TimDanger's CADlights 39g Pro

[timdanger]

Sounds like you got a jawfish. Congrats tim. Just so you know you Tim if you cover the tank at some point you will need to invest in a chiller.your tanks temp will go up considerably( if your using the cadlight canopy)

 

bah - ruining my surprise addition. good guess though - as you might have been able to gather, my wife has been in love with the bluespots ever since she saw your first video!

 

i am definitely aware of the temperature issue, and i've been thinking a lot about how to handle it (assuming i do go with the glass lid eventually). i've thought about doubling up on the fans to increase evaporative cooling. but, in the meantime, i think i'm going to go either window mesh or eggcrate over the top, at least temporarily. i'm going to spend some time at lowes/HD tonight and look around at some options. here's my list of pros/cons for different cover options so far:

 

tempered glass: no holes for jumpers, less chance of breakage and maybe less "lost par" to deal with than other alternatives; however, reduces gas exchange (but not as worried about that, being as that i have the sump/skimmer), retains heat.

 

eggcrate/light diffuser: doesn't retain as much heat; however, it also has "jumpable" holes potentially, it seems like it'll result in more lost par, and there's at least some risk of melting.

 

mesh: doesn't retain the heat and no jumpable holes; however, i am concerned that i would suffer a LOT of lost par; may also be a great "melting" risk.

 

 

maybe some kind of hybrid...?

[timdanger]

put in an order with Premium Aquatics today for 2 filter socks (YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED, MICROBUBBLES); 2L each of Brightwell Reef Code A and Reef Code B 2-part (each for $12? doesn't that seem awfully affordable for something reef-related??); and a 150w visi-therm stealth (finally broke down and bought it, whether i needed it or not - anyway, at $20, the price was right).

 

This is my first order with them, so hopefully it goes well.

[mkregs]

put in an order with Premium Aquatics today for 2 filter socks (YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED, MICROBUBBLES); 2L each of Brightwell Reef Code A and Reef Code B 2-part (each for $12? doesn't that seem awfully affordable for something reef-related??); and a 150w visi-therm stealth (finally broke down and bought it, whether i needed it or not - anyway, at $20, the price was right).

 

This is my first order with them, so hopefully it goes well.

Premium Aquatics is a good shop! I have placed several orders with them and each one has met my expectations.

 

Mark

[Rehype]

Let me know what you come up with tim.The eggcrate wouldnt be a good idea for the jawfish they can get through some pretty tight spots. The mesh would probably be your best option but you have to make sure it has the "x" formation to prevents any large holes. Although im not sure how much par suffers. Its seems like for now im stuck with the glass canopy. The pluses are it retains heat which is good in the winter time and less evaporative cooling(my top water seems to last forever) And theres no way for my livestock to escape.

 

 

bah - ruining my surprise addition. good guess though - as you might have been able to gather, my wife has been in love with the bluespots ever since she saw your first video!

 

i am definitely aware of the temperature issue, and i've been thinking a lot about how to handle it (assuming i do go with the glass lid eventually). i've thought about doubling up on the fans to increase evaporative cooling. but, in the meantime, i think i'm going to go either window mesh or eggcrate over the top, at least temporarily. i'm going to spend some time at lowes/HD tonight and look around at some options. here's my list of pros/cons for different cover options so far:

 

tempered glass: no holes for jumpers, less chance of breakage and maybe less "lost par" to deal with than other alternatives; however, reduces gas exchange (but not as worried about that, being as that i have the sump/skimmer), retains heat.

 

eggcrate/light diffuser: doesn't retain as much heat; however, it also has "jumpable" holes potentially, it seems like it'll result in more lost par, and there's at least some risk of melting.

 

mesh: doesn't retain the heat and no jumpable holes; however, i am concerned that i would suffer a LOT of lost par; may also be a great "melting" risk.

 

 

maybe some kind of hybrid...?

[timdanger]

Alright, people. Some updates of interest:

 

Purchased the new Bubble-Magus Skimmer! I called Eddie yesterday to check on my replacement skimmer pump, which hadn't arrived yet. He ended up talking me into buying the new Bubble-Magus skimmer (it didn't take much convincing), which he was absolutely raving about and said compared favorably with similarly-sized Bubble Kings in design/performance, with the main difference being that the Bubble-Magus is made on an assembly-line in China as opposed to the Bubble Kings that are handmade in Germany. He said that they turned it on the first time, and the thing was already producing skimmate within like 15 minutes. I am actually pretty excited about this. So, he's going to send me the Bubble-Magus along with my replacement pump, and I'll be able to sell the stock skimmer as having a new pump.

 

Jawfish Cover. went to Lowe's last night to see what I could find in the way of a lid for the tank. I walked around for a while and came up with a few different ideas. I wound up picking up some fiberglass window mesh, some plastic "animal" netting, and a sheet of eggcrate.

 

first, the window mesh: $6. it says it's made of fiberglass, but i don't know what exactly what that means in terms of heat resistance (though it seems like it won't be a problem). i am concerned about lost par using this, though - it seems to create a fair bit of shade. i will need to do some more research.

 

next, the "animal" netting: $12. this is actually very interesting -- it's a more rigid plastic, so it's not traditional netting, and the holes in the next are smaller than eggcrate holes. i have no idea how resistant it is to heat. I plan on testing it by holding it under a hair dryer or putting it the oven for awhile or something like that. we'll see how it holds up, but i'm anxious to see how this does.

 

next, the eggcrate: $11. my thought is that the eggcrate might just not do the job. the holes are large and the jawfish is skinny. I have htought about the concept of staggering two layers of eggcrate to eliminate the issue with those holes, but that's going to take even more of a toll on my par.

 

finally, i have some ideas for a hybrid: i think i could take a simple piece of glass, maybe 1'x1', and support it with 4 acrylic dowels cut to the dimensons of the tank (2 front-to-back, 2 left-to-right), and then take either the window mesh or the animal netting and cut it to the size of the rest of the tank, epoxy everything together. i could support the dowels with v-shaped supports on the left and right sides only (the front-to-back would be to add structure to the mesh). maybe create a hinged feeding door in the front?

 

any comments/suggestions?

 

 

 

Let me know what you come up with tim.The eggcrate wouldnt be a good idea for the jawfish they can get through some pretty tight spots. The mesh would probably be your best option but you have to make sure it has the "x" formation to prevents any large holes. Although im not sure how much par suffers. Its seems like for now im stuck with the glass canopy. The pluses are it retains heat which is good in the winter time and less evaporative cooling(my top water seems to last forever) And theres no way for my livestock to escape.

 

Eugene, I wonder if the lack of evaporative cooling would be less of an issue for those of us with the Pro setup? It seems like the sump would help with that. maybe i'm just trying to use the power of positive thinking.

[timdanger]

update on an old issue: GFCI trips have stopped altogether since I unplugged the skimmer two weeks ago. I guess that really was the issue.

[rizakaniza]

any comments/suggestions?

Yes, when you're done make me one too!

[Rehype]

Eugene, I wonder if the lack of evaporative cooling would be less of an issue for those of us with the Pro setup? It seems like the sump would help with that. maybe i'm just trying to use the power of positive thinking.

 

 

Well tim the lack of or i should say minimal evaporative cooling is kind of a good thing. I dont have to have to replace topoff water as often But on the other hand the tank runs a bit warmer. Which is a good thing in the winter time but will be a hassle during the summer months. As far as the sump being able to help with cooling..I think if you have fans running in your sump and you remove the stand doors that would help cool the tank considerably.

[timdanger]

i've been putting off this conclusion, but looking at my tank this morning, I think it's time to stop living in denial: i'm fairly certain i've contracted another case of terminal bryopsis. nothing's eating it, it's spread all over my sand, and it's starting to sprout up on my rocks.

 

kill me. Mg time, I guess - maybe I can choke it out before it overtakes everything. it's so frustrating to have 0 phosphates from day 1, 0 nitrates from day 1, and to have to deal with this. maybe starting up my new skimmer (when it gets here) will help. the funny thing is, i'd expect the bryopsis to choke out my chaeto, and it really doesn't seem to have had an effect on it. oh well.

 

Well tim the lack of or i should say minimal evaporative cooling is kind of a good thing. I dont have to have to replace topoff water as often But on the other hand the tank runs a bit warmer. Which is a good thing in the winter time but will be a hassle during the summer months. As far as the sump being able to help with cooling..I think if you have fans running in your sump and you remove the stand doors that would help cool the tank considerably.

 

can't really leave the cabinet open. kitties like to play in water. D: but, i guess we'll just see how things go.

[Rehype]

can't really leave the cabinet open. kitties like to play in water. D: but, i guess we'll just see how things go.

 

 

Well maybe you can try modding your cabinet so that fans are put into the stand walls. I saw a thread where another cad pro owner did that. It was pretty awesome

[rizakaniza]

What if you figured a way to simply install vents in the cabinet doors? I have been leaving one of the doors open most of the day and all night and because of that there has been "0" moisture buildup. I was thinking it would be neat to cut squares in the cabinet doors and put black (powder coated or whatnot) vents in the doors...

[timdanger]

What if you figured a way to simply install vents in the cabinet doors? I have been leaving one of the doors open most of the day and all night and because of that there has been "0" moisture buildup. I was thinking it would be neat to cut squares in the cabinet doors and put black (powder coated or whatnot) vents in the doors...

 

Eugene/Shawn: now you're thinking!

 

let's keep these ideas coming!

 

the thread with the guy with the vents was reeftivo on RC and the cadlights forum. my concern with the on-wall fan ventilation was weakening the support structure for the tank itself.

 

the door idea would alleviate this issue, though -- the only problem with door vents would be light leakage (which is already a bit of an issue in our bedroom at night from the sump light). how do we fix that?

[Rehype]

the door idea would alleviate this issue, though -- the only problem with door vents would be light leakage (which is already a bit of an issue in our bedroom at night from the sump light). how do we fix that?

 

 

Run the fuge light during the day. problem solved.

[timdanger]

i was alternating the fuge/display lighting cycle to avoid pH swings at night.

[Rehype]

i was alternating the fuge/display lighting cycle to avoid pH swings at night.

 

 

Believe me its not that big of a deal if your ph drops a bit a night. The ph swing isnt dramatic enough for your corals or livestock to be affected negatively by it.

[rizakaniza]

I have the perfect solution. Move your bed to the living room. Problem solved.

[timdanger]

I have the perfect solution. Move your bed to the living room. Problem solved.

 

genius. pure genius.

[timdanger]

stopped by arts-and-crafts store and Home Depot last night to see if i couldn't come up with some better ideas for my top. bought two new items, and i'm just going to have to experiment and see what works the best.

 

1) bought a $4.50 piece of 11x14 glass (not UV-resistant or anti-glare or anything) that you'd put in a picture frame. the idea here is to cut out the center of the eggcrate, and notch some gaps such that the glass can just sit tucked into the eggcrate. this will ideally block a lot less light than other options. my concern is that this glass isn't tempered, so it might just shatter. however, because the eggcrate holes would be too big, i would need to put either 1) a screen over top of the remaining holes, or 2) "double-layer" the eggcrate in a staggered pattern (you could be sure to maintain the uniform stagger by cutting small notches in the bottom layer of eggcrate).

 

anyone concerned that regular glass pane will just crack sitting 4" under the 150w halide?

 

2) bought an $8 of 1/4" "hardware cloth", which is essentially just a galvanized metal mesh netting with 1/4" holes (smaller than the eggcrate holes, and will definitely keep the jawfish in). all that is required here is to cut it to size and set it on top of the glass. this won't be the prettiest solution, and it's decidedly temporary (i think the salt water will eventually oxidize even galvanized metal), but it seems to be the simplest, most effective and easiest to implement. it's cheap, there are no worries about melting, no worries about jumping, and there are no worries about breaking. the main issue with it is the fact that it's galvanized metal. i'm researching whether this is an issue. i definitely have concerns.

 

the one thing i haven't been able to find is 1/4" pond netting. none at Lowes or Petco, and I don't think Petsmart has it either. I might check a few other places. DFS has a 10x10' sheet of 3/8" net for $7.99 (which would probably work), but i need it sooner than later.

 

anyway, today's the day where i figure it out. there's certainly a hard way to do this and an easy way to do this. the real question is, is the hard way worth the effort (especially if it's only temporary?).

[rizakaniza]

Check, Check, Check it out yo...

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...amp;pid=2283093

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=202458

[Rehype]

Those are great but they are designed for tanks with hoods and to keep fish from jumping into the overflows. They wouldn't be much help keeping fish from jumping out of a cadlight tank.

[timdanger]

ok, from research, it looks like galvanized is a no go, as zinc as a heavy metal is potentially going to cause a copper-like issue with inverts.

 

so, hardware cloth: out!

 

Those are great but they are designed for tanks with hoods and to keep fish from jumping into the overflows. They wouldn't be much help keeping fish from jumping out of a cadlight tank.

 

agreed.

 

and, if i used the gutter material across the top, i think it would just block way too much light.

 

i'm back to the drawing board.

[Rehype]

Check out aces thread. I really like his canopy

[rizakaniza]

Those are great but they are designed for tanks with hoods and to keep fish from jumping into the overflows. They wouldn't be much help keeping fish from jumping out of a cadlight tank.

Wow, I'm a doof! I apologize, I thought those were the threads about the canopies with bird netting. I guess I shouldn't have blindly linked. My bad...

[timdanger]

After a lot of working at it, my lid is built, my lid is installed, and my new bluespot jawfish, JAWS, is acclimated and in the tank!

 

I like how the lid turned out, for being a real "from scratch"/"1st edition" kind of project. the canopy design is going to cost me a fair amount of my actinic light's par/brightness, but the halide is coming through very nicely. i used a combination of eggcrate, fiberglass mesh window screen, and the 11x14 picture glass. the eggcrate forms the structure of the lid, a layer of the mesh lays on top of the eggcrate, and there's a big hole cut in the middle , with the glass just sitting on top of that hole to let in more light from the halide. the whole thing is held in place by standing the light fixture's feet on top of it. the glass can be moved for feeding/etc. (which is not convenient, but i didn't have time to come up with any kind of "feeding/access door"). overall, i'm pretty happy with it. it's fairly discreet (the mesh does a good job of camouflaging the eggcrate). the main issue is the window mesh visibly shades the actinics (not badly, but noticeably) - definitely darkens the tank up during my actinic period. so, i will probably consider upgrading to the cadlights canopy once it becomes available.

 

a couple final notes on this:

 

1) the eggcrate was not as "structurally friendly" as i had hoped, so there wasn't a whole lot i could do in terms of notching out spots to drop the glass into/staggering the eggcrate in a stable way/etc.).

 

2) went to a pond specialty store here in Richmond. the guy showed me two different options for pond netting, but once i told him it was going like 3" from a halide light, he was pretty much just like ".. it is probably going to melt." that is the last thing i want to deal with, so pond net was out for me (that doesn't mean pond net should be out for those with T5s or LEDs, though - that seemed like a very good option in those cases - just not with a halide.).

 

 

I photo-documented the process, so, pictures to follow (possibly not til this weekend, though).

 

And, Jaws has mostly been hiding, but I fed a little bit of Krill this morning (didn't have time to defrost any mysis), and he has been poking his head out and watching us ever since! He seems to have made his initial burrow(s) kind of behind the rock in front of the tank, which is good and bad. i would've liked to see him locate more toward the front where we could clearly see his burrow, but the upside is that we don't have to deal with the sand in the display being all screwed up from his burrowing. and there are 5 or so different spots for him to pop out of at the front, so we will still hopefully see him a lot. this isn't bad, considering "viewing-friendly jawfish habitat" wasn't at all in mind when i aquascaped. I'm looking forward to seeing his personality develop! and, pictures will follow as i can get them (don't want to stress him out with photoshoots until he's been in for a few days)!

[timdanger]

My Premium Aquatics order arrived yesterday, as described -- ordered on Monday, delivered on Wednesday. Can't beat that! I'd definitely order from them again.