CAD Lights Mini Series Owners Thread

[Luckedout]

Nice video psycho. The light strip really made a big difference. I'll probably add one in the next couple of months.

Flytrap1, generally in a nano if you have strong directional flow you're going to have a bit of a ditch somewhere. I personally prefer it at the back of the tank vs. the front. You can do what I did and use the 08 with a koralia nano, but I still get a ditch.. well it's more of a bare spot. You could use a coarser substrate like crushed coral and that would help.

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Here is a pic comparing the 4g with the stock lighting and 2 of the 453nm Ecoxotic EcoPico LED strips to the 8g with stock lighting...

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Here's a pic of the Zoas under the stock plus actinic lighting...

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Pic of the green stripe mushroom, Sexy Shrimp, and red mushroom under stock plus actinic lighting...

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Hello everyone, how are things in your CAD Lights' worlds?! I've been doing quite a bit with mine since I last posted. I now have life in the 8 gallon! :beer: See the video links below. I made a spontaneous day-trip to World Wide Corals in Orlando last Sunday (3.5 hrs each way...haha) after watching the YouTube vids of their display tanks the past few months I couldn't resist. Wow! Was I a kid in a candy store! I'm lucky I made it out of there with only about 15 purchases. lol Most were corals that went into the 8g, but I also got a Harlequin shrimp to go in the 4g along with the Pom Pom Crab and Sexy Shrimp. I plan to keep the feeder starfish for the Harlequin in my 24g Nanocube and cut off a leg at a time. We'll see how well that works out. I hope you enjoy each of the vids (be sure to watch in HD), and I look forward to hearing updates on everyone's tanks soon!

http://youtu.be/S-g_bTIznBw?hd=1

http://youtu.be/TX3bjzowUA8?hd=1

http://youtu.be/PHRQReFKqx8?hd=1

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Here is an FTS of the 8g

 

[eb8919]

Hey psycho, nice video comparing the colors of the stock and addition of the ecopico! I haven't updated in awhile but I just received my second ecopico strip today. My comparison may look a little different though. I ended up ordering a rapidled Par38 bulb to replace the stock lighting :rolleye1:. I've also added quite a bit of life in the last few weeks so I am due for a big update.

 

[kuro]

Same here, even though i don't have my own thread i'm going to mod up a very powerful led for this 8g nano, it actually on it way right now 70watt led for little tiny 8g nano lol which i have to dim it down a lot, i also place a skimmer aquaC remora which fit perfectly in the back and using the 1st and 2nd chamber for chaeto. I'm going to order a finnex 4g or something and use the cadlight led on it for zoa and NPS.

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Hey psycho, nice video comparing the colors of the stock and addition of the ecopico! I haven't updated in awhile but I just received my second ecopico strip today. My comparison may look a little different though. I ended up ordering a rapidled Par38 bulb to replace the stock lighting :rolleye1:. I've also added quite a bit of life in the last few weeks so I am due for a big update.

eb8919, please show some pics and/or vids of the setup with the PAR38!! What combination of LED's did you select for the PAR38? I am still researching possible alternatives to using 2 or 3 of the EcoPico strips for my 8 gallon. I've been looking at several options for plug n play from RapidLED. I'd like to find a way to create a fuller color spectrum, particularly by including LED's in the actinic range such as 420nm, etc.

 

[psychoanalyzer]

Same here, even though i don't have my own thread i'm going to mod up a very powerful led for this 8g nano, it actually on it way right now 70watt led for little tiny 8g nano lol which i have to dim it down a lot, i also place a skimmer aquaC remora which fit perfectly in the back and using the 1st and 2nd chamber for chaeto. I'm going to order a finnex 4g or something and use the cadlight led on it for zoa and NPS.

Kuro, would you add some pics of your current setup? Also, what are the details of the light you are planning to use?

 

[reefjunkie42]

I need to update mine as well

 

[kuro]

i went with the aquastyle 24 dimmable led, the owner was nice he didn't charge me extra for some of the expensive led. I went with 8 royal blue, 2 blue, 2 cyan, 4 45k, 4 10k, and 4 420 true violet, that should cover most of the spectrum I'm going to add some acan lord in the future and don't want them to lose their colors, also some sps corals. I won't be able to update till 2nd week of March to much final before spring break.

 

[eb8919]

I picked up the 7 bulb par38 from Rapidled with 80 degree optics. Mounted it in a sturdy desk lamp from Walmart. The lamp works great because it can swivel any which way at the bulb and can easily be raised or lowered. I also rigged some eggcrate on the lamp to mount two ecopico actinic strips. Here are some pics of the set up, quick fts and some coral :bounce1:

Pics taken with phone, will have to update with better pics soon,
Everything is going well in the tank. Algae cycles have cleared up with the exception of a little slime here and there. Have added a black ocellaris clown which will be moving into a 20 gallon frag tank with a mate soon. Also added a six line wrasse and a blood shrimp which will be the primary inhabitants. All are doing well. The six line took a dive the other day onto the cement while I was working on the tank but he recovered quickly.
Having some issues with certain zoas fully opening. Not sure if they are acclimating to the leds (they all came from less intense lighting). Some are doing great, others not so much. Have been checking for pests religiously but haven't found anything yet.

 

[eb8919]

I raised the light about 5 inches after posting the last update. A lot of the zoas have been opening up more and showing some color. Perhaps I under estimated the intensity of these leds? Most of the zoa frags I buy are from 2 bulb T5 tanks so I may have shocked them initially. Good to go now though . Lets see some more updates from everyone else! show off those FTS's.

 

[esshoes]

Does the 12 gallon count?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2108194

 

[esshoes]

Sorry double post

 

[eb8919]

Absolutely...we are only 4 gallons different

 

[kuro]

Here a little update with my cadlight, i was going to wait till next week to post because i order 6 acan lord that coming in the mail Tuesday. However i decided to post my setup for now though. I really want sps coral but i really don't know what my Phospate at, since my only monti coral seem to have STN.
I remove the stock light and got the aquastyle 24 led, never solder before but it work out nicely and hide all the wire in the project box. The light combo is 9royal blue, 2 normal blue, 2 cyan, 4 true violet, 3 4500k, 4 10k.



It dim down to about 20% and it still really really bright. Center has no optic only around the outside with 80degree optic.


I add a remora aquaC skimmer, I'm going to go heavy with sps coral in future and plan on vodka dosing if the phosphate goes up. I don't really want to use carbon/GFO.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

just found this thread lol..

well heres my 18g cadlight tank. has its pros and cons..
Equipments....
Ai sol nano W/ controller
Mp10 2nd gen
Tunze 9002
Mr1 shorty reactor
custom ATO
Batteried powered bubble maker incase of a outtage

Soon to have..
Custom 9x11x11 sump
eshopps 300 overflow
Replacement bearing for mp10
reglue magnet to skimmer
return stupid heater and get another one ( out of wack )
Getting a CuC
more livestock!

pros- glass is really nice and sleek.

cons- acrylic chambers? really? flaw design. but after using it for awhile water starts to leak in the cracks so the flow does not get into the chambers. lights are terrible, pump is OK..

since the chambers do not work i am force to remove the black acrylic piece and get a overflow and add a sump . well it'll look nicer with all the equipment gone and more space .

 

[kuro]

My cadlight 8 have the same problem with back wall, I think I'm going to remove it later and just use a aquaclear 70 for chaeto and skimmer.