My New 22g CadLights Reef Build

[coloagro]

Soooo I just visited my good friend in Phoenix and helped him with his beautiful 90g Reef and officially got bit with the reef bug and have gotten back into my beloved hobby! I actually introduced my buddy to reefing back in 2000 but over the past 12 years technology has changed dramatically since then! I had a very successful 55g with 20g sump that held mainly Softies, Zoo's and LPS and one Gorgonia Fan. This time around I'm going small due to my current lack of owning my own home and the possibility of moving in the future.

Today based on several recommendations, I went to Elite Reef and talked with Heather..the amazing owner of Elite. They had a 5 month old CADLights AIO 22g LED Super Output tank with large built-in refugium that caught my eye...mainly because of the amazing LED fixture. We talked about going with an 16g Innovative Technologies New setup but was slightly worried about the lighting & size. Needless to say, she offered me a SMOKIN DEAL on the CADLights setup w/ LED Light and I couldnt resist. Thanks Heather!!!!

So here it is! Its dirty but will be cleaned ASAP and once I get the stand from CadLights she'll see a whole new reef! I intend on using this thread not only for sharing but for questions and to document this wonderful journey we call Reef Aquaria!


Here is my plan for the Mixed Reef Tank ( LPS,Zoo's,SPS):


Equipment:
Current Setup as of 7/31/12
22g CadLights Nano All-In One with black stand
New 45W Full length LED light system with remote control (light output @13000 LUX/Fc. at 6", equivalent to 150W HQI.
2 Ecoxotic 12.5 Inch Stunner 6W 453nm Blue LED Strip for Dawn/Dusk on Timer
1 Ecoxotic 24" Stunner 12w Magenta & 453nm for Dawn/Dusk on Timer
4w CAD LED for Fuge
1 Vortech MP10
Rio 1100 382 gph Updated Return with dual Loc-Line Return Nozzles -
150W Via Aqua Titanium Heater
Reefkeeper Lite w/ 2 PC4's
SL1 & MLC Modules ( PH , iTemp & Moonlights )


Mechanical Filtration---------------
1 CPR Aero Skimmer Hang on Back
1 Filter Floss
1 Bag of BRS Rox Carbon
1 Bag of Purigen
All bags sit on custom made egg crate shelves in chamber 1 & 2

Dosing ---------------
Brightwells A & B (Calcium/Alk) 5ml or 1 cap every other day
B-Ionic Magnesium 5ml or 1 cap as needed

Testing ---------------
API Reef & Marine Test Kits
Hanna Alk Checker
Hanna PO4 Checker

Water Supply-----------------

BRS 75 gpd RO/DI 5 Stage Chloramines Plus system
2 Main 15g Water Storage Containers ( Salt & RO )
4 6g storage containers



Livestock/ Live Rock: Updated: 7/31/12

20lbs of Live Rock (Seeded Dry Shelf Rock & Manado )
Fuge with Cheato,Rubble and whatever else I come up with
CUC
Zoas:
Watermelon Zoas
Pink Zippers
Lg Colony of Cat Eyes
Purple Haze
Perty No Name Blue Zoas
LPS & Softies
3 headed duncan
3 headed Joker Acan
Lg Green Goniopora
Sm Blue Goniopora
Beautiful purple & green tipped Galaxia
Green & Purple Favia
Inverts:
Lg Hawaiian Feather Duster
Red Scarlett Crab
Blue Legs
Variety of Snails


Fish
Red Flame Hawk ( Ol Crazy Eyes )
Mated Pair of black and white ocellaris clownfish



Let me know what you think! I've promised myself to diligently document this build unlike last time! Thanks everyone and special thanks to Elite Reef, Marine Depot and CADLights for the Top Notch customer service!

Here is the dirty tank awaiting a scrub down!
View attachment 4195 View attachment 4196 View attachment 4197 View attachment 4198 View attachment 4199

 

[chrislorentz]

good Idea I had. thought you would like those tanks.

 

[Cake_Boss]

From what I read, 700gph is the "right" flow for the fug. I have no idea on that number since I can't measure water flow through a specific area.

LR, I usually get some locally. Whenever someone prices it at $1-$2/lbs. I'm cheap that way.

 

[cdrewferd]

I was wondering where that tank went. Can't wait to see more pics.


Drew

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[coloagro]

Ordered the 22g Cadlights black stand from CADLights...lets hope it arrives in good condition. Apparently they dont pack stuff very well and the shipping company...most likely UPS handles their cargo like a bunch of gorillas. Next a nice bleach scrub down and complete wash out. Any good local LFS for colorful LR that isnt ridiculous in price? Or does anyone have 15-20 lbs of nice LR thats for sale? I prefer uncured LR but some nice stuff from an established tank would be good too. Lemme know!

 

[bsharpe]

I just put out a post about this tank, it is really great looking the glass is amazing. Jealous.

 

[coloagro]

Just placed an order at Marine Depot and may have just got everything in one buy! I talked to Andrew @ CAD Lights and the stand should be here by Thurs at the latest and this new order will probably arrive before then!! New Toyz & Marine Depot is always on top of their Sh$%$..my orders are on their way already.

1 Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Liquid Master Test Kit
1 Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Reef Master Test Kit
1 Eheim Jager TruTemp 100 Watt Fully
1 EcoTech Marine MP10 Vortech Propeller Pump w/ EcoSMART Driver ( I TOOK THE PLUNGE...DAMN BONUS CHECKS ) )
1 Mag-Float 30 Magnet Cleaner (Glass) - Small (up to 30gal)
1 Hanna Instruments Checker pH Pen
1 Tunze Nano DOC Protein Skimmer 9002
2 Ecoxotic 12.5 Inch Stunner 6W 453nm Blue LED Strip ( Wanted Dawn To Dusk on my CAD Lights LED)

-----
MediaBaskets.com

1. SteveT InTank Skinny Skimmer Cup for the Tunze 9002
2. They stopped making the Media Rack for the 22gCAD :-(

Does anyone by chance have one of these custom media racks for the 22g Cad? Its rare I guess.... See Ya'll at the meeting!


Thanks Everyone!

 

[smellslikeTUNA]

Nice lists, you'll dig the 453 stunners

 

[coloagro]

Picked up a ton of odds and ends including 2 nearly full gallon size B-Ionic A&B, More Test Kits, 1/2 bucket of Kent Marine Salt, KM Kalkwasser powder, Disease Treatments for ick etc, Lugo's solution, Old Hagen Master Test Kit, Trace Elements Iodine, Mag etc. Got the tank soaking in bleach to kill the aptasia and Nudi branches that were in the old tank. Got all those Odds & Ends from a local retired reefer here in Denver for only $25!!!!! Smokin Deal #2!

Cadlights stand and Marine Depot orders are on their way prob Thursday or Friday ))

 

[cdrewferd]

Wow. That's quite the list from MD, then the odds and ends. Should be an amazing tank once setup.

 

[coloagro]

MD was the pricey stuff...I got the entire list of odds & ends for $25 from some guy locally who tore down his tank! Great timing!

 

[Cake_Boss]

Careful with the old test kits, they can be of it out of date or caps didn't get sealed right.

 

[coloagro]

Absolutely! I have all new kits on their way. I'll test the old ones with the new ones to see if their worth anything!

 

[coloagro]

Alrighty!! Just a little update! First....Lets Go Broncos~!~! Now that I got that out of the way I've been vigorously cleaning the tank out today and am now running a leak test on the tank. So far so good I think. The tank had a very minor leak in the back left corner that was fixed by Elite Reef when they got it from Cad so I'm making sure everything is still sealed perfectly! I received all my shipments on Friday including the stand from CADLights....and would believe it...its not broken or damaged ;-) Their CS has been pretty good up till this point however they still do not put instructions in their stand sets which is ridiculous so I had to call to get the instructions emailed. Below you'll see the stand...its pretty decent seems pretty sturdy despite the medium-low grade quality of the $100 stand.

Anyhow, I have one question. Below you'll see a pic of where I am considering placing the tank however in that spot the tank would receive a decent amount of indirect/direct sunlight depending on the time of day. I'm thinking this is probably not good due to potential Algae problems etc? Your thoughts on indirect/direct sunlight on the tank for a couple hours of the day?? I may place it in the other corner where there is no sun but I have 2 floor boards missing so I'd have to figure out a solution for that. PIA!!!! Here are some pics let me know what you think! Please!!

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Next on the agenda once I get the tank and equipment put together is Live Rock from either this local guy here at $4/lb OR even better I'm strongly considering 10-15lbs of Uncured Manado Live Rock from Premium Aquatics. See here http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-supplies/L-MANADO-UC.html Anyone use this stuff? I've heard nothing but GREAT things about it and have seen numerous videos of this stellar LR. I am debating which cycle to use. Soft or Hard ~ I have personally had great success with a Hard Cycle in a Rubbermaid,Heaters,Powerheads and some lighting. Any thoughts on which Cycle is the best option?? I would do a high Salinity dip of 1.030 for 15 minutes to rid any critters in the LR regardless but I'd like to keep some life on the rock...it is gonna be uncured rock regardless of which cycle I choose. Is this soft cycle too risky with the possibility of aptasia,bugs,Bad Nudi's, bad hitchhikers etc?? Should I just do the tried and true hard cycle? IDN...still debating. Maybe I'll wait till I see the rock!

Below you will see the mod I made to the CADLights Full 24" 45w LED. I wired in 2 --12" 6w 453n Actinic strips to each side of the light for Dawn/Dusk. They will be on a separate timer. Surprise!! I also found a brand new 2watt LED Clamp on Fuge Light in the box that had the extra power supply in it!! I was so frickin giddy when I saw that in there This light has both 24 tiny white LED's & 4 Tiny Actinic LED's and is dimmable! Since my main fixture covers the entire top of the tank including Fuge I may just use this for Moonlight! Its a cool toy and I'm stoked they gave it to me with the tank! I LOVE Elite Reef

[attachment=60598:name]

Here are some equipment pics! I'm getting excited but I'm trying to stay PATIENT )

 

[coloagro]

Here are some equipment pics. I'm getting excited but also trying to be patient.....The countdown begins till final setup LETS GO BRONCOS!

[attachment=60603:name]

 

[kmcmurtry]

Can't wait to see it filled - looks like you've been lucky! What are your plans for livestock?

 

[cdrewferd]

Hurry up. Can't wait to see what you have in store for stocking.


Drew

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[coloagro]

The Manado LR is in and I'm Cycling - Here We Go!

Just a quick update.I'm all set up and running. Received my 18lbs of Cured Manado Live Rock yesterday from Premium Aquatics. I added a 20lb bag of Arg Alive Sand...which I'm realizing now was a HUGE mistake. It looks GREAT but its a Giant PITA due to its grain size. This sand and my MP10 dont make things easy! I have gradually ramped up the lighting and its now at 50%. My MP10 is at 80% for the cycle in Rotation Mode, I also have a tiny Koralia Nano pump running for the cycle...in addition to my return. Lots of healthy flow )

Today I did my first 25% - 30% water change and added Fliter Floss, Purigen & Carbon to my little DIY Egg Crate Media Rack. After fiddling with the Tunze 9002 and realizing it will not fit under my LED Light (even with the special InTank cup) without me suspending from the ceiling I've decided to go NO Skimmer.... just running the Fuge with Cheato and water changes. I'm almost prefer nature to take its course however down the road when SPS come into the picture I'll think about adding a skimmer back into the system. With diligent water changes daily/weekly I almost think this is a more natural methodology to reefing if your tank is small enough etc.

My Levels Day of 2 Cycling


PH = 7.8
Ammonia - .50 ppm
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - N/A
Salinity - 1.025
Temp 79

As you will see in some of these pics I received more rock than i planned for. Actually to be honest I wasnt as pleased with this batch of LR as I thought I would be as far as life is concerned. Not much life at all really....super bummed about that. It is however absolutely beautiful rock very similar to Marshall Island but I really wanted uncured fresh from the ocean. This batch was over 3 weeks old thus cured for the most part. Thats my fault though....I wanted my stuff now!! Didnt want to wait till Feb to get the uncured Manado. Oh well. Lesson Learned!:wall:

Cloudy Due To Water Change
[attachment=60655:name]

What r ur thoughts on the Rock Work? I think its nearly complete and to my liking! I may take a couple pieces out and sell them to free up space but I have alot of caves, cool holes and hiding spots for critters. I always leave plenty of room behind the rockwork for detritus reasons and flow.
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I have one burning question. The flow in the sump portion of this CAD 22g AIO doesnt have very much flow...or least I dont think so. Does the Fuge need low flow or steady to medium flow? I'm not used to these AIO tanks so I'm unsure about the flow in the back portion. Any Thoughts? A Certain GPH for the Fuge? Would a Maxi-Jet 900 or 1200 be overkill as the return pump.....I guess what I'm asking is does beefing up the return in these AIO tanks do anything to the actual flow through each chamber...in particular the first 2 chambers ( #1 Media #2 Fuge )

I'm going to do Cheato back there and will jump start the tank/fuge with some pods etc from IPSF.com based on past successes with them. They have an amazing facility and their product while not cheap is top notch!
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Here is some not so eye candy Njoy - Headed off the Breck for some skiing tomorrow weather permitting

All Cleared up but the glass is dirty

[attachment=60649:name]

 

[cdrewferd]

Looks really nice. If you want to sell one of those arched rocks let me know. I've been looking for one.


Drew

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[coloagro]

Some Equipment Pics & Fish Room Pics aka Laundry & Tool Room in the Basement I am putting together a simple cheap QT Tank for fish, coral and inverts. Since I'm relying solely on water changes I am going to store premixed saltwater in this 35 gallon tough plastic Rubbermaid for easy quick WC's.

I told myself if I am going to get back into this hobby then I need to be wise about my cash flow.....welllllllll I think I had amnesia because their is nothing cost effective about keeping a reef tank system. Just look at the amount of water jugs and water storage I've decided to use for a frickin 22g tank! Overkill probably yes...but I don't do things half-*** and I'm pretty OCD about my tanks for the most part....but who isnt! My girlfriend is spoiled, my dog Jackson is spoiled and so are my ocean critters

[attachment=60653:name]

In Addition to my Ocean Critters --
I'm a proud parent of an incredibly intelligent, very handsome and spoiled dog - My Lab/Aussie Mix named Jackson. Jack is my best friend and I got him from the Flagstaff, AZ Humane Society at 8 weeks old. Say NO to PET Shops - ALWAYS Adopt - Just had to say that
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