CADlights 39g Pro build thread

[ArtC]

I just got a CAD 39g Pro (w/sump), and it's a nice system. Nice tank, nice lights, nice cabinet.

But the only instructions provided are for the wrong model cabinet - none for the tank itself. Not missing, just not written yet.

It's taken some back and forth between me, OceanReeflections.com, and CADlights to sort things out.

So I'm starting a thread for those who follow after.

I'll post in three parts: the cabinet, the lights, and the plumbing.

The cabinet directions will go up tomorrow (once I squeeze the PDF down to the attachment maximum.)

OceanReeflections has been a lot of help. But Ken has been a bit stretched by the calls on CAD systems. If anybody could put together a build thread for any other CAD systems, I'm sure both he and the buyers would appreciate it.

 

[Cfused]

Thanks - that would be awesome!

What kind of problems did you have when ordering the system?

 

[ArtC]

CAD 39g Pro cabinet assembly

CAD 39g Pro cabinet assembly

The cabinet instructions provided with the Pro are actually for the somewhat different model Signature cabinet.

The attachment is the cleaned up Pro instructions

 

[ArtC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13366897#post13366897 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Cfused
Thanks - that would be awesome!

What kind of problems did you have when ordering the system?

Well, the tanks are built in batches so I had to wait. But OceanReeflections told me the date and it arrived on time.

Two bits of damage: a glass cover hanger (S-shaped bit of acrylic) was replaced, and a skimmer leg was reglued (it was a good seam - the sheet broke rather than the seam.)

So I was content with the buying.

 

[snowriderz]

OOOH awesome Art! i love this system and cant wait to see some pics after you set it up. i have the Signature with the black cabinet. which color cabinet did you choose?

FINALLY someone does a thread for the Professional system, been waiting see some in depth review of them.

 

[ArtC]

Installing the CAD 39g light

Installing the CAD 39g light

There's one 150W HQI, two T-5s, and two LEDs (the middle spots on either side of the HQI)

Hold the clear plastic leg so that they curve out to the sides

and slide the feet into the C-channels in the light fixture.

Now remove the protective white plastic tape over the lenses of the T-5s.
It's a lot easier if you remove the lenses themselves.
The lenses are flexible, so just lift the end of the lens over the aluminum tab and pull the lens out.
Clean off the tape and slide the lense back in.
The remaining white end tab is permanent and doesn't block the T-5.

CADlights provides a cable kit for suspending the light and legs for mounting it on the tank. I used the legs.
Take the light and place it over the tank so that one leg spans the edge of the tank.
Make sure you keep a good grasp on the light.
The legs are pretty stable, but you don't want to drop the light
through the bottom of the tank :eek1:
Slide the other leg until it spans the other side of the tank.
Then fool around with both until the light is centered.
The light is perfectly stable once set up.

You want the light forward of the overflow.

 

[ArtC]

CADlights 39 Pro cabinet

CADlights 39 Pro cabinet

I think the cabinet for the Pro only comes in black, because a sump goes inside and that would be tough on cherry wood.

It's some kind of tough black finish which ought to hold up well.

No shelves because of the sump, and a cutout for the plumbing.

 

[ArtC]

Cabinet assembly PDF

Cabinet assembly PDF

The instructions CADlight has are for the Signature, not the Pro. Both parts and steps are different for the Pro, so here are some that worked for me.

I'm not sure why the diagram wasn't attached to my last post on the subject, so I'll try again.

It's 76KB, so it ought to be OK and I didn't get an error last time.

 

[ArtC]

39G Pro cabinet

39G Pro cabinet

Ken at OceanReeflections corrects me - there is a cherry version of the Pro cabinet. I missed that when ordering, but I probably would have gone black anyway. This finish, but with the layout of the previous picture.

 

[Cfused]

Are you able to fit the sump in the cherry version? Or is that picture just to show the color of the stand?

Also, just wondering about how much did it cost to ship everything?

 

[madimod]

any sump pics ?

 

[ArtC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13373547#post13373547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Cfused
Are you able to fit the sump in the cherry version? Or is that picture just to show the color of the stand?

Also, just wondering about how much did it cost to ship everything?

Just showing the color. Externally, the Pro and Signature cabinets are the same, and of course the dimensions of the black and cherry cabinets are the same. No shelves in the Pro cabinet, but that's hard to see in the picture I posted.

Shipping is three boxes, two of them heavy. So it's going to depend where you live. I think it was around $100 for me. Ask
www.oceanreeflections.com

 

[ArtC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13374878#post13374878 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by madimod
any sump pics ?

Still working on the plumbing assembly. Hopefully I'll post that before Monday.

 

[snowriderz]

from what Eddie told me from Cadlights. the Cherry cabinet will be altered for you to fit the sump and plumbing lines but you have to order the cabinet with the tank together so that they can do the cut-outs for you.

NICE instructions art and the pics look awesome.

did all the equipment fit in the cabinet ok? thats alot of stuff they give you.

 

[Cfused]

Great instructions so far - Keep it up! I think I'm sold on getting the CAD 39G Pro!!

Couple questions:

Is the tank 39G including the sump or is it a 39G tank plus the 9G sump?

Also, is there anything that you plan on modding?

 

[ArtC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13376493#post13376493 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Cfused
Great instructions so far - Keep it up! I think I'm sold on getting the CAD 39G Pro!!

Couple questions:

Is the tank 39G including the sump or is it a 39G tank plus the 9G sump?

Also, is there anything that you plan on modding?

General specs at http://www.cadlights.com

but I'm pretty sure that the 39G refers to the tank volume on both models.

Tired of modding - I hope not, but will see after it is running.

The refugium part of the sump looks small, but if you think about it most of the sump and the overflow serve as refugium for at least some bugs.

 

[DeepReefExotics]

I got one of the very first 39g PROS and man was it a horrible experiance. No instructions on the stand so that was a nice little surprise all on its own.

The sump i got with mine was a modded 10g and also by far the worse sump ive owned (all the outflows of the 3 chambers were at the same level so bubbles just flowed straight into the return). All that i was told was "just put some filter floss and it will stop". The skimmer was also impossible to adjust (rio pump flow valve to adjust the output :/) since the pump was too powerful and it would constantly overflow.

I ended up having to have another custom sump made with an actual bubble trap and varying levels and buy a real skimmer (tunze 9010).

I personally would not buy another CAD after all the work i had to go through without any directions to get that tank up and then spend money to get a real sump with a bubble trap and real skimmer and pump. My redsea was cheaper, works better and was cheaper to mod than the 39g.

PS only thing i will say is the stand and actual tank are very nice.

 

[ArtC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13377767#post13377767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DeepReefExotics
I got one of the very first 39g PROS and man was it a horrible experiance. No instructions on the stand so that was a nice little surprise all on its own.

The sump i got with mine was a modded 10g and also by far the worse sump ive owned (all the outflows of the 3 chambers were at the same level so bubbles just flowed straight into the return). All that i was told was "just put some filter floss and it will stop". The skimmer was also impossible to adjust (rio pump flow valve to adjust the output :/) since the pump was too powerful and it would constantly overflow.

I ended up having to have another custom sump made with an actual bubble trap and varying levels and buy a real skimmer (tunze 9010).

I personally would not buy another CAD after all the work i had to go through without any directions to get that tank up and then spend money to get a real sump with a bubble trap and real skimmer and pump. My redsea was cheaper, works better and was cheaper to mod than the 39g.

PS only thing i will say is the stand and actual tank are very nice.

CAD has switched to making its own sumps from scratch. I've seen pictures of the older ones that were standard 10g with black frame. The new sumps are frameless glass.

The bubble chamber in the new sump gets filled with bioballs. I haven't finished the plumbing so I can't say how that works.

Haven't hooked up the skimmer so I don't know about that either. If it comes to that, there are lots of nice skimmers to choose from.

The 'no instructions', 'no pictures' is what really annoyed me. Nobody who is serious enough to buy a system like this wants to be guessing whether they put it together right. But talking to CAD, it seemed Eddie knows the systems so well that he had as much trouble describing how to assemble one as we would describing how to drive a car. But I didn't know what I was doing, and therefore I got the job :lol:

I'll remember to list all the components in case CAD does any changes to the pumps and such.

Nice tank, nice cabinet, and nice light. That I can work with, and hopefully the tweaks won't be major.

 

[snowriderz]

do you have any close up pics of the new sump? my Signature series had instructions with it, but either way if you call or email them at CAD someone picks up the phone and help all the time and they are very helpful too.

Eddie knows all the tanks inside out and anything you ask him he will take the time to help.

i definitely love the skimmer though, it pulls out an enormous amount of skimmate every 4 days. by far the strongest one i have used. it came with the valve but i never touched it because CAD said that the skimmers are all pre-adjusted and the valve is not necessary to adjust. its just there as an emergency.

 

[ArtC]

Sump layout

Sump layout

Diagram - scale approximate

Photo -orientation as recommended by CADlights (pump on right side, skimmer on left)

Skimmer/bubble chamber

Picture of the useless cover. Early custom-built sumps have a pair of acrylic cover sheets cut for a hose to pass through and glass mounting rails on either side of the skimmer/bioball chamber. Don't pull your hair out - there is no use for either cover or rails in the 39G Pro (per CADlights.) Blue tape for visibility.