CADlights 39g Pro build thread
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Cosmo^Kramer
New member
thanks Jaytizzle.I was also curious of the size because the sig series and pro uses the same skimmer.The skimmer section on the sig is 5 1/2 x 6 3/4 if anyones intrested.
snowriderz
New member
DANG that LED sure is bright!...whatever happened to the PFO website, i cant get any info on their lights anymore anyone have a clue?
California Crow
New member
It's been far too quiet here. Just wondering how everyone's doing with their 39g,
My build is slowly coming along... some really good points, some problems I didn't expect. Just in case anyone's thinking of going the same route I did, here's what's happening,
- my decision to go with a DSB in the display tank really seems to have paid off. When I ran my normal battery of tests over this past weekend, it showed no measurable nitrates. Keeping nitrates down had always been the biggest challenge with my previous tanks.
- I'd previously thought that I'd be happy with one Vortech MP20 in the tank. I've got some very current-hungry critters in the tank now, and I'm close to getting a second MP20, to place on the opposite tank side. With the two of them running on random flow settings, I should get some really chaotic flow in there.
- I've been slowly increasing my MH photoperiod, and I'm starting to see a larger temp swing than I'd like. The cooling fan is OK for now, but summers here in Sacramento can hit over 110deg, and even with air conditioning the ambient temp in the tank room will be a good 10 deg higher than it is now, so I see the need to add a chiller fairly soon. I have a 1/8hp Teco I can plumb into the return line, which should work well (and provide UV steralization as well). The increased head will mean upsizing the return pump, though. I'm thinking Oceanrunner 3500. (the stock pump would probably work, too, but I'm using that now to mix stored saltwater)
The EuroReef skimmer is well worth adding. I don't think anything out there can beat it in terms of cost vs performance.
I know a lot of folks questioned whether the 150w MH was enough light. I'm not keeping any SPS, but I do have a good-sized h. magnifica, which is home to my two percs, and it needs some pretty intense light. I constructed a nice shelf for it about 6 diagonal inches away from the MP20 and approx 18" from the MH. It's not moved from that spot in over a month, so it's clearly happy with both lighting and flow.
More later... I'm supposed to be hard at work.
CC
My build is slowly coming along... some really good points, some problems I didn't expect. Just in case anyone's thinking of going the same route I did, here's what's happening,
- my decision to go with a DSB in the display tank really seems to have paid off. When I ran my normal battery of tests over this past weekend, it showed no measurable nitrates. Keeping nitrates down had always been the biggest challenge with my previous tanks.
- I'd previously thought that I'd be happy with one Vortech MP20 in the tank. I've got some very current-hungry critters in the tank now, and I'm close to getting a second MP20, to place on the opposite tank side. With the two of them running on random flow settings, I should get some really chaotic flow in there.
- I've been slowly increasing my MH photoperiod, and I'm starting to see a larger temp swing than I'd like. The cooling fan is OK for now, but summers here in Sacramento can hit over 110deg, and even with air conditioning the ambient temp in the tank room will be a good 10 deg higher than it is now, so I see the need to add a chiller fairly soon. I have a 1/8hp Teco I can plumb into the return line, which should work well (and provide UV steralization as well). The increased head will mean upsizing the return pump, though. I'm thinking Oceanrunner 3500. (the stock pump would probably work, too, but I'm using that now to mix stored saltwater)
The EuroReef skimmer is well worth adding. I don't think anything out there can beat it in terms of cost vs performance.
I know a lot of folks questioned whether the 150w MH was enough light. I'm not keeping any SPS, but I do have a good-sized h. magnifica, which is home to my two percs, and it needs some pretty intense light. I constructed a nice shelf for it about 6 diagonal inches away from the MP20 and approx 18" from the MH. It's not moved from that spot in over a month, so it's clearly happy with both lighting and flow.
More later... I'm supposed to be hard at work.
CC
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14627757#post14627757 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by California Crow
It's been far too quiet here. Just wondering how everyone's doing with their 39g,
The EuroReef skimmer is well worth adding. I don't think anything out there can beat it in terms of cost vs performance.
More later... I'm supposed to be hard at work.
CC
Have you pulled the mesh wheels from your Euro-Reef and checked them? Mine are disintegrating after only a month - one had only a few threads left from the original disk. Reminded me of my hairline...
Will post picture this evening - I'm at work, if not hard at work.
California Crow
New member
I've not checked the mesh wheels yet. I probably should, just to be safe, but it's producing such a huge amount of fine bubbles that i assume things are OK. I'll put that on the 'to do' list, but that keeps growing and growing. The next thing I really need to do is set up the osmolator as an ato/kalkwasser drip. I have all the parts sitting by the tank... just need the time. Hopefully this weekend.
CC
CC
I heard a grinding sound with my ER and pulled it out to check it. Upon inspection, I could find nothing wrong, so I just washed everything up and put it all back together. My mesh wheels seemed to be well made but I guess that I should pull them out and take another look this weekend. It has been about a month now...
I have checked my mesh wheels in cleaning them. I have not had any problems with them. I think I had the first Euro Reef Nano skimmer for this tank, so my skimmer has probably seen the longest period of action. It continues to impress. Just no comparison to the the other skimmers I tried on this tank.
Question on the Vortech: I am running a Tunze 6025 (modified) on one side and a Tunze 6045 on the the other. How much more flow is the MP20 pushing compared to these 2. What other advantages do you see with the MP20. I have the Tunze's attached to the back of the tank not quite 2/3 up from the bottom. It comes pretty close to pushing water out of the tank when the flow hits the front glass. I've worried that the MP20 would be too much (either create sand storms on the bottom or a wave that would overflow on the front). Whats your experience? 2 MP20's just sounds like a ton of flow potentially.
Question on the Vortech: I am running a Tunze 6025 (modified) on one side and a Tunze 6045 on the the other. How much more flow is the MP20 pushing compared to these 2. What other advantages do you see with the MP20. I have the Tunze's attached to the back of the tank not quite 2/3 up from the bottom. It comes pretty close to pushing water out of the tank when the flow hits the front glass. I've worried that the MP20 would be too much (either create sand storms on the bottom or a wave that would overflow on the front). Whats your experience? 2 MP20's just sounds like a ton of flow potentially.
California Crow
New member
I'm not sure I can give a valid Tunze/Vortech comparison without installing them side by side. I did have a pair of big streams on my 110 a few years ago, so I have a fairly good memory of what they did. I like the Vortech a lot better. It seems to produce a wider flow, takes up less space in the tank, and since the driver is external, it adds no heat to the tank.
I don't think the Vortech would be effective running a back to front pattern. The one I have now is on the left side glass, toward the front, about 1/3 of the distance from the top rim. It seems to be ideal for both my anemone and a big gorgonian I added a few days ago. If I add a second one, I'll place it on the right side, towards the rear and lower down. Since it'll be closer to the sand bed, I expect I'd need to throttle it down a bit.
The MP20 is definitely not overkill. I have fairly fine sand... mostly .1mm or smaller, and the MP20 full on doesn't move the sand for me. It does, however, do a really good job of kicking detritus off the bed, rocks, and anything in the way.
CC
I don't think the Vortech would be effective running a back to front pattern. The one I have now is on the left side glass, toward the front, about 1/3 of the distance from the top rim. It seems to be ideal for both my anemone and a big gorgonian I added a few days ago. If I add a second one, I'll place it on the right side, towards the rear and lower down. Since it'll be closer to the sand bed, I expect I'd need to throttle it down a bit.
The MP20 is definitely not overkill. I have fairly fine sand... mostly .1mm or smaller, and the MP20 full on doesn't move the sand for me. It does, however, do a really good job of kicking detritus off the bed, rocks, and anything in the way.
CC
I too am keeping almost all SPS in this tank. I had a Ushio 20k in there with the stock actinics.
I just changed the MH to a ReefOptics 14k. I have to say that, so far, I really like this bulb. It doesn't hurt that I picked the bulb up from the company owner's house, but it is a very good color. I thought that the Phoenix (which was my other choice) would be too blue and I am very glad that I went with the ReefOptics.
Also, I am about to change the T5's to a 454 and a Super Actinic. Thoughts?
I just changed the MH to a ReefOptics 14k. I have to say that, so far, I really like this bulb. It doesn't hurt that I picked the bulb up from the company owner's house, but it is a very good color. I thought that the Phoenix (which was my other choice) would be too blue and I am very glad that I went with the ReefOptics.
Also, I am about to change the T5's to a 454 and a Super Actinic. Thoughts?
Crow. I have an mp40 and I have sps. I'm telling you it's more than enough. There is a huge diffrence between the 20 and 40. I would try that upgrade out before I got another vortech. I also have a euroreef and it's doing amazing for the last 2 months. I am going to start a build thread soon and I'll make sure and put the link in here
Euro-Reef meshwheels
Euro-Reef meshwheels
As noted above, one of the meshwheels came apart on my new Euro-Reef nano and I had to return it.
When the replacements came, I pulled the installed meshwheels and found this
Top wheel is new, left is a month old, right is two months old.
The wheel that had been in for two months had basically no mesh left. The one that had been in less than a month (one of the smaller optional wheels that I used to replace the one that came unglued) was already showing considerable erosion around the outer edges.
I'm not running an acidic discus tank or anything else chemically weird, so it looks to me like the metallic meshwheels in the E-R nanos don't hold up well at all. And I don't know what kind of metal is getting into my tank.
I'd be interested to know if anybody is having similar issues. Especially if you still find your skimmer is doing a good job - maybe the mesh is superfluous and all we need is the plastic mount
Euro-Reef meshwheels
As noted above, one of the meshwheels came apart on my new Euro-Reef nano and I had to return it.
When the replacements came, I pulled the installed meshwheels and found this
Top wheel is new, left is a month old, right is two months old.
The wheel that had been in for two months had basically no mesh left. The one that had been in less than a month (one of the smaller optional wheels that I used to replace the one that came unglued) was already showing considerable erosion around the outer edges.
I'm not running an acidic discus tank or anything else chemically weird, so it looks to me like the metallic meshwheels in the E-R nanos don't hold up well at all. And I don't know what kind of metal is getting into my tank.
I'd be interested to know if anybody is having similar issues. Especially if you still find your skimmer is doing a good job - maybe the mesh is superfluous and all we need is the plastic mount
Melted the cooling fan
Melted the cooling fan
Was working on the tank yesterday and slid the light fixture back so I could get my hands into the tank. Didn't move the fixture forward again when I was done.
MH melted the cooling fan... Found out it is an Azoo unit. Available for under $30 from F&S and other vendors.
Melted the cooling fan
Was working on the tank yesterday and slid the light fixture back so I could get my hands into the tank. Didn't move the fixture forward again when I was done.
MH melted the cooling fan... Found out it is an Azoo unit. Available for under $30 from F&S and other vendors.
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