TimDanger's CADlights 39g Pro

[Rehype]

Congrats on the jawfish tim im looking forward to seeing pics.

[timdanger]

my new bubble-magus is up and skimming as of saturday.

 

more to follow...

[becact]

any pics of the lid and/or new skimmer?

[timdanger]

any pics of the lid and/or new skimmer?

 

i have a lot -- it's an undertaking, because i've got new pics to download/crop/upload/post for: 1) new jawfish, 2) DIY top, and 3) new skimmer.

 

and, i had some visitors this weekend, so didn't have the chance to do any of that yet. these will be good updates when they get here, though -- lots of info (and pretty colors).

[timdanger]

Well, I downloaded all my pictures, cropped them and uploaded them. Sadly, I have no good pictures of my Jawfish, JAWS, yet (glass is a little dirty while I wait to receive my new Nimble Nano, and that wreaks havoc on my picture-taking). However, I do have a neat picture of Jaws while he is acclimating!:

 

 

And now, pictures of Cadlights' new Bubble-Magus skimmer!:

 

box

 

what comes in the box:

 

collection cup/wedge-pipe:

 

skimmer body:

 

Atman PH-1100 pump box. This skimmer was redesigned from the Bubble-Magus NAC3 for Cadlights, and now uses this pump instead of the NAC pump that comes with other Bubble-Magus NAC skimmers. The pump fits snuggly into the body with no teflon tape needed (I might add some to really secure it in there/make sure I'm not leaking any pressure, but it doesn't seem necessary at this point). I did have to unscrew a fitting that was screwed into the "out" hole and move it to the side "in" hole - not sure if they all come like this, but this is definitely a requirement to get the thing to fit together.

 

Atman PH-1100 pump and intake nozzle. reasonably quiet. not sure how much heat it's adding to the system, but my temperatures have increased about 2 degrees (F) since installing (running between 81-83F). However, I don't know if this might have more to do with the new partial-glass top or the skimmer pump. And, keep in mind, I haven't been running a skimmer at all since my stock skimmer pump was screwed up. So, if you're already using the stock skimmer, i wouldn't expect a temperature increase.

 

instructions/warranty card(? I don't know this for sure, I guess) that came with the skimmer and pump (the picture was useful; the rest was in Chinese (I'm assuming).

 

assembled (took about 10 minutes to unpack/assemble, so it was pretty easy/self-explanatory, despite no English instructions).

 

installed/0 minutes of skimming. milky fine bubbles -- awesome. i like the bubbles in the stock skimmer, but this is definitely a big improvement. I'm getting a bit of a straw-slurping sound from the air intake tube. The skimmer does not come with a silencer like the stock skimmer does for some reason. No idea why not. I talked to Eddie, and he suggested that I could use a silencer on it without affecting performance too much. He also suggested sticking a sponge over the top of it to muffle it a little bit (because the sound isn't horrible -- at least it's not grating on my nerves yet). I might look into that.

 

after 48 hours of skimming, with the wedge pipe tuned to the dryest skimmate setting ("Max"). Not much in the actual collection cup, at this point, but it's clearly ready to start producing if I just tuned it down some. But, I wanted to run it on Max for awhile to start with and then gradually tune it down.

 

after 72 hours of skimming. I messed around with tuning the wedge pipe for a while, and I finally settled on tuning it down to about "4" to get the water level a little higher/a little wetter skimmate. It's nice to be able to control the skimmate so much more precisely like this -- much better than having a ball valve. The skimmate I'm producing at this point is syrupy, black and disgusting, just like I like it! And, looking at the skimmer this morning, I've more than doubled this amount of skimmate since I took this picture last night (about 8 more hours). So, it's really taking drawing out that gunk now! I could certainly take out more (as you can see by the brown bubbles extending all the way down into the body of the skimmer) if I tuned the wedge pipe down to about 3-3.5, too, I think. But, I am going for a dryer skimmate (at least at first).

[timdanger]

Check out aces thread. I really like his canopy

 

i like it, too -- the problem i have is that my halide is 3" off the top of the glass (4" off the water), and I am very concerned that plastic placed directly beneath the halide would melt. Ace (and you) are only dealing with LEDs -- not much to worry about there!

 

pictures of my lid construction are coming later today.

[Rehype]

i like it, too -- the problem i have is that my halide is 3" off the top of the glass (4" off the water), and I am very concerned that plastic placed directly beneath the halide would melt. Ace (and you) are only dealing with LEDs -- not much to worry about there!

 

pictures of my lid construction are coming later today.

 

 

Well check this out. He selling this stuff for really cheap and hes currently running 400watt Metal Halides above them with no melting issues.

 

the new skimmer looks like it works really well. Are you having any issues with microbubbles?

[timdanger]

My DIY lid

 

Alright kids, so to refresh everyone's memory, I needed to construct a top for my Cad 39g Pro to keep my new bluespot jawfish, JAWS, from carpet-surfing. My goals/requirements for the lid were, in order:

 

1) no carpet-surfing jawfish, so I had to keep the holes no bigger than 1/4" (3/8" might've been ok, but I was happier with the 1/4" threshold).

 

2) allow for as much evaporative cooling as possible to keep my tank temperatures at a reasonable level, because I will be suicidal if I end up having to waste money on a chiller. However, I am wary of using plastic mesh/pond netting because I do not want it to melt under the halide, which is positioned 3" above the top of my glass and 4" above my water line. I cannot use galvanized metal because of the zinc content, which I understand is problematic for inverts.

 

3) minimize lost par as best I can, especially from the halide, but with the understanding that the above two requirements have to take precedence.

 

As an aside, it's a very good thing I built this -- the first night we had Jaws, my wife and I woke up hearing splashing and a "thump" against the top as Jaws attempted his first escape. However, the top held him in, and he lives to screw up my sandbed another day!

 

Thanks again to my neighbor, Jared, for assisting me with the construction and modeling. Now, on to the project:

 

First, I bought a piece of light diffuser/eggcrate from Lowe's. The holes in it are about 1/2", and they are decidedly wider than even a fully-grown jawfish body. However, I address this issue later. Before I do anything, I remove the lights and use scissors to snip the eggcrate roughly to the size of the tank from left-to-right. I line up the corner of the eggcrate with the left back "outside" corner of the tank and then straight back on the right side (you can, of course, do it the other way - this was just easier for me), being sure to cut it to size at the outside of the glass so that it fits securely on top of the tank.

 

Next, I need to make notches in the eggcrate to accomodate the "feet" of the fan over my overflow. First, I line up the corners again, and I then take a marker and mark to the outside of the feet, being careful to cut as little as possible so that there no jawfish "escape hatches." I cut one square deep into the eggcrate, which is about perfect for the fan feet. This really helps with keeping the lid in place and precisely on top of the tank. Note that I could also have cut out spots for the light "feet," but I decided against it, since the lights will help hold the top in place and counter-balance the weight of the glass in the middle. it also lifts the light off the glass/water a little bit more, so hopefully that will help with temperatures (I can't imagine it will matter much, though).

 

Next, I have purchased an 11x14" piece of glass for a picture frame from a crafts store, which I am going to use directly underneath the halide to 1) help minimize lost par from the use of the eggcrate and 2) get the plastic out from underneath the halide (although I am not as worried about eggcrate melting as I am about pond netting). The eggcrate will serve as a "table" support for the glass around the edges (which is why I bought 11x14 when I would only realistically need 8x10 to accommodate the halide). So, I need to cut a hole in the middle of the eggcrate for the glass. I do this by sliding the eggcrate into place on top of the tank, placing the light on top of the eggcrate, centering (roughly) the glass beneath the halide.

 

side view:

 

I then measured 2 squares (on the eggcrate) in toward the center at each corner of the glass (so, e.g., as you look at it from the front, I measured 2 squares down from the top left corner, then 2 squares right from the top left corner, and marked that point on the eggcrate. I then began cutting away the eggcrate within these 4 points.

 

.. and here's what it looks like with the glass hole fully cut-out. I wound up cutting one additional square around the hole, to allow more light from the actinics, but it also lessens the amount of support for the glass, so that's just an option:

 

Next, I have to cut the eggcrate to the curve of the front of the tank. First I mark it, which I do by simply sticking the eggcrate on top and sliding it straight back into the fan foot holes. At that point, it should be even on the three already-measured sides (and if it's not, you can mark more to trim off). I then make a mark on the bottom of the eggcrate by sliding the marker along the front of the glass like a stencil. I then remove the top and take a dremel with a "sanding disc" (I don't know what these are actually called), and cut along the line that I've drawn as best I can. This will not be perfect, but we cover it up later, so it's ok if it's not. In addition to shaping the front of the lid at this time, I also made a small cover for the overflow out of the leftover eggcrate. This serves as both additional support for the lid and to keep fish out of the overflow. I simply cut the eggcrate to roughly overlap the length/width of the overflow, that's it. Then, I set the lid on top of that.

 

Now for my secret weapon against jawfish surfing: fiberglass window mesh. I bought a roll of this from Lowe's, rolled it out on top of the eggcrate, and cut it so that it overlapped about 2" on all sides (roughly). I then folded up the back corners around the eggcrate, creating a sort of "coating" around the edges, and sewed them in place. I then roughly folded the mesh along the curved front half and sewed it in place at the front corners and once in the middle. This looks better than it sounds, although there were probably better options than sewing -- but it was getting late and both I and Jaws were getting antsy by this point. I then cut out holes in the mesh where the glass will go and where the fan's feet will go.

 

So, I then slide the lid back on top of the tank, stick the glass piece in place, remount the lights, and voila, I'm done!

 

And, some more views (note: the ripple of the mesh in the back could easily be fixed by just pulling it taught - it was a rushed job by the end, as it ticked closer to midnight!! I just didn't notice this before I took these pictures). And please forgive my algae-covered glass - I'm trying to make sure my algae blenny doesn't starve...! (that seems like a plausible excuse, right?):

 

Close-up

 

Standing height

 

Lower height

 

Overhead Lights on in the room:

 

Lights off in the room

[Rehype]

looks really good tim

[becact]

I was looking at mesh today at home depot, and they have something you use for vent screening that is just like screen door mesh, except it has about 1/8" holes. It would have been perfect if it had been 1/4". So if you're looking to get through more light from the actinics, that could be an option!

[timdanger]

I was looking at mesh today at home depot, and they have something you use for vent screening that is just like screen door mesh, except it has about 1/8" holes. It would have been perfect if it had been 1/4". So if you're looking to get through more light from the actinics, that could be an option!

 

interesting - is it metal? the draw of the fiberglass mesh was the fiberglass material.

 

something i've also thought about to get more actinic in (really, it's not a problem, but i think more could come in) is to punch some holes in the fiberglass mesh in each of the eggcrate holes with a screwdriver or something, so you still end up with holes small enough to not let a jawfish out, but allow a little more air out and a little more light in.

[timdanger]

looks really good tim

 

thanks Eugene!

[mkregs]

I'm pissed that others are getting this new skimmer and mine hasn't arrived yet....errrr maybe I'm just jealous.

 

My stock skimmer is all over the place. Sometimes it produces good skimmate...and then, for no good reason, the bubbles in the skimmer body drop. It's probably for the same reason as yours (the pump). Anyhow, I'm anxiously awaiting for the Bubble Magus.

 

It seems like you are satified with the new skimmer so far Tim.?.

[timdanger]

I'm pissed that others are getting this new skimmer and mine hasn't arrived yet....errrr maybe I'm just jealous.

 

My stock skimmer is all over the place. Sometimes it produces good skimmate...and then, for no good reason, the bubbles in the skimmer body drop. It's probably for the same reason as yours (the pump). Anyhow, I'm anxiously awaiting for the Bubble Magus.

 

It seems like you are satified with the new skimmer so far Tim.?.

 

Mark, that does seem weird that you have ordered but not received it yet. I would definitely call Eddie. I had to call him to remind him to send me the replacement pump for my old skimmer. Maybe he just forgot?

 

The problem you're having sounds very similar to the one I was having with the stock skimmer - I haven't tested the replacement pump, yet, but it's worth noting here that when my stock skimmer pump was giving out, it was actually tripping my GFCI outlet. If you aren't hooked into a GFCI outlet, I would recommend doing that to make sure that's not happening for you. Could be an electrical shock/fire hazard. You can buy "plug-in" GFCIs from Lowe's. They are cheap there and have worked well for me.

 

As far as my satisfaction with the Bubble-Magus, I am definitely no expert, but it seems to me to be very consistent with the bubble levels, and I am definitely getting a nice syrupy skimmate, even with it tuned down to about 4. I tuned it down a little bit more (to about 3.5) at lunch just to see what I end up with. I will continue to update my thoughts about it (even though I can't offer any kind of "expert" review, I'm happy to report my experience).

[becact]

interesting - is it metal? the draw of the fiberglass mesh was the fiberglass material.

 

something i've also thought about to get more actinic in (really, it's not a problem, but i think more could come in) is to punch some holes in the fiberglass mesh in each of the eggcrate holes with a screwdriver or something, so you still end up with holes small enough to not let a jawfish out, but allow a little more air out and a little more light in.

 

I think it was fiberglass. If you want metal, they sell "hardware cloth" back by the chicken wire (behind the lumber), which is a 1/4" hole mesh made of galvanized steel.

[timdanger]

I think it was fiberglass. If you want metal, they sell "hardware cloth" back by the chicken wire (behind the lumber), which is a 1/4" hole mesh made of galvanized steel.

 

ya, i actually bought some of that hardware cloth - it seemed like a good idea, but i read that galvanized metal would 1) corrode eventually, whether it was galvanized or not; and 2) that the zinc used to galvanize would be bad for inverts, similar to copper. I thought it would be best to just avoid it altogether.

 

i might go take a look at the vent screening you're talking about, if it's made of fiberglass. that would be preferable to the finer holes of the window screening i have now. on the other hand, just "punching holes with a screwdriver" may do the trick, too. i think it just depends on how permanent of a solution this is. i like it, but i like the "rimless" look better. TBD.

[becact]

ya, i actually bought some of that hardware cloth - it seemed like a good idea, but i read that galvanized metal would 1) corrode eventually, whether it was galvanized or not; and 2) that the zinc used to galvanize would be bad for inverts, similar to copper. I thought it would be best to just avoid it altogether.

 

i might go take a look at the vent screening you're talking about, if it's made of fiberglass. that would be preferable to the finer holes of the window screening i have now. on the other hand, just "punching holes with a screwdriver" may do the trick, too. i think it just depends on how permanent of a solution this is. i like it, but i like the "rimless" look better. TBD.

 

Well, all metals will corrode in a saltwater environment, even stainless steel and aluminum. Galvanized steel will take a long time to corrode, though. Also, the zinc is chemically bonded to the steel, it cannot flake off (it's not a coating). But I understand your not wanting to take any risks. Check out that vent screening, I think it'd be perfect for your application

[timdanger]

some updates on the bubble-magus skimmer, after 1 week of operation (pics taken friday night):

 

This syrup is the FIRST WEEK of skimmate - most of it from the last 3 days!

 

 

 

 

sadly, i was performing a water change today and forgot to turn it off before killing power to the return pump, causing it to overflow a bunch of the collected goo back into the system. sigh. at least i caught it relatively quickly. it still hasn't quite re-adjusted (or maybe i just haven't found the sweet spot). in any event, you've gotta be happy about this kind of production in the first week of use, right?

[timdanger]

i took the silencer from the stock skimmer and put it on the bubble-magus -- quieted that sucker down quite a bit.

 

made sleeping last night a lot easier...!

 

i have got to get this tank quieter, though. next step may be replacing mr. return pump.

 

anyone have a quiet/cool-running one they want to sell me for cheap?

[mkregs]

i took the silencer from the stock skimmer and put it on the bubble-magus -- quieted that sucker down quite a bit.

 

made sleeping last night a lot easier...!

 

i have got to get this tank quieter, though. next step may be replacing mr. return pump.

 

anyone have a quiet/cool-running one they want to sell me for cheap?

Yep...that return pump is a noise maker. I'm going to eventually replace mine as well.

 

When you look at the sump setup that we bought, the only thing that's going to be worth keeping is going to be the sump itself. I've upgraded my sump lighting, will end up getting a quieter pump, and eventually hope to get a skimmer (that works) in the sump. You're lucky to have received your new skimmer. I still have yet to receive mine despite email contact with Eddie telling him my stock skimmer pump was running intermittently.

[timdanger]

Yep...that return pump is a noise maker. I'm going to eventually replace mine as well.

 

When you look at the sump setup that we bought, the only thing that's going to be worth keeping is going to be the sump itself. I've upgraded my sump lighting, will end up getting a quieter pump, and eventually hope to get a skimmer (that works) in the sump. You're lucky to have received your new skimmer. I still have yet to receive mine despite email contact with Eddie telling him my stock skimmer pump was running intermittently.

 

Not sure what to tell you about you not receiving the new skimmer yet -- the only advice I can give is that Eddie's been much more responsive by phone than by e-mail.

 

I think you're right about the sump setup, though. From our model, we're replacing everything in the sump. but, this goes back to my previous argument: our version of the Pro doesn't compete with elite components, but I'm not sure it was meant to. It seems like they're making an effort to change that and really make this Pro X-1 into the best "AIO" solution out there, especially with this new skimmer (I don't know anything about the new return pump, but it's a higher gph rating and it apparently runs a lot quieter because that's what they were trying to address, according to Eddie).

 

Look on the bright side, though, Mark! The glass is super nice, the stand is sturdy/stable, the light fixture is very nice (the fan is obviously loud, but this seems like a fixable problem for a low investment/amount of work), the sump is well-built*, the plumbing isn't too difficult to figure out, all for what is frankly a very reasonable price (and less than you'd pay for a comparable setup elsewhere). in my mind, the Pro X-1 seems like a great value/easy solution for anyone not ready/willing/able to pick out their own components and then figure out everything for themselves. also, because this has a sump, you have a lot more flexibility with upgrade options, and you can make those upgrades at your own wallet's pace. and, at the end of the day, at this price point, even with having to upgrade the skimmer, return pump, fuge light -- it's still not a bad deal.

 

that being said, if i have to buy a chiller, this is going to change my attitude about this very quickly. i also think this system should've come with an ATO system/heater. very frustrating that it doesn't, especially when your skimmer is obviously dependent on water level in the sump, and when Current USA (with the Solana and Ecocube) are including these items. The RedSeaMax comes with a heater and a timer system, I believe. i'd much prefer ditching the UV sterilizer for these vitally more important things.

 

 

* - i do have a concern in the back of my mind -- what if a chamber somehow gets clogged, raising the water level -- shouldn't there be a "spill-over" for the baffles such that the top of the baffle is a little lower than the top-edge of the sump itself, so if there is a clog, water will fill up that chamber and just flow into the next one -- maybe not an issue, because i don't have anything in any chamber that would create that situation -- i guess i'm just throwing this out there for those who might...)? maybe i'm being alarmist.

[mkregs]

Tim,

The reason I bought this system was because the tank looks great...and I still wouldn't want a different tank because I love the glass/shape/design. The sump is very functional once you figure out how to control the microbubbles. I don't know about the light fixture as I don't have the CAD fixture, but it looks nice.

 

The skimmer, return pump, and fuge light that came with our packages are really just not that great. I wouldn't think that many people use the UV sterilizer either. The shipping damage issues were frustrating too. I'm not trying to trash on CADLights as they have been working on improving this system and their packaging. It is obvious that they do listen to what customers are saying because what they have improved is what we have all commented as things that need improvement. It was frustrating that I had as many issues as I did with getting my initial tank/equipment shipped to me in one piece. However, CADLights was quick to ship replacements to me, which I appreciated. I did complain quite a bit to CADLights and Oceanreeflections during that time which is probably why my skimmer issue is not being addressed now as I feel it should be. You're right that I should call Eddie again and discuss it further with him.

 

About your comment on your concern about the sump...Unless you start packing things into the baffles, I don't think you need to worry about an overflow situation (as long as you are running the sump close to half full). Remember, the drain is only going to drop the same amount of water into the sump that the pump is pushing into the display and the display is pushing into the overflow box. That's the beauty of having an overflow box. Now, if your overflow box springs a leak and your standpipe isn't high enough to break suction before your sump overflows, that's another issue altogether and was one of the reasons I made my own standpipe.

[timdanger]

The skimmer, return pump, and fuge light that came with our packages are really just not that great. I wouldn't think that many people use the UV sterilizer either. The shipping damage issues were frustrating too. I'm not trying to trash on CADLights as they have been working on improving this system and their packaging. It is obvious that they do listen to what customers are saying because what they have improved is what we have all commented as things that need improvement. It was frustrating that I had as many issues as I did with getting my initial tank/equipment shipped to me in one piece. However, CADLights was quick to ship replacements to me, which I appreciated. I did complain quite a bit to CADLights and Oceanreeflections during that time which is probably why my skimmer issue is not being addressed now as I feel it should be. You're right that I should call Eddie again and discuss it further with him.

 

these are all fair points, though I will say that I have no real problem with the skimmer once it's running -- i think we just both got bad pumps. i don't think there was a real necessity to upgrade the skimmer, but the bubble-magus was just such a good deal at that wholesale price, how could we turn that down? i should've put that money toward a vortech or a new return pump, but it really is a sweet deal.

 

 

Now, if your overflow box springs a leak and your standpipe isn't high enough to break suction before your sump overflows, that's another issue altogether and was one of the reasons I made my own standpipe.

 

this is something i have not heard/thought of before. how would i determine where the "break suction" point is that you're referring to?

[mkregs]

this is something i have not heard/thought of before. how would i determine where the "break suction" point is that you're referring to?

I doubt that you will ever have to worry about it. The main reason that I built my own standpipe was to raise it to cut down on the waterfall noise. The fact that it sits higher now is just added security should the overflow box spring a leak.

 

If the sealant surrounding the overflow box was to spring a leak, then it might be a problem if your standpipe is as low as mine was when I got the tank. However, that kind of leak is unlikely as they do a nice job sealing these tanks.

[timdanger]

Mark, you'll be happy to hear that I finally added a filter sock to the end of my drain!

 

it's absolutely amazing how silent the drain can get/how it totally eliminates bubbles.

 

I was reading something, though, about running water through mechanical filtration before it gets to the skimmer -- according to Anthony Calfo, you want to feed raw/unfiltered overflow water directly into the skimmer if you can without running it through mechanical filtration first, because that ends up "pre-filtering" the water and breaking up the proteins before it gets to the skimmer to remove them from the system. I didn't get much production out of my skimmer yesterday (this could've been for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the comparatively large amount of water I had to top-off last night -- 2.5 Liters or so), so I wonder if running it through the filter sock is impeding performance. I've also got a sponge beneath the surface skimmer on my overflow to cut down on the waterfall noise, which is just adding to the mechanical filtration of the water/keeping the pollutants from getting to the skimmer.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on this issue?