sorry for the delay on updates guys.
So lets return to the action and have a look at the rest of the CADE equipment. Hope you guys find the info on the skimmer useful. Like i said i'll do an update on its performance ones i have a proper bio load going. We will also be looking at skimmer noise and how easy it is to tune. If you guys have any questions on anything that i haven't covered or overlooked please ask away.
The media chamber :100x65x270mm
IMO a media basket is always a nice addition to any AIO tank. Easier and quicker maintenance so that you have that extra 7 min to enjoy your reef.
The basket is made out of black plastic. It looks like ABS. It basically a one piece molded unit with square holes at the bottom for the water to move through. It has a plastic handle on the top for easy removal from the middle chamber. Lift and pull the basket out in one go. A smaller removable cover fits neatly over the handle. It also has square holes for the water to drain through to the bottom of the basket. You can put a layer of filter mat or floss on top to "catch" most of the solids before it goes through the rest of the filter media. This will help keep the filter media cleaner for longer.
When i sat and thought about the design, i thought the design could have been better. And then while i wrote this part i realized that the actual design will work fine. I'll share my 2 thoughts.
My 1st thought. I would have liked it to be a 2 part unit (not including the top removable lid). You could fill the bottom part with some bio-media for biological filtration and the 2nd part going on top of the bio media with some chemical media if needed. You will clean and replace the chemical media far more often than the biological media. So it would be easier just to remove the 2nd part and working in it on the outside of the tank while leaving the bio media undisturbed. With the one piece basket its not that easy to replace the chemical media while it's in the tank. You have to either digg in between the top handle and grab the media bags with your fingers and pull it through one of the sides of the handle, or you have to pull the whole basket out in one go and expose the bio-media. I don't like to expose the bio-media for more than a few minutes.
My 2nd thought. The one piece unit will work great if you planning a water change and you have some of the old water in a bucket. You can pull the basket and put it straight into the bucket with old water. Now you also have a chance to clean the bio media by shaking it to remove any detritus build up and bacteria mulm on the surface of your bio media.
In the end i guess it's just a matter of personal preference. Let me know what you guys think on the basket design.
So lets return to the action and have a look at the rest of the CADE equipment. Hope you guys find the info on the skimmer useful. Like i said i'll do an update on its performance ones i have a proper bio load going. We will also be looking at skimmer noise and how easy it is to tune. If you guys have any questions on anything that i haven't covered or overlooked please ask away.
The media chamber :100x65x270mm
IMO a media basket is always a nice addition to any AIO tank. Easier and quicker maintenance so that you have that extra 7 min to enjoy your reef.
The basket is made out of black plastic. It looks like ABS. It basically a one piece molded unit with square holes at the bottom for the water to move through. It has a plastic handle on the top for easy removal from the middle chamber. Lift and pull the basket out in one go. A smaller removable cover fits neatly over the handle. It also has square holes for the water to drain through to the bottom of the basket. You can put a layer of filter mat or floss on top to "catch" most of the solids before it goes through the rest of the filter media. This will help keep the filter media cleaner for longer.When i sat and thought about the design, i thought the design could have been better. And then while i wrote this part i realized that the actual design will work fine. I'll share my 2 thoughts.
My 1st thought. I would have liked it to be a 2 part unit (not including the top removable lid). You could fill the bottom part with some bio-media for biological filtration and the 2nd part going on top of the bio media with some chemical media if needed. You will clean and replace the chemical media far more often than the biological media. So it would be easier just to remove the 2nd part and working in it on the outside of the tank while leaving the bio media undisturbed. With the one piece basket its not that easy to replace the chemical media while it's in the tank. You have to either digg in between the top handle and grab the media bags with your fingers and pull it through one of the sides of the handle, or you have to pull the whole basket out in one go and expose the bio-media. I don't like to expose the bio-media for more than a few minutes.
My 2nd thought. The one piece unit will work great if you planning a water change and you have some of the old water in a bucket. You can pull the basket and put it straight into the bucket with old water. Now you also have a chance to clean the bio media by shaking it to remove any detritus build up and bacteria mulm on the surface of your bio media.
In the end i guess it's just a matter of personal preference. Let me know what you guys think on the basket design.
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While unboxing, dismantling and inspecting every piece of equipment for this review and build i found the return pump impeller broken. 
Instant bolt to the heart 
At the time i was not really sure if i should contact 
I hope to get this bad boy up and running as soon as possible. Cant wait to share the journey! Lets finish with the last piece of equipment for the CADE 300 review.
moet net nie dat dit weer gebeur nie.