CADlights 39g Pro build thread

[reeftivo]

check the equipment forum because there maybe a cad owner out there that upgaded to LEDs and would sell the newer cad fixture to you for a good price.

I run my lights through my Aquacontroller and I run a 10 hour cycle.
2 hrs actinics/ 8 hrs halide. My moonlights are always on.

My actinics come on at 11:00am, then the halides at 12:00 noon. Then my halides are out at 8:00pm and the actinics go off at 9:00pm.

It's a bit of a late cycle, but it works for my schedule and the animals don't seem to mind.

 

[meinestrasse]

check the equipment forum because there maybe a cad owner out there that upgaded to LEDs and would sell the newer cad fixture to you for a good price.

I've got one. Brand new. Never used. PM me if interested.

 

[reeftivo]

sweet! I'll pm him if you haven't already.

Thanks

BTW, Hows the tank coming meinestrasse?

I've had a bit of a set back and lost two corals due to my own stupidity. I used too much zeolites after an exchange and before I could rectify the problem, RTN set in on my birdsnest and one of my branching monti's. Everything else in the tank is primo. I will post pics this summer but prefer to wait a while because I want to show everyone the growth difference now that I'm a zeovit user.

My acros have taken off and honestly, I kind of regret getting the monti caps for such a small tank because they grow way too fast. Mine have more than tripled in size after only a matter of a few months and now I have to cut them back because of the spreading platelike growth pattern. Cutting back caps sucks because they always look like @#ap for weeks until they recover.

Anyways, couldn't be happier with my Cadlights 39. I am however getting the itch back for my wall build or maybe a 125 again.

if anyone on this thread wants or knows of someone who could use a gen 2 BK 160 mini skimmer let me know, otherwise I'm going to put it up on the equipment thread.

Happy Reefing!

Tivo

 

[meinestrasse]

sweet! I'll pm him if you haven't already.

Thanks

BTW, Hows the tank coming meinestrasse?

Tivo

Still empty. Waiting for the right time to finish it up. Between the high heat index here is South Florida (too hot/humid to work in the garage), two screaming kids and a bunch of long-term family visitors in our guest bedroom (where the tank will be), I've had to put the project on hold. Plus I'm saving up for one or two AI pendants and a Vortech or two because I know I'm going to have heat issues otherwise (we keep the house at 75 degrees all year round). I'm sending the wife and kids (without me) to Canada in late July for a week to visit family, so that is when I'll pick back up again.

I was in touch with coolcorals about a month or so ago about possibly purchasing the new stock lighting I have, but I haven't PM'd him recently. Lighting is still in original box and wrapper. I think he was going to try replacing the ballast or something at that time, but it appears from recent postings that he's still got heat problems.

 

[reeftivo]

Still empty. Waiting for the right time to finish it up. Between the high heat index here is South Florida (too hot/humid to work in the garage), two screaming kids and a bunch of long-term family visitors in our guest bedroom (where the tank will be), I've had to put the project on hold. Plus I'm saving up for one or two AI pendants and a Vortech or two because I know I'm going to have heat issues otherwise (we keep the house at 75 degrees all year round). I'm sending the wife and kids (without me) to Canada in late July for a week to visit family, so that is when I'll pick back up again.

I was in touch with coolcorals about a month or so ago about possibly purchasing the new stock lighting I have, but I haven't PM'd him recently. Lighting is still in original box and wrapper. I think he was going to try replacing the ballast or something at that time, but it appears from recent postings that he's still got heat problems.

WOW! Florida humidity? OUCH! I feel your pain.

 

[timdanger]

I have a question for timdanger, I see that you have the BRS dual reactor. I noticed the amount of carbon and GFO in the pic. How much do you use? I may be using way too much. I'm using about 15 tbs of each. At first I used less and then half of that but now I use 15 tbs. This is how it looked once I installed it in.

Hey, sorry I didn't see this posted until just now.

As far as how much carbon I use, I'm just going by the calculator that they provide on BRS's website. I estimate that my system's water volume is approximately 40g (convenient for calculations!). As such, it suggests 4 tbsp of the Rox 0.8 carbon, so that's how much i'm using. however, you may require more or less, depending on your tank and the type of carbon you're using (e.g. for Lignite carbon, they recommend 6tbsp for the same volume of water).

While i'm certainly not stuck on any number that calculator gives me, I haven't seen a need to add more.

 

[schnitm]

Been up and running for about 10 days now. Time to post a few pics:

The concept is "Arm Chair Scuba." It actually hangs over the arm of the couch a bit.

Here's a better shot of that...

The light is from 39 Cree LEDs (15 XPG cool white and 24 XRE royal blue). 36" above the top of the tank and focused with narrow lenses and baffels so that almost no light spills outside of the tank. You can lay on the couch next to the tank looking up at the light. Not al all bright that way, but very bright in the tank.

The blue alone is AMAZING! I have never seen coral "pop" like this. Can't get a decent pic that does it justice. Literally, the water is as blue as Windex.

Last thing about the light. THe beam is so linear that the fish cast a shadow, even if they're 12 inches up from the bottom.

 

[marinetankdiver]

Beautiful, schnitm! Cant wait to watch it mature.

Do you have any build pics of your light?

 

[rcasey2u]

Nice setup! I have a 39 G on order. Where did you get the glass top? I was thinking of building a mesh top, but I think the glass looks cleaner.

 

[marinetankdiver]

At least as of a few months ago the glass top was still included with the 39g. Though it won't prevent jumpers because the glass doesn't go all the way to the back of the tank.

I remember reading earlier in the thread that it is the glass that was originally designed for the all-in-one tank.

 

[schnitm]

Beautiful, schnitm! Cant wait to watch it mature.

Do you have any build pics of your light?

It's made from 6 of these units strung together.

The spot it produces:

I've got some better pics. I'll post them later.

About the glass top...I don't like it. It's always smeared or fogged. Ruins the effect. I'm building a mesh top.

 

[reeftivo]

nice work!

Looks great!

How do you get your cabinet doors open to access the sump?

Did you reverse the top of the stand so that access is from the back?

OR!!

After looking closer, it appears that you may have just used the bottom piece for the underside of the tank and made your own stand.

Tivo

 

[schnitm]

nice work!

Looks great!

How do you get your cabinet doors open to access the sump?

Did you reverse the top of the stand so that access is from the back?

OR!!

After looking closer, it appears that you may have just used the bottom piece for the underside of the tank and made your own stand.

Tivo

I made my own stand out of a "desk" from World Market. It's 20" x 36" x 30" tall. The doors come completely open and off for access. I made the top piece that the tank sits on and, yes, the doors are opposite the couch. The oversized cabinet is very nice! Got a 24" long sump in there, all the electrical connections for a ReefKeeper Elite system, and the LED ballasts, etc.

 

[reeftivo]

Ah Ha!

I see now! Very Nice looking cabinet!!

From the pic, the cabinet almost looks like a shadow to the right of the tank.

Thats why I didn't notice it at first.

Great job buddy!!

Does the cree lighting bother you if you sit close to the end of the sofa? It looks like if you're close to the tank it would be pretty bright if you glanced up.

Oh heck, don't listen to me, I'm just jealous and trying to find some negatives about such a nice set up. LOLOL!!

Wish I had room to do something like that.

Again, Great job!

Note on the CAD 39 tanks; I am so impressed with how my tank won't scratch. I've had mine a year and have had LR smack the sides, plenty of sand in the cleaning magnet at times and still, no scratches.

The best glass tank I've owned so far, and I've owned a few during my 45+ years on the planet.

Tivo

 

[stanger50lx92]

CADlights 39g Pro build thread

Hey guys I have had my CAD 39g pro up and running since April and was wondering about hanging the lights it comes with. I have seen the set up they sell on the CAD website and I think $130 is a bit much for the kit to hang the light. I was wondering if there might be someone who has bought something from lows or home depot that has made it a hanging tree? I've been looking all over the diy section and nothing.
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks in advance
Freddy

 

[schnitm]

Does the cree lighting bother you if you sit close to the end of the sofa? It looks like if you're close to the tank it would be pretty bright if you glanced up.

Not at all. The lenses get almost all of the light into the tank. Put some paper on top of the tank so you can see it. The front line of the bright spot (left side of pic) is about 2" inside the tank. There's just a tiny bit of blue that gets out.

 

[reeftivo]

You may want to search for conduit mounted lighting.

I've seen several posts for mods where they have had conduit from HD or Lowes bent at the store and used standard conduit brackets mounted to the rear of the cabinet.

here's one, but I like two extending forward over the tank as opposed to this side winder look.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-04/diy/index.php

 

[stanger50lx92]

CADlights 39g Pro build thread

TiVo, thanks a million! This sounds great! I'm going to do this but I would do two 90* and attach them from behind, paint black. That was exactly what I was looking for, thank you so much!
Freddy

 

[timdanger]

Note on the CAD 39 tanks; I am so impressed with how my tank won't scratch. I've had mine a year and have had LR smack the sides, plenty of sand in the cleaning magnet at times and still, no scratches.

The best glass tank I've owned so far, and I've owned a few during my 45+ years on the planet.

Tivo

I do like the glass, but I haven't been so lucky with not scratching it. There is some kind of black magnetic "debris" that tends to accumulate every now and then on my Nimble Nano magnet cleaner (any theories on what this could be?), and I have ended up with a few scratches on the glass because of it. Of course, I think this is not so much about the glass as it is about being careful with magnet-style cleaners.

 

[reeftivo]

I do like the glass, but I haven't been so lucky with not scratching it. There is some kind of black magnetic "debris" that tends to accumulate every now and then on my Nimble Nano magnet cleaner (any theories on what this could be?), and I have ended up with a few scratches on the glass because of it. Of course, I think this is not so much about the glass as it is about being careful with magnet-style cleaners.

Do you leave your magnet attached in the aquarium?

If so it's most likely iron.

Take it out and rinse it each time and put some paper towel between the two pieces. I know it's a pain but iron will collect slowly on magnets from wear and tear components in the aquarium and even from dust outside the aquarium. Better safe than sorry:beer:

Tivo