lafarrow
Active Member
TLDR
Lessons learned & initial mistakes made: (1) When doing your aquascape account for your sand bed. I went with 2” sand bed and ended up burying some of my lower aquascape features; (2) make sure you leave some room behind your tank for fixtures. I went pretty close to the wall and ended up having an issue mounting my lights - give yourself some space (3) thank goodness for the internet because an answer is always just a click away. Sometimes 10 answers but more information is usually a good thing.
I am very happy with AlgaeBarn, Bulk Reef Supply and Marine Depot. They have wonderful customer service and a huge knowledge base available. They have also been very trusted sources for real reviews and discussions of issues that come up in reefing.
Prologue
I started keeping an aquarium in the late 70’s with a fresh water hex, moved to saltwater and finally abandoned the hobby in the mid to late 80’s when life got in the way. I wanted to get back into the hobby for quite some time but stuff always got in the way. Fast forward to 2020 when I decided the journey always starts with the first step. Began researching the hobby in earnest a year or so ago. The BRS videos, this forum and myriad other web sites old and new were a great and a wonderful introduction to all the new technology and its uses. It looked like the hobby had addressed a lot of the earlier issues with mortality of the fish, lighting, filtration and a better understanding of the biology. I was ready to pull the Humu Humu trigger. (last fish I had in 1985!)
I started looking at the AIO options (to avoid a mistake because I did not know what I did not know) and kept increasing the size of my list of candidates and the size of the tank I wanted. My available space is 90” x 24” and I was stuck on that 200 gallon threshold. I figured 30” was too deep for me and would be a huge tank for my spot. I decided I wanted/needed a 72x24x24 tank. I also became intrigued by the Triton method since it fit with how I wanted to get back into the hobby. That of course meant a sump with a large refugium.
With the 72x24x24 size in mind I began looking at mass produced, customs, and everything in between. My top candidates quickly became: Red Sea, Water Box, Glass Cages, Crystal Dynamics, Reef Savvy. And finally, as you will see below Cade (a late entry and eventual winner of my dollars). I decided to go with the Cade 1800 S2 based on its dimensions and feature set. It didn’t hurt that @AlgaeBarn was their distributor b/c they looked to be a supplier of choice for me.
I pulled the trigger right before the November sale but AlgaeBarn came through and since I was a Halloween order gave me the benefit of the doubt and loaded me up with the stuff as though I pulled the trigger on Nov 1. Thank you very much and solidified my choice to use them as a preferred supplier. Spoke to Sandra and got everything squared away. It arrived about two weeks after I ordered it.
Holy cow is this bad boy heavy. The crating and delivery was top notch. The suggested “unboxing” video made it look easier to get into than it actually was but once I understood the theory of the clips it moved along quite swimmingly. Make sure you have a wide open space to open the crate because the sides fold down and have to fold down, essentially simultaneously, for the easiest unpacking. When I had it right it was a breeze. When I had it wrong it was a bit of a pain. Tank arrived unscathed and in perfect condition.
You can see the plumbing inside. You do need two people for the installation unless you are stretch armstrong b/c you must hold the drain pipe from the top while you attach the bottom half of the pipe. More on that in a bit. The stand is top notch. Well constructed, padded top and fits the tank seamlessly.
The stand fit nicely into my spot and the tank, well it was so heavy it sat on my floor for awhile until I could get some bigger guys to help. My first crew had big hearts but their backs were not strong enough! Got some bigger stronger guys to help and got it on the stand and leveled in about an hour or so. Took that log due to my tight spot and old house. (100+ years) Algae Barn offered the rental of some suction cup handles which made it easier and to be honest I am not sure how the tank could be set up without them. They sent three sets but probably would have been better with four sets just due to the weight. (Your mileage may vary) Heavy is the word. No, make that HEAVY. 3/4” glass all around so what else did I expect. On the suction cups - you give AlgaeBarn na deposit and when you return the suction cups you get your deposit back. Would recommend!
Got it set up and leveled. The eight adjustable feet made that easy. Also I know there was some discussion about the "CADE" label being etched on the tank. You can see it here but it is invisible for the most part. DO NOT let that dissuade you from getting this tank. It is all but invisible with water in the tank.
The plumbing was easy but does take two people for part of it. All parts fit snugly without any difficulty other than user error. I watched and rewatched the video to made sure I got it right and it did take me awhile but that is because I have never had a tank with a refugium before. They also measure very well. My version of the plumbing was a bit different than the video they suggest you follow in that the return is a flexible hose as is the ATO. In the video they were rigid. To be candid I am not sure how easy it would have been to connect them if they were rigid so good design choice to go with the black vinyl. From a customer standpoint I would have preferred a sticker on the pipe or part so that I knew I had the right piece in my hand. All in all though that is on me not Cade.
And here is where I had to stop b/c I realized I could not attach the return pipes without some help. The stand is very high quality and well constructed. Very satisfied with my choice. The ATO is a separate compartment in the rear, the return runs through it. In this picture it is to the viewer's right. The overflow is to the viewers left and there is a lower and upper weir. Very clever design. Oh, configuring the ATO top off float was a bit of a challenge. Need to make sure the float is properly oriented or when you test it it will either never shut off or never come on. Almost found out the hard way that I had it backwards to start! You can see the float hanging directly down in this picture. I tightened the screw but had it the wrong way. Once I figured it out it was a simple fix but still caused some consternation sit dawned on me what I had unknowingly done.
Another pro tip - fill the ATO first to check for leaks. You will see if it leaks into the drain compartment. I also found that the ATO plumbing was the more difficult to get plumbed in right to ensure a tight seal and prevent leaks. All the moving stuff around as you set it up and tighten fittings etc.. can cause movement in unexpected places. Also on the stand the doors open all the way so the middle two will actually open to the point where they are flat on the outer two doors. Wide open easy access. I am broad shouldered so it is a squeeze but I can get half my body into the sump area. Old eyes will force you to get very close to stuff sometimes! I also positioned my tank where the side doors will not be easy access. My choice and I knew what I was doing but the power side has the ATO viewer glass to check levels. I will have to do a work around so that I can check the level another way b/c I am too close to the wall to easily see it.
Plumbing complete and rock in. I should note that AlgaeBarn also sent me some choice rock as part of the Black Friday deal. You can really see the white covered bottom here. If you were to go bare bottom this is the tank for it. The coating is on the sump side and is some sort of vinyl coating. Very clean look. I almost changed my mind but didn't b/c I like the sand look.
Water next!
Lessons learned & initial mistakes made: (1) When doing your aquascape account for your sand bed. I went with 2” sand bed and ended up burying some of my lower aquascape features; (2) make sure you leave some room behind your tank for fixtures. I went pretty close to the wall and ended up having an issue mounting my lights - give yourself some space (3) thank goodness for the internet because an answer is always just a click away. Sometimes 10 answers but more information is usually a good thing.
I am very happy with AlgaeBarn, Bulk Reef Supply and Marine Depot. They have wonderful customer service and a huge knowledge base available. They have also been very trusted sources for real reviews and discussions of issues that come up in reefing.
Prologue
I started keeping an aquarium in the late 70’s with a fresh water hex, moved to saltwater and finally abandoned the hobby in the mid to late 80’s when life got in the way. I wanted to get back into the hobby for quite some time but stuff always got in the way. Fast forward to 2020 when I decided the journey always starts with the first step. Began researching the hobby in earnest a year or so ago. The BRS videos, this forum and myriad other web sites old and new were a great and a wonderful introduction to all the new technology and its uses. It looked like the hobby had addressed a lot of the earlier issues with mortality of the fish, lighting, filtration and a better understanding of the biology. I was ready to pull the Humu Humu trigger. (last fish I had in 1985!)
I started looking at the AIO options (to avoid a mistake because I did not know what I did not know) and kept increasing the size of my list of candidates and the size of the tank I wanted. My available space is 90” x 24” and I was stuck on that 200 gallon threshold. I figured 30” was too deep for me and would be a huge tank for my spot. I decided I wanted/needed a 72x24x24 tank. I also became intrigued by the Triton method since it fit with how I wanted to get back into the hobby. That of course meant a sump with a large refugium.
With the 72x24x24 size in mind I began looking at mass produced, customs, and everything in between. My top candidates quickly became: Red Sea, Water Box, Glass Cages, Crystal Dynamics, Reef Savvy. And finally, as you will see below Cade (a late entry and eventual winner of my dollars). I decided to go with the Cade 1800 S2 based on its dimensions and feature set. It didn’t hurt that @AlgaeBarn was their distributor b/c they looked to be a supplier of choice for me.
I pulled the trigger right before the November sale but AlgaeBarn came through and since I was a Halloween order gave me the benefit of the doubt and loaded me up with the stuff as though I pulled the trigger on Nov 1. Thank you very much and solidified my choice to use them as a preferred supplier. Spoke to Sandra and got everything squared away. It arrived about two weeks after I ordered it.
Holy cow is this bad boy heavy. The crating and delivery was top notch. The suggested “unboxing” video made it look easier to get into than it actually was but once I understood the theory of the clips it moved along quite swimmingly. Make sure you have a wide open space to open the crate because the sides fold down and have to fold down, essentially simultaneously, for the easiest unpacking. When I had it right it was a breeze. When I had it wrong it was a bit of a pain. Tank arrived unscathed and in perfect condition.
You can see the plumbing inside. You do need two people for the installation unless you are stretch armstrong b/c you must hold the drain pipe from the top while you attach the bottom half of the pipe. More on that in a bit. The stand is top notch. Well constructed, padded top and fits the tank seamlessly.
The stand fit nicely into my spot and the tank, well it was so heavy it sat on my floor for awhile until I could get some bigger guys to help. My first crew had big hearts but their backs were not strong enough! Got some bigger stronger guys to help and got it on the stand and leveled in about an hour or so. Took that log due to my tight spot and old house. (100+ years) Algae Barn offered the rental of some suction cup handles which made it easier and to be honest I am not sure how the tank could be set up without them. They sent three sets but probably would have been better with four sets just due to the weight. (Your mileage may vary) Heavy is the word. No, make that HEAVY. 3/4” glass all around so what else did I expect. On the suction cups - you give AlgaeBarn na deposit and when you return the suction cups you get your deposit back. Would recommend!
Got it set up and leveled. The eight adjustable feet made that easy. Also I know there was some discussion about the "CADE" label being etched on the tank. You can see it here but it is invisible for the most part. DO NOT let that dissuade you from getting this tank. It is all but invisible with water in the tank.
The plumbing was easy but does take two people for part of it. All parts fit snugly without any difficulty other than user error. I watched and rewatched the video to made sure I got it right and it did take me awhile but that is because I have never had a tank with a refugium before. They also measure very well. My version of the plumbing was a bit different than the video they suggest you follow in that the return is a flexible hose as is the ATO. In the video they were rigid. To be candid I am not sure how easy it would have been to connect them if they were rigid so good design choice to go with the black vinyl. From a customer standpoint I would have preferred a sticker on the pipe or part so that I knew I had the right piece in my hand. All in all though that is on me not Cade.
And here is where I had to stop b/c I realized I could not attach the return pipes without some help. The stand is very high quality and well constructed. Very satisfied with my choice. The ATO is a separate compartment in the rear, the return runs through it. In this picture it is to the viewer's right. The overflow is to the viewers left and there is a lower and upper weir. Very clever design. Oh, configuring the ATO top off float was a bit of a challenge. Need to make sure the float is properly oriented or when you test it it will either never shut off or never come on. Almost found out the hard way that I had it backwards to start! You can see the float hanging directly down in this picture. I tightened the screw but had it the wrong way. Once I figured it out it was a simple fix but still caused some consternation sit dawned on me what I had unknowingly done.
Another pro tip - fill the ATO first to check for leaks. You will see if it leaks into the drain compartment. I also found that the ATO plumbing was the more difficult to get plumbed in right to ensure a tight seal and prevent leaks. All the moving stuff around as you set it up and tighten fittings etc.. can cause movement in unexpected places. Also on the stand the doors open all the way so the middle two will actually open to the point where they are flat on the outer two doors. Wide open easy access. I am broad shouldered so it is a squeeze but I can get half my body into the sump area. Old eyes will force you to get very close to stuff sometimes! I also positioned my tank where the side doors will not be easy access. My choice and I knew what I was doing but the power side has the ATO viewer glass to check levels. I will have to do a work around so that I can check the level another way b/c I am too close to the wall to easily see it.
Plumbing complete and rock in. I should note that AlgaeBarn also sent me some choice rock as part of the Black Friday deal. You can really see the white covered bottom here. If you were to go bare bottom this is the tank for it. The coating is on the sump side and is some sort of vinyl coating. Very clean look. I almost changed my mind but didn't b/c I like the sand look.
Water next!
