Alex's Cade Reef 1500 S2

[Chenko]

Hi guys,

I finally decided to pull the trigger on setting up a saltwater tank (only had freshwater ones before) and decided to go big (5 foot tank). I plan on setting up a mixed reef with fish. This has always been a dream and I am really looking forward to developing a beautiful eco-system.

For the tank/stand, I wanted to go with an already plumbed system and looked at RedSea, Waterbox and CADE systems. However, CADE's black glass door non-wood cabinet won it for me. It just looks amazing and is very well built. Cade Reef 1500 S2

Plus Algaebarn (CADE's US distributor) includes free starter kit with the tank:

• 50lbs of base rock, 30lbs of shelf rock and 30lb of single cut rock
• 3 bags of 20lbs of CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji pink sand
• Salt - Fritz Red Box
• 9 jars of Hexagon media, 9 jars of Rings media and 9 jars of Red Brick media
• Cycle kit (1 Nitrocycle, 2 4oz Turbostart)

Samantha from Algaebarn was a God-sent by answering a myriad of questions and I just placed the order for CADE Reef 1500 S2. 169g total (143g inhabitable, 26g sump) - 12g ATO, 59"Lx27.5"Wx23.6"H (stand 35.4"H)

The tank will be in my study, and as I work from home, the quietness of the tank (and all equipment) is paramount for me. Most of the equipment selected above had to satisfy two main criteria: how quiet is it and how reliable. I'd also prefer not to modify the sump. Also, what can get automated. I am in IT, so not afraid of that aspect.

After weeks of scouring internet for information and getting some face to face advice, I think I settled on most of the gear for the tank:

• Tank Lights: 2 x Kessil AP9X LED Aquarium Light & Mounting Arm Bundle and Kessil Extension Slide Bar
• Heaters: 2 x Bulk Reef Supply 600W Titanium Aquarium Heater w/ Inkbird ITC-306a WiFi
• Return pump: SICCE Syncra SDC 7.0 Water Pump 800-1900 gph WIFI DC Return with Controller
• Powerheads: 2 x Tunze Turbelle Stream 3 (or possibly Sicce Xstream SDC)
• Fleece roller: Red Sea ReefMat 1200 (or possibly Klir Fleece Filter Di-4 V2 or ClariSea SK-3000 Gen 3 Automatic Filter System)
• Skimmer: Tunze 9410.001 DC Master DOC Skimmer (or possibly GREAT WHITE SKIMMER DC PLUS GW 12)
• Monitoring: Coralvue Hydros monitoring system
  • Control X10
  • Control XP8 Energy Bar
  • iV w/ Ready-To-Use Alkalinity Testing Reagent
  • As well as Salinity Kit, ATO Kit, Rope Leak Sensor Kit, Skimmer Sensor and 2 Command Bus Terminators
• RO/DI: Bulk Reef Supply 7 Stage PRO Plus 150 GPD Water Saver RO/DI System
• Water change pump: Sicce Ultra Zero Utility Pump
• Water change heater: Bulk Reef Supply 100W Titanium Aquarium Heater (is this enough?)

Would love to get any feedback from you guys on the choices above. Especially re: Powerheads, fleece roller and protein skimmer.

For example, If I go with 2 Sicce Xstream SDC, are they powerful enough for this size tank?

For fleece roller, which one might depend on placement. Also, if you know if specific ones above will fit with or without modifications to the sump (I am not counting taking out the socks). But I'd prefer to do no other modifications.

Also, did I miss anything to get started? Don't forget that I am new to the saltwater game, so please treat me a complete newbie… I won't get offended

For example:

Do I need a Protein Skimmer to start out?

Do I bother with a Refugium at all or to start? Because then I would need a Refugium light (Kessil A360X Refugium LED Light?)

Anything else?

Thank you all in advance!
Alex

 

[Jmp998]

Sounds like an awesome build. Clarisea may be easiest roller to fit without mods due to its narrow base. The vid below at 7:15 shows a Clarisea in a Cade 1200 sump. I am probably getting either a Cade 1200 or 1500 and have been looking at options for a fleece roller.

 

[Chenko]

Thanks @Jmp998

 

[Chenko]

@Jmp998 After watching the videos and looking at the specs... ended up going with ClariSea SK-5000 Gen 3 Automatic Filter System. It will fit right instead of the socks in the socks area without any modifications. Well, or so it looks like. Will write more as I get the tank.

 

[Jmp998]

Great-let us know how the clarisea fits and i you have to do any mods. I have seen conflicting information regarding whether the filter sock tray is siliconed vs. removable.

 

[Chenko]

So spent another 5 days doing further research/learning and … paying for things Starting later this week, things will begin to arrive. Not sure on the Cade arrival yet… AlgaeBarn was supposed prepare it for shipment today/tomorrow.

Some smaller updates:
• Settled on Tunze Turbelle Stream 3s and Tunze 9410 DC.
• Invested in Mlwaukee MA887 Digital Salinity Refractometer
• Also got Bulk Reef Supply BRS Master Test Kit Bundle (Hanna Colorimeter/Phosp, Red Sea Calc, AF Magn, NYOS Nitrate), as well as RedSea Ammonia Test Kit

By far the biggest time sink was in figuring out that I need/want a UV sterilizer and then figuring out what size, what brand and more importantly… how to setup it up! Hopefully, the information below will help others as a lot of info out there is VERY VERY conflicting.

After at least 25 hours of reading, searching, watching and rewatching the videos, I settled on
• Aqua Ultraviolet 57 Watt Classic UV Sterilizer - White Body

First, why UV sterilizer at all
Well, to keep the water cleaner, fight off the algae AND have an ability to get rid of parasites (or even better prevent them).

Why Aqua and why 57W
It was between Aqua UV 57 Classic (or 40), Pentair Aquatics 50 (or 40) and Lifegard Aquatics Pro-MAX 3" Amalgam High Output UV 55W. 25W was just a little too small. 40W would be ok, however if you want enough contact of UV on Water and keep the flow higher, its better to go one level higher. Plus, and this was a huge factor for me and might be for you… the length of 50s is about 2/3 to 1/2 of the 40W. NUTS! Also, Aqua was the smallest at 20" length vs Pentair at 30" and Lifegard at 27". The 40W models start at 36". Pentair might be better built (and so is Lifegard), however due to recent reliability complains of Pentair and the size, I went with Aqua. Only time will tell.

How to set it up
There are 2 ways to power the UV.
• Through a dedicated water pump
• Through the Return pump
The fun part is how to setup the plumbing. There is a LOT of confusing and even more frustratingly misleadingly conflicting information out there. Everyone does it differently. If you watch the threads and videos most say/setup sump to sump. Seen many professionally installed systems do it.
• Sometimes through a return and manifold to somewhere in the beginning of the sump (e.g. Intake Chamber). However, that is incorrect due to UV clean water constantly being processed by the sump. And rather than always going back to the display tank, often going back to the beginning of the sump. Seem logical after you get it. Yet simple to setup.
• Others use a dedicated water pump and sometime would pull the water from after the socks/roll and outlet the UVed water into the Return chamber (or some other variations). However, this way the still "dirty" water does not go through the entire sump process and does not get the benefit of full cleanup.
Bulk Reef Supply videos (there are 2 that have Ryan in them over the last 3 years) say that to avoid that. Obviously, sump to sump UV is better than none, but why settle for less? They push the return pump approach of plumbing in the UV in a closed loop directly into the return pipe to the display tank. However, nowhere do they say how to properly set it up.

It took almost 2 hours chatting with Drew from RBS to figure out the above AND how to properly set it up. I actually came across another build thread a couple of days ago, but didn't understand enough at that time to comprehend that I was looking at the correct solution (since no one else seems to be doing it).

The key is to have 3 valves in the solution. The one on the left is the main bypass. It can be closed, if you want ALL of the water to go through UV. That could happen (will experiment) for Algae control, when the flow can be fast enough, and still get enough water contact in the UV. That's why I went with a larger UV model… bigger lamp. The bottom right valve (before the UV inlet) controls the flow to UV (faster water flow for algae control, slower - like 1x for parasite nuking). However, you will never run everything only through UV (with bypass/return line closed) that slow. So you will run the return line opened (you can regulate with the DC pump speed as well as the valve), AND some through UV. I say some, because obviously if you have faster flow through left and slower through right, not everything, even specifically the minority of the water will go through UV. However, this is what took me forever to understand. That is OK. With the fast flow, all water will make it through UV sooner or later, and at the same time, having a proper cleaning through the pump. Also, if you want to turn off the UV (for cleaning), you can turn off both valves on the right and the return will still completely work.

Perhaps I didn’t explain it well enough, and it would be great if Ryan and RBS would do an even better job of explaining that in some of their new videos. But hopefully, it helped some of you. Let me know if you have further questions… I almost feel like I at least understand the theory to try to help.

The last part that I haven't figured out yet, but will do it after the Tank and the Aqua UV come in, is how to best implement the diagram. Use the hard piping (never done it) or use the soft tubing with lots of barbs? Would welcome suggestions. Also, please take a look at the BattleReefer's build thread with full replumbing that I mentioned above here (has pictures and everything)


So bought everything except for following:

• Aqua UV 57W
• 2 Kessil AP9X LED lights with mounting arms
• Tunze 9410.00 DC Master DOC Skimmer
• Coralvue Hydros system

Hoping for some sale in the next several weeks leading to Thanksgiving or the Black Friday itself. Figured I can get started on setup, aqua scaping and cycling and still have time leftover

Ok.. Time to unwind a little bit.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Hi guys,

I finally decided to pull the trigger on setting up a saltwater tank (only had freshwater ones before) and decided to go big (5 foot tank). I plan on setting up a mixed reef with fish. This has always been a dream and I am really looking forward to developing a beautiful eco-system.

For the tank/stand, I wanted to go with an already plumbed system and looked at RedSea, Waterbox and CADE systems. However, CADE's black glass door non-wood cabinet won it for me. It just looks amazing and is very well built. Cade Reef 1500 S2

Plus Algaebarn (CADE's US distributor) includes free starter kit with the tank:

• 50lbs of base rock, 30lbs of shelf rock and 30lb of single cut rock
• 3 bags of 20lbs of CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji pink sand
• Salt - Fritz Red Box
• 9 jars of Hexagon media, 9 jars of Rings media and 9 jars of Red Brick media
• Cycle kit (1 Nitrocycle, 2 4oz Turbostart)

Samantha from Algaebarn was a God-sent by answering a myriad of questions and I just placed the order for CADE Reef 1500 S2. 169g total (143g inhabitable, 26g sump) - 12g ATO, 59"Lx27.5"Wx23.6"H (stand 35.4"H)

The tank will be in my study, and as I work from home, the quietness of the tank (and all equipment) is paramount for me. Most of the equipment selected above had to satisfy two main criteria: how quiet is it and how reliable. I'd also prefer not to modify the sump. Also, what can get automated. I am in IT, so not afraid of that aspect.

After weeks of scouring internet for information and getting some face to face advice, I think I settled on most of the gear for the tank:

• Tank Lights: 2 x Kessil AP9X LED Aquarium Light & Mounting Arm Bundle and Kessil Extension Slide Bar
• Heaters: 2 x Bulk Reef Supply 600W Titanium Aquarium Heater w/ Inkbird ITC-306a WiFi
• Return pump: SICCE Syncra SDC 7.0 Water Pump 800-1900 gph WIFI DC Return with Controller
• Powerheads: 2 x Tunze Turbelle Stream 3 (or possibly Sicce Xstream SDC)
• Fleece roller: Red Sea ReefMat 1200 (or possibly Klir Fleece Filter Di-4 V2 or ClariSea SK-3000 Gen 3 Automatic Filter System)
• Skimmer: Tunze 9410.001 DC Master DOC Skimmer (or possibly GREAT WHITE SKIMMER DC PLUS GW 12)
• Monitoring: Coralvue Hydros monitoring system
  • Control X10
  • Control XP8 Energy Bar
  • iV w/ Ready-To-Use Alkalinity Testing Reagent
  • As well as Salinity Kit, ATO Kit, Rope Leak Sensor Kit, Skimmer Sensor and 2 Command Bus Terminators
• RO/DI: Bulk Reef Supply 7 Stage PRO Plus 150 GPD Water Saver RO/DI System
• Water change pump: Sicce Ultra Zero Utility Pump
• Water change heater: Bulk Reef Supply 100W Titanium Aquarium Heater (is this enough?)

Would love to get any feedback from you guys on the choices above. Especially re: Powerheads, fleece roller and protein skimmer.

For example, If I go with 2 Sicce Xstream SDC, are they powerful enough for this size tank?

For fleece roller, which one might depend on placement. Also, if you know if specific ones above will fit with or without modifications to the sump (I am not counting taking out the socks). But I'd prefer to do no other modifications.

Also, did I miss anything to get started? Don't forget that I am new to the saltwater game, so please treat me a complete newbie… I won't get offended

For example:

Do I need a Protein Skimmer to start out?

Do I bother with a Refugium at all or to start? Because then I would need a Refugium light (Kessil A360X Refugium LED Light?)

Anything else?

Thank you all in advance!
Alex

Im purchasing a 1500 S2 as well. This is a good thread to get me started equipment wise, so I’ll be following you. Currently researching lights. I’ve been out of the hobby for 20+ years, so starting over in this regard. Are 2 of these Kessil ap9x all I need for essentially any coral display I desire? Were you considering any additional lights and/or different brands? Doing my due diligence….

Russell

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Im purchasing a 1500 S2 as well. This is a good thread to get me started equipment wise, so I’ll be following you. Currently researching lights. I’ve been out of the hobby for 20+ years, so starting over in this regard. Are 2 of these Kessil ap9x all I need for essentially any coral display I desire? Were you considering any additional lights and/or different brands? Doing my due diligence….

Russell

I’m probably not being detailed enough or know how to ask the question. Would a hybrid situation with the Kessil’s and T5 fluorescents provide a better spectrum/PAR for a coral heavy (assume some SPS) or not worth the extra effort and costs ?

 

[Jmp998]

I’m probably not being detailed enough or know how to ask the question. Would a hybrid situation with the Kessil’s and T5 fluorescents provide a better spectrum/PAR for a coral heavy (assume some SPS) or not worth the extra effort and costs ?

I have the same question-debating between multiple Radions by themselves vs. something like the Aquatic Life Coral cover. Regardless I will probably do all LED, but I am thinking with a full 24" front to back on the Cade may need the fill light on the front/back. The longest one is 48" though.

HME Coral Cover by Aquatic Life 48-Inch LED Light

Description CORAL COVER – As the name mentions, the Coral Cover LED fixture is designed to provide complete light coverage for your aquarium when used in conjunction with your favorite LED fixture. The open middle design allows you to easily mount an EcoTech Radion, AI Prime, Kessil AP700 or...

aquaticlife.com

 

[Reefer911]

@Jmp998 After watching the videos and looking at the specs... ended up going with ClariSea SK-5000 Gen 3 Automatic Filter System. It will fit right instead of the socks in the socks area without any modifications. Well, or so it looks like. Will write more as I get the tank.

Good move on the SK 5000. I have one on my CADE 1200 S2P

Check out my build thread to see how I plumbed mine. That’s the only thing you’ll have to figure out.

You’ll love your CADE tank. Hopefully one day I can upgrade to the 6’ version

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

I have the same question-debating between multiple Radions by themselves vs. something like the Aquatic Life Coral cover. Regardless I will probably do all LED, but I am thinking with a full 24" front to back on the Cade may need the fill light on the front/back. The longest one is 48" though.

HME Coral Cover by Aquatic Life 48-Inch LED Light

Description CORAL COVER – As the name mentions, the Coral Cover LED fixture is designed to provide complete light coverage for your aquarium when used in conjunction with your favorite LED fixture. The open middle design allows you to easily mount an EcoTech Radion, AI Prime, Kessil AP700 or...

aquaticlife.com

Yeah, the Cade 1500 S2 has a 28”W. The Kessil
AP9X apparently has a 24” max coverage in that dimension. Seems cutting it close in that dimension, on paper at least?

I have the same question-debating between multiple Radions by themselves vs. something like the Aquatic Life Coral cover. Regardless I will probably do all LED, but I am thinking with a full 24" front to back on the Cade may need the fill light on the front/back. The longest one is 48" though.

HME Coral Cover by Aquatic Life 48-Inch LED Light

Description CORAL COVER – As the name mentions, the Coral Cover LED fixture is designed to provide complete light coverage for your aquarium when used in conjunction with your favorite LED fixture. The open middle design allows you to easily mount an EcoTech Radion, AI Prime, Kessil AP700 or...

aquaticlife.com

 

[Chenko]

@Bacon and Eggs So the overall width is 27.5", but the actual display tank is 24". Considering that the arm goes out to 14", it will have perfect coverage. From everything I read, watched and talked to people at AlgeaBarn, BRS and local LFS, these 2 AP9X should be plenty. If I ever see that I am short, I can always add the 3rd one, but not planning on it anytime soon.

 

[Chenko]

As far why Kessil, and not others.... well, if you noticed I am going with mostly Tunze, Kessil, Sicce brands. Mostly by recommendation for reliability.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

@Bacon and Eggs So the overall width is 27.5", but the actual display tank is 24". Considering that the arm goes out to 14", it will have perfect coverage. From everything I read, watched and talked to people at AlgeaBarn, BRS and local LFS, these 2 AP9X should be plenty. If I ever see that I am short, I can always add the 3rd one, but not planning on it anytime soon.

Cool yeah, it’s also not like you are putting corals right against the front glass anyway. Sounds like a good option.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

@Bacon and Eggs So the overall width is 27.5", but the actual display tank is 24". Considering that the arm goes out to 14", it will have perfect coverage. From everything I read, watched and talked to people at AlgeaBarn, BRS and local LFS, these 2 AP9X should be plenty. If I ever see that I am short, I can always add the 3rd one, but not planning on it anytime soon.

any issues with attaching a standard mounting arm for these lights to the back of the tank? I see some come with a mounting arm and I’m definitely not going to be hanging from the ceiling.

 

[Chenko]

will let you know when it arrives However, from all I've seen, it mounts fine. However, the ato lid hangs on top of the mounting arm and doesnt completely come down. But I also want the clean look and not going to bother with hanging it up.

 

[Chenko]

so the tank shipped on Thursday and should arrive next week. Can't wait. Half of the water equipment already arrived... Insane amount of stuff as you look at it stacked in a room

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

so the tank shipped on Thursday and should arrive next week. Can't wait. Half of the water equipment already arrived... Insane amount of stuff as you look at it stacked in a room

I don’t mean to hiJack your thread, I just hit the purchase button on a white cab 1500 S2 myself about 10 mins ago. This feels like a big commitment, again. I’m almost hoping for it to take a while to ship. I rather not purchase the rest all at once. I’ll be taking it slow anyway, congrats on yours. I’ll be following along to see your final thoughts on your equipment purchases and all the rest. Let us know about the final decisions on pumps, skimmers etc.

 

[Chenko]

Congratulations @Bacon and Eggs! Trust me understand the commitment scope.. especially as that credit card bill comes in Will keep you posted.

 

[BobbyJ]

Great-let us know how the clarisea fits and i you have to do any mods. I have seen conflicting information regarding whether the filter sock tray is siliconed vs. removable.

The tray is removable, but there is a glass divider that needs to be removed to fit the sk5000. I used thin strong fishing line and popped it out. Here is a pic of my plumbing on the 1200