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Unread 01/17/2014, 03:32 PM   #1
d2mini
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d2mini's 8g Cadlights Mini Reef

After some research and back and forth between a couple different options I decided to pick up a Cadlights 8g Mini. Ultimately it was the light and starphire bent glass that sold me.

The first thing that needs figuring out is the filtration. I'm not a big fan of the bio cylinders they include… i'm thinking of getting some of those 1.5" Marine Pure balls. Lots more surface area and I hear great things about them. Those would go in the middle chamber. The first chamber has a big black sponge. Not sure if I should replace this with anything else? Thoughts??? And the final chamber has the return pump. I need to find a heater for this chamber.

So here's what I need…

1) Keep the sponge?
2) Heater
3) The return from the pump is located exactly half way up the rear wall on the left side. Seems like a kind of odd spot. And it shoots straight towards the front glass. Maybe that's the point… to deflect flow off the middle of the front glass to distribute flow around the tank? Thoughts on this? This was the one thing about the nuvo that seemed better… theirs is placed up top, which really agitates the water surface. But then it doesn't provide much flow around the tank.

Monday I'll bring in water and rock from my big tank. That should help jumpstart things. I was going to go bare bottom but i'm thinking of having a real thin layer of sand… like half an inch. Just for aesthetics.

Will also need so set up an ATO at some point. It's an office tank. Weekends aren't normally a problem, but vacations are. Hard to always rely on coworkers.

And I think on this tank I'm going to experiment with less frequent LARGE water changes. Like 80-90% if possible, depending on the livestock situation and how much I can drain.

For livestock I'd like to do a pair of sexy shrimp, maybe one small clown. A few snails for cuc. And for coral i'm thinking mainly rics/yumas/zoas.

So that's my initial thoughts.
Here's a couple pics of the tank.






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Unread 01/17/2014, 03:46 PM   #2
Sugar Magnolia
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Wowzers! That's a sweet little tank! Looking forward to your progress.

BTW, you'll love the sexy shrimp.They're fun to watch.


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Unread 01/17/2014, 03:54 PM   #3
d2mini
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Thanks!
And yeah, i had a pair of sexies in my old original fluval edge that i converted to saltwater. Always loved those guys/gals. That tank was always a major struggle. Looking forward to working with a tank that is a bit more geared to salt from the start.


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Unread 01/17/2014, 04:00 PM   #4
gsechen
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hi, I have the same tank but didn't buy it with the light. I'm using a boostLED par30 bulb. I did not use the sponge or bioballs. I just have the heater in my second chamber and use filter floss in a mesh bag for filtration in first chamber. I hate how the pump sits in the middle because if you use fine sand i.e. caribsea fiji pink like i did, it will blow the sand away. I eventually had to put some live rock in front of the output and lower the flow on the pump. all in all, its a good lil tank and the glass is amazing. just don't scratch it cuz it scratches easy.


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Unread 01/17/2014, 05:38 PM   #5
KafudaFish
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Thank you for posting. Are you going to run the skimmer on it?


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Unread 01/17/2014, 05:42 PM   #6
terrypercula
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I told ya the stock lighting was nice


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Unread 01/17/2014, 09:25 PM   #7
d2mini
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KafudaFish View Post
Thank you for posting. Are you going to run the skimmer on it?
Nope.

Quote:
Originally Posted by terrypercula View Post
I told ya the stock lighting was nice
haha ya, and for what this tank is going to be, i just wanted decent stock lighting. I think this will fit the bill.


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Unread 01/17/2014, 10:32 PM   #8
ReeferYork
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For a nano AIO I love to use Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Heater. Super sleek, looks decent even if its on the back wall of the tank but should fit inside a filter chamber depending on the chamber size. I'm using one in my 20G AIO. Holds temp very accurately. BRS has the 25w listed 6 1/2" L x 2 1/8" W x 4/5".


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Unread 01/18/2014, 12:49 AM   #9
btmedic04
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man that is a sharp looking aquarium. you really have me wanting to pick one up now! must.....resist.....need to set up my 55 first


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Unread 01/18/2014, 01:15 AM   #10
Arkayology
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This is a cool little tank. I've always admired the CAD tanks. Your plan looks pretty solid. GL!


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Unread 01/18/2014, 09:22 AM   #11
d2mini
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ReeferYork View Post
For a nano AIO I love to use Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Heater. Super sleek, looks decent even if its on the back wall of the tank but should fit inside a filter chamber depending on the chamber size. I'm using one in my 20G AIO. Holds temp very accurately. BRS has the 25w listed 6 1/2" L x 2 1/8" W x 4/5".
In my cart!


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Unread 01/18/2014, 06:50 PM   #12
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Had some time to do a little rock work today.
I have a ton of rock in my big rubbermaid sump so I pilfered some of that and got to work, keeping it in a bucket of saltwater as the epoxy and crazy glue cured after each new piece was attached.
Trying to keep it as live as possible.

I think this is pretty much it.
I'm working on it at home and the tank is at work so I won't know for sure until Monday.
I have some other pieces I can put around the base once this is in the tank.
Now this main tower is hanging out in my frag tank for the rest of the weekend.








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Unread 01/19/2014, 01:22 AM   #13
moondoggy4
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I had a Ebo Jager 25 watt on my sons 9 gallon eheim tank and I noticed that the heater was always on So I bought a Cobalt Neo-therm 50 watt and it is a better match for that size tank.


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Unread 01/19/2014, 04:15 AM   #14
hersheyb
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nice looking rock! I have the same tank, and I love it, lights are great! the only thing is not blue enough for my taste, corals don't pop as much as I would like them, so I'm thinking about adding 2 strips of ecoxotic stunners actinics. Good luck with your build and keep us updated with lots of pics!


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Unread 01/19/2014, 04:04 PM   #15
Indiana Reefin
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Nice tank Dennis! I'm sure this will be great just like all your other tank builds!


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Unread 01/19/2014, 05:07 PM   #16
d2mini
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moondoggy4 View Post
I had a Ebo Jager 25 watt on my sons 9 gallon eheim tank and I noticed that the heater was always on So I bought a Cobalt Neo-therm 50 watt and it is a better match for that size tank.
Great to hear, thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by hersheyb View Post
nice looking rock! I have the same tank, and I love it, lights are great! the only thing is not blue enough for my taste, corals don't pop as much as I would like them, so I'm thinking about adding 2 strips of ecoxotic stunners actinics. Good luck with your build and keep us updated with lots of pics!
Thanks! And yeah, shouldn't be too hard to add a little more blue. Would like to see how it looks if you decide to do it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Indiana Reefin View Post
Nice tank Dennis! I'm sure this will be great just like all your other tank builds!
Thanks! We'll see. haha


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Unread 01/19/2014, 07:36 PM   #17
Lilmatty5dimes
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Awesome another dennis tank build cant wait to for tomorrow.


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Unread 01/19/2014, 10:11 PM   #18
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I'm sure this will look at good as your other tank do.


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Unread 01/19/2014, 10:13 PM   #19
user nayme
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i had my eye on the little 4 gallon one. these tanks would look sweet anywhere with their matching stands sweet little setup.

and awesome looking scape btw!


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Unread 01/20/2014, 10:44 AM   #20
d2mini
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Well, the rock structure worked out pretty good.
This morning I toted it to work along with two buckets of old SW from my home tank and filled this puppy and got the pump running.

Now I just need to go out and find some black sand.
I know I should have put the sand in first, but I wanted to get it running. lol

p.s. - I'm glad I went with the 8g instead of the 4g!







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Unread 01/20/2014, 11:04 AM   #21
BigAl2007
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Great looking Nano tank Dennis.

In all of my NANO tanks I don't run any "BioMedia" in the rear chambers. I've got one Nano (12g NanoCube) that's been up and running like this for 7 years. The initial set-up I added the factory "bio-rings" in the middle chamber. After a year of increasing NO3 levels I finally removed the media and everything stabilized and it's been rock solid every since.

I simply let the Live Rock and Live Sand hand biological filtration and let the filter sponge (changed 2x-3x week) handle the mechanical filtration.

Since removing the bio-media the back chambers remain a LOT cleaner and a LOT easier to keep clean during partial water changes.

Food for thought . . .


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Unread 01/20/2014, 11:16 AM   #22
d2mini
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Thanks, Al!

And yes, I agree with you about the typical bio-media. They do tend to become nitrate factories. I'm interested in this marine pure though, as an alternative to A LOT of live rock. I've heard great things about people using the larger blocks in their sumps on big tanks. Figured it was worth a shot. It can always be removed if it creates a problem. We shall see!


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Unread 01/20/2014, 11:48 AM   #23
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Sounds like a good plan Dennis. I'm following along just to watch and see how it goes

*subscribed*


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Unread 01/20/2014, 06:02 PM   #24
Lilmatty5dimes
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awesome scaping. like a glove. lol sure you know this just grab a pvc pipe and pour the sand thru the pvc to the bottom. you'll have minimal cloudy effect.


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Unread 01/20/2014, 09:46 PM   #25
d2mini
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haha, thanks matty. For such small tank i just used a cup.
I'll post pics tomorrow. I used the carib-sea hawaii black sand with the white specs.
Looks good, except now I figured out what my first mod needs to be... something to re-direct some of the flow! It's blowing all the sand out of the front left corner.

Any ideas???
There is a cone tip that screws onto the output of the pump. That's what keeps the pump tight against the overflow wall.


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