We can do just about anything with cabinets but with Jason nearby, a custom option on a Mini might be in order;) To me, our standard cabinet is a nice elegant style and very functional but with this size system you can really improve on this if needed. In the past I have done, glass, automobile finishes, exotic woods on larger systems but if we put these on our "standard" systems we would likely not sell to many as the price would scare most everyone away:) Feel free to email me and I can give you some examples.

The 5x6 foot print would be fine for the sump.

We do not use tempered glass in the mini construction.

As you have pointed out, there is no real benefit of tempering an aquarium if built properly and a few real disadvantages.

Hope that helps.

[Phixion]

Temepring allows use of thinner glass to keep as strong as thicker glassed tanks would be, while cutting down on cost which would obviously make thicker glass more expensive. There's no disadvatage of tempered glass except for the drilling aspect. If you plan to drill, then you either have to temper the glass post drilling, or not get a pre-fab'ed tank that's tempered. AIOs that are tempered, are done so because who really is going to sump an AIO, right? Exactly why the CAD 39g Pro model exists. Cad 39g tank minus the AIO aspect plus the benefit of the ability to sump it.

 

Sammy, you've been considering the CAD and Elos for months now I've seen, just get the Elos and don't look back!

[Urchinhead]

Or the CAD.

[elosusa]

Phixon,

This is a common misconception about tempered glass. What most do not realize about tempered glass is it actually weakens the pane at a point that cannot be determined. So while the pane may be stronger as a whole, there is a point on the glass that is weaker and that point if hit will easily break. Beyond that tempering will introduce the inevitable distortion associated with this process. In the past and currently we manufacture aquariums that will be in public areas and for liability reasons, we use laminated glass ( i.e bulletproof glass) instead of tempered glass for this very reason. The bulletproof option will sadly not be available on the System Mini. That was a joke;)

[Urchinhead]

Damn! If you guys offered BP glass tanks on the Mini's I would be all over it like ugly on an ape! Of course I would have to deal with that whole BP glass break down when exposed to sunlight over time as I recall... Or am I missing an update to said laminated glass or not remembering the issues with it correctly?

[martiniReef]

i have seen this UV work in many of the CAD systems and the systems in a few stores. what Phixion said before is not entirely true yet not entirely false about experienced reefers dont need UV. the UV acts as primarily a preventative against parasites, pathogens etc. and will kill it if it is there. all reef systems should have one. its just that nano tanks usually dont (doesnt mean you dont need). i would never run a reef tank without one but that is just mine and many experienced and inexperienced reefers alike prefer. and like i said before the specs which you are refering to are for only in-line and closed pressurized units not for open drop-in designs with slower current but higher volumes which are widely used in Europe and Asia.

 

tempered glass should only be used on the bottom and NOT the sides, front and back because with one little chip the whole panel WILL explode in a million pieces. this is the main reason why AGA, Perfecto, Oceanic, Living Color and ALL aquarium manufacturers only temper the bottom which is hidden and not the whole darn tank cause imagine if you hit a piece of live rock dense enough to chip it...the whole panel will blow up. the only advantages of tempered glass is cheaper cost of manufacturing, higher resistant to heat and will not break in shards for safety in an automobile crash. but to use it to build the front, back, sides of an aquarium, it just does more bad than good especially when the edges are not cornered/mitered or protected. all high end tanks like the CAD, Elos and custom are made with thicker non-tempered Plate glass with all diamond mitered edges. and of course FRAMELESS/RIMLESS.

 

FYI: all of the Cubes JBJ, Bio-cube, Aqua-Pod, Solana, CAD, Elos etc. are not made of tempered glass because of safety hazards of potentially having the whole panel or tank completely exploding. i read up on the Finnex being tempered glass all around and was always wondering why they would build it that way, but hopefully nothing like that would happen to anyone.

 

Thanks again Elosusa: i will show Jason some pics of my office and maybe we can come up with a plan on how to match it. my Law office is very high end in design and i would love to send you pics when i have it set up. but i also think that the white automotive finish in some of the pics i have seen can do the trick. my floors are white and the walls are partially glass with internal lighting.

[masterbuilder]

Martini....for being here just a month, you have sure become THE expert, considering just a few weeks ago you couldnt even understand a nano tank. Before that you had a 55 that you neglected and had to give away. Your type usually come in like a lion and leaves just as quickly as a lamb. Chill man.

[Urchinhead]

Heh. Ok mate.

 

I am with you on the use of UV units and as a matter of fact Phixion uses one on his tank as well. I know this for two reasons. One is that I gave him my 18w Gamma and two I have seen it in operation.

 

I am a firm believer on using them and have been really negligent of late in not using mine and I think I can consider myself an experienced reefer at this point. God knows I have spent allot of time, effort, and $$ in buying that experience.

 

But you really do need to cross check your facts on how the units work. They are not closed pressurized units unless you and I are using different nomenclature regarding pressurization. To me pressurization means that a vessel is designed to operate either at a given minimum pressure level or is designed to to tolerate a maximum pressure level in pounds/kilo's per square inch/cm, gallons/liters per hour, etc.

 

In the case of the UV units like the Coralife or Gamma they are rated at an effective flow based on the 'thing' being treated for not pressure. For example you can have a much higher flow of water through the vessel when just going after algae but need that much slower flow for hang time for things like parasites due to their composition.

 

This doesn't change if you remove the housing. You actually get more efficiency by using a housing as there is little to no diffusion of the radiation being emitted. The down side is you get a more concentrated heat waste increase due to the restrictive nature.

 

In the case of a 6w unit with water passing at over 400 gph with no shielding to prevent diffusion you are doing little more than heating the water and killing the occasional parasite/pathogen/algae that happens to float by.

 

I could be wrong. Its happened before and it for sure will happen again. And its been almost 20 years since my University physics classes but in the end It all comes down to physics mate. And the physics of what you are stating just don't make sense. You can't get around the physics no matter how hard you try.

[Marine1]

sammyman, do you realize the price of the elos? Its $1,600 for a 20 gal tank. I'd say that's a bit steep no matter how nice it is.

 

If it were me I'd go with the CAD 39, its a great looking tank IMHO (but I'm a fan of the curved front glass).