Cadlights 50G Artisan Cube Tank Build Thread

Richard, thanks for the pics and the explanation. i thought it was the stock sump that came from cadlights. i figure that out after i posted the question. LOL

so you have a chiller? do you feel there's a need for a one in this setup?

So far i have all the plumbing done and just waiting for a fresh batch of live rock and sand. i'm picking up the cadlights sump tomorrow. i decided to go w/ the SWC 160 also. i like it. hopefully i can get it wet this weekend.

now on your baffle mod, you chose to raise the baffle to accomodate the SWC skimmer but you left the other side low. any reasons for keeping it low? i would like as much water in this sump so i was thinking of doing the same but raise the second baffle too to raise water volume in the refugium... what do you think? your cube is looking great btw.

han
 
hanchung said:
Richard, thanks for the pics and the explanation. i thought it was the stock sump that came from cadlights. i figure that out after i posted the question. LOL

so you have a chiller? do you feel there's a need for a one in this setup?

So far i have all the plumbing done and just waiting for a fresh batch of live rock and sand. i'm picking up the cadlights sump tomorrow. i decided to go w/ the SWC 160 also. i like it. hopefully i can get it wet this weekend.

now on your baffle mod, you chose to raise the baffle to accomodate the SWC skimmer but you left the other side low. any reasons for keeping it low? i would like as much water in this sump so i was thinking of doing the same but raise the second baffle too to raise water volume in the refugium... what do you think? your cube is looking great btw.

han
Click to expand...


Yeah I didn't have a chiller at first and the temps were doing fine but then there was a heat wave in LA in July and my air conditioning broke and I had a tank crash. After that I decided I needed a chiller. I think a chiller is a good back up even if it stays off pretty much all the time. I learned my lesson.:(

I was actually going to raise the left baffle as well (I got the glass cut and polished for it) but then I realized that it would make the water level in the return pump chamber go down faster which might end up with a dry running return pump. So I left it low and use my tunze osmolator to control the height in those chambers. I'm glad I did too because if I hadn't the osmolator would be turning on way too often (the pump is loud). Another reason I left it low is for better flow characteristics through the refugium. A lot of people don't realize how important flow is in a refugium which is why a lot of people have problems growing macroalgae. The water should flow through the algae and not around it. There are some other details of setting up a good refugium but I've already written quite a bit here.

Thanks for the questions! I like explaining my choices because I think over everything I do.:wavehand:
 
I completely understand and agree w/ you about creating more flow in the refugium section by keeping the 2nd baffle height lower than the 1st but don't quite follow you on the water level and running the return pump dry. aren't you less likely to run the pump dry if the water lever is higher?

oh... want to sell me that extra piece of glass you are not using? :D
 
hanchung said:
I completely understand and agree w/ you about creating more flow in the refugium section by keeping the 2nd baffle height lower than the 1st but don't quite follow you on the water level and running the return pump dry. aren't you less likely to run the pump dry if the water lever is higher?

oh... want to sell me that extra piece of glass you are not using? :D
Click to expand...


I keep the water level in the last two sections higher than that second baffle using my tunze osmolator. That way more volume of water must evaporate to decrease the water level in those two chambers because above the second baffle they are essentially a single section. If that doesn't make sense think about the footprint of the sections and then combine them. You can examine the water level in the pictures to get a better idea.

Where are you located? You can have that second piece of glass if you come out and get it. Haha.:thumbsup:
 
Sorry I see the picture and I see what you mean.
That would be awesome... I'm in downtown LA... Where are you? Depending on where you are I can swing by.

PM me if you can.
 
Felt like taking some macro shots. My camera isn't all that great.

I call these Psychedelic Kuos. I had them a long time ago but I lost my colony when I had an Alk spike. I finally found them again recently.
PsychedelicKuos1-1.jpg


Original Mummy Eye
OME1.jpg


Red Goniopora
Gonio1.jpg


Nuke Greens
NukeGreens1-1.jpg


Green Grandis
Grandis1.jpg


Orange Ricordea
Ric1.jpg
 
Thanks! But my red watermelon and bazooka joe aren't doing quite as well. The red watermelon keeps recessing then growing back again. It seems like it just likes being on my frag rack and not on the rocks. And the bazooka joe keeps browning out when I use d-d aquascape putty. It took me a while to figure out it didn't like the putty.
 
Every thing looks great Richard. That skim on your SWC looks jet black. What/how much are you feeding now?

I wonder how much my DSB makes a difference in my skimmate. I never seem to pull much from my 55g. I've tried several skimmers, including a H&S 90-F1000, a RS80 and an iTech 100, and all I seem to get is 1/2 cup of cider each day. Trying to dial my skimmers any dryer just makes them very inconsistent. If I had a SSB or a BB, I suspect my skim would be a lot darker...
 
Thanks Scott! I am not feeding too much. I just feed a couple pinches of Spectrum everyday and nori for the tang. I don't get much skim actually. That amount there is probably a couple days worth or even a weeks worth. I skim pretty dry. But tuning it took a long time and a lot of patience and attention. I realized that the foam head will collapse from time to time and not to adjust it when it does.

I used to think the inconsistency was bad now I realize that it is perfectly natural and to be expected. Since my skimmer is over sized it will sometimes run out of organics and thus the foam head will collapse.
 
I've been reading all of the Artisan threads because I am thinking of getting one instead of going custom. I am a little freaked out about having just one 1" drain though.

How happy are you with the overflow? I have half a mind to ask Cadlights to drill a second drain for me, if it would fit.
 
The 1" drain has been perfectly fine. My return flow is pretty slow though but I just do that for my filtration method. I don't think you have anything to worry about with the 1" drain. I am guessing you are worried that it might get clogged but as long as you do your plumbing right I don't see how it could get clogged. If you plan on putting a gate or ball valve on the drain then it could be problematic so I would just avoid that. As for getting them to drill another hole I am not sure if one would fit. They made the overflow footprint as small as they could to minimize intrusion into the tank.

So in short just don't use a valve or anything else that might obstruct flow on the drain and you won't have problems.
 
Sinful Aquatics said:
Nice fts Richard! What kind of fish do you have and what is your prized coral/frag?
Click to expand...

I have a purple tang, 2 balck and white perculas and I just got a lime green coris wrasse. And my most prized coral is hmmm... there's a lot haha. Well I guess if I had to choose it would be my psychedelic kuo acans. The colors on it just blow me away every time I see them. A close second would be my original mummy eye chalice which never gives me problems and has such a nice coloration to it. Plus the feeding tentacles at night are just awesome. I will have to try to take a picture of it one of these days.
 
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