CAD Lights Mini Series Owners Thread

[jestep]

I think the biggest problem is the removable rear chamber. It's obviously a plus in theory, but if you think about it, it's going to be nearly impossible to create a adequately sealed rear chamber if the entire thing is removable.

The tank itself is top notch. The curved starfire looks as good or better than anything in it's class. It's a shame that some questionable acrylic work and pump choices would tarnish a quality tank like this.

I still have my doubts about the light but I have an elegance, some blastomusa and some candy canes that all close up after about 8 hours under it, so it must be decent enough. It doesn't always come on immediately and requires a few minute or requires cycling the timer to turn on.

Just for anyone looking on this thread, if I were to purchase this again, I would save the money and buy it bare, which I've heard cadlights will do. Use a Par 30 or Par 38 light above it and a MJ600 pump in the rear. When you get the tank, reinforce the joints in the removable chamber with either very light weldon acrylic cement or with super glue gel. Unless there are major differences in quality, I can't see the removable chamber lasting more than a year unless it's never removed.

 

[kuro]

Alittle update on the coral so the sunset monti is bleaching i had it on the top of the tank so i move it half way down and it continue to bleach i don't think this light is capable of keeping any sps even the easy one.

 

[eb8919]

Well here is the tank running...Haven`t had any major issues. Now that it`s set up and running smooth I think I will really like this tank.

Can`t wait to get it filled with live stock .

 

[Luckedout]

Alittle update on the coral so the sunset monti is bleaching i had it on the top of the tank so i move it half way down and it continue to bleach i don't think this light is capable of keeping any sps even the easy one.

Bleaching quickly is generally due to too much light, not too little.

 

[kuro]

How quickly is to quickly? I'm still new to corals. I had the coral for about 2 weeks and last week is when it started bleaching so i move it down half ways and it was still bleaching so now it all the way down. Hopefully it recover, i'm going to upgrade the lighting very soon maybe in a month during spring break i can build the led system for the tank.

 

[Luckedout]

If I put a coral in my tank and it starts to bleach, I know it's getting too much light. If it's not getting enough light it generally darkens or turns brown. That's my experience. Monti's typically don't need much light and LED's don't seem as bright, but they put out a lot of power.

Now I'm curious. Has anyone else tried SPS? I decided not to, but I might have to try it out now. In general the color of SPS under LED's isn't as good, but it's more a question of growth.

 

[eb8919]

Hey guys, I just received my blue ecopico led strip yesterday. I ordered one of these to add some blue to the excessively white stock lighting. These lights have excellent color! The strips come with high quality double sided tape and fits perfect in between the large spaces on the stock fixture. On either side between the two successive white strips, there is a slightly larger space that works perfect. The effect one of these strips has is amazing. I will post pictures when i get a chance. I liked it so much, I ordered a splitter and another strip for the other side of the fixture.

 

[jestep]

That's a great idea. I was wondering if those would fit in there. 2 of those in the wide strips would really make this light better, and could give it day/actinic'ish lighting periods. If they fit in all of the spaces, you could theoretically put 8 strips in the light fixture.

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Hey guys, I just received my blue ecopico led strip yesterday. I ordered one of these to add some blue to the excessively white stock lighting. These lights have excellent color! The strips come with high quality double sided tape and fits perfect in between the large spaces on the stock fixture. On either side between the two successive white strips, there is a slightly larger space that works perfect. The effect one of these strips has is amazing. I will post pictures when i get a chance. I liked it so much, I ordered a splitter and another strip for the other side of the fixture.

Thanks for the update; can't wait to see some comparison pics with and without the actinics on! Ironically, I was considering purchasing an EcoPico and decided on getting the CAD Lights when they were having the Black Friday sale knowing that for the price savings at the time I could purchase the EcoPico light fixture as a replacement for the stock lighting. I had not considered an even cheaper option being to add separate strips to the stock light. The advantage to doing it this way is now you can have daytime lighting and sunrise/sunset lighting. I really like the option of being able to have the actinic's only. And although there are many factors other than wattage that determine light intensity, in theory, two strips of the EcoPico LED's should be about the same intensity as the entire stock light! Looking forward to seeing the pics...

Now that I may have some time this week to work on my CAD Light tanks, I'll post some pics and vids. I finally got some life in my 4 gallon last week. Just a single sexy shrimp and several Nassarius snails, but nice to finally see something moving in there! :celeb3:

 

[Flytrap1]

I am glad to hear that the ecopico lights work. I felt they would. I can not wait for pics. Now you can do an dawn to dusk.

 

[eb8919]

Thanks for the update; can't wait to see some comparison pics with and without the actinics on! Ironically, I was considering purchasing an EcoPico and decided on getting the CAD Lights when they were having the Black Friday sale knowing that for the price savings at the time I could purchase the EcoPico light fixture as a replacement for the stock lighting. I had not considered an even cheaper option being to add separate strips to the stock light. The advantage to doing it this way is now you can have daytime lighting and sunrise/sunset lighting. I really like the option of being able to have the actinic's only. And although there are many factors other than wattage that determine light intensity, in theory, two strips of the EcoPico LED's should be about the same intensity as the entire stock light! Looking forward to seeing the pics...

Now that I may have some time this week to work on my CAD Light tanks, I'll post some pics and vids. I finally got some life in my 4 gallon last week. Just a single sexy shrimp and several Nassarius snails, but nice to finally see something moving in there! :celeb3:

I'm in the same boat all around!..finally getting life moving around. As far as the light goes..its the best addition I think you can add to these tanks along with a timer for sunrise sunset. When just the one strip is on it is one of the nicest blue actinic ive ever seen. Makes everything pop! When all lights are on it adds a nice blue shimmer and takes out the dull brown colors out of the rock work. I can't wait for the second strip!

 

[Luckedout]

Pics!!!!! I've looked at the same light strip. I wasn't sure with the price though, so show us what it's doing for you. Some with it off and on would be very helpful

 

[reefjunkie42]

I never expected this to be usable out of the box. that said I bought 2. 1 for a friend and 1 for myself. my friend set it up and has had no problems. I just recently set mine up after modding the return with a larger pump and a closed loop system for the only flow in the tank. havent added any coral yet but expecting this to be enough light to handle just about anything.

 

[kuro]

reefjunkie42 can you upload a pic of your tank mod, i'm curious about your closed loop system. I'm going to order my LED parts tomorrow i want to keep sps, i think the light can handle low light sps but they look very wash out. My sunset monti and alien eye chalice in the tank look very wash out.

 

[eb8919]

Pics!!!!! I've looked at the same light strip. I wasn't sure with the price though, so show us what it's doing for you. Some with it off and on would be very helpful

Sorry for the wait!!!...I have been busy working doubles all week so I havent had a chance to upload the pics..Hopefully tonight I can get them on. I'll have stock light, actinic only and then both.

 

[Austinchap]

I've put a bubble coral the top of my rock work and it loves it. The plate coral that's been on the sand starts to deflate at around 9-10 hours so the lights strong enough to make him do that. I haven't put anything in there that didn't like the light yet. I'll try a birdsnest coral or something to see how it goes.

 

[Flytrap1]

Austinchap

What did you do to level your tank? Did you level the surface it is on first or something on the tank?

Thanks

 

[Flytrap1]

Sorry I remember that your tank in on your kitchen counter. So How did you level it?

 

[reefjunkie42]

i leveled mine with little wooden shims..

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Sorry for the wait!!!...I have been busy working doubles all week so I havent had a chance to upload the pics..Hopefully tonight I can get them on. I'll have stock light, actinic only and then both.

eb8919, you're killin me with the pics...please post ASAP! :spin2: