"Angel Reef" - Cade S3 1200

[krayzie]

Welcome to my build thread of my new white Cade S3 1200 reef tank this will be an upgrade from a WaterBox 20 AIO Cube - the original tank was a Christmas present in 2023 to my daughter.

https://www.cadeaustralia.com.au/product-page/reef-s3-1200-white
I will primarily be keeping Acropora/SPS dominated coral

official tank info

Tank Dimensions:

• Size: 1200x700x610mm
• Total volume: 512L / 135gal
• Display volume: 432L / 114gal
• Inbuilt ATO of 44.4L/11.7gal
• Glass: 12mm Opti-Clear
• Polycarbonate lid

Cabinet:

• White Aluminium
• Chiller compartment (dry zone)
• 16 socket x2 boards
• Dosing pump shelf

Sump/Filter area

• 5 zone area
• Input
• Refugium – ‘Triton tray’
• Skimmer/reactor chamber
• Bio media
• Return with ATO float valve
• Tinted black glass
• 3 feed lines for reactors/chillers

Plumbing

• ‘Quick fit’ all tank side plumbing already installed
• Blue colour
• Concealed return lines in ATO section with non-return valve
• 2 in tank lock line style returns
• Herbie style overflow

Current Equipment at hand:

• Return
  • Jebao - MDP-10000 DC Pump
• Wave Makers
  • Jebao – DMP40 (Left)
  • Jebao – DMP40 (Right)
  • Nero 3 – Back wall (from old tank)
  • Nero 3 – Back wall (from old tank)
• Lighting
  • Ecotech Radion Gen 6 Blue
  • AI Hydra 64
• Heating
  • 2x 300w Aquael Platinum Electronic Heater
• Doser
  • RedSea 4 dose
• Autofeeder
  • Eheim Everyday Fish Feeder
• UV
  • 87W UVonic T5 - UV87-T5

Future Equipment

• Return
  • 1x Ecotech Vectra M2
  • 1x Ecotech Vectra S2 – for chiller
• WaveMakers
  • 2x EcoTech Marine – Vortech MP40 Wavemaker
• Protein Skimmer
  • Mantis Skimmer Tornado 150
• Aquarium Reactors
  • Aquaforest
• Lighting
  • Xr30 g6
  • Rms rails
• Roller Mat
  • RedSea 250/500
• Chiller
  • Not sure yet
• Reef Controller
  • Neptune Apex with controller board
  • Neptune Trident

• Substrate: 30kg of CaribSea – Special Grade Live Reef Sand – 1 to 2mm grain size for 2.5cm/1inch deep
• Approx. 20-40kg of branching Western Australian live rock – no existing dry rock will be transferred over
• Nutrient Export: live rock, Protein Skimmer, roller mat
• Saltwater type: Australian east coast natural Seawater
• Water Changes ~10% (50 Litres NSW) every Friday or Saturday
• Elemental dosing - Aquaforest Component 1+2+3+
• Triton ICP every 1-2 months

Aquarium Tank Inhabitants

• Current fish list – to be transferred over
  • Pair of Percula clown - (Amphiprion percula)
  • Lawnmower blenny – (Salarias fasciatus)
  • Talbot's damselfish – (Chrysiptera talboti)
  • Pygmy Possum Wrasse – (Wetmorella tanakai)
  • Assortment of turbo and Stomatella snails to be transferred
  • 2 Peppermint shrimp to be transferred
• 6 Acro coral frags will need to be transferred over
• 3 Deshi Corals (Acanthophyllia sp.) will need to be transferred over as well

Future fish list - I’m not sure if my tank is big enough for the tangs

• Magnificent rabbitfish - (Siganus magnificus)
• Two Spot Bristletooth Tang – (Ctenochaetus binotatus)
• Scopas Tang – (Zebrasoma scopas)
• Fairy Wrasse – (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura

I received the tank on 11th September of 2025

 

[Jmp998]

Excited to see an S3 setup! I’m very happy with my 1200 S2, curious to see how S3 compares.

 

[krayzie]

Excited to see an S3 setup! I’m very happy with my 1200 S2, curious to see how S3 compares.

i nearly purchased the s2 right before the s3 came out.
Price is alot steeper for the s3 ($4,599.00AUD) vs s2 ($3,599.00)

but you do get all aluminium frame, doors are not longer glass but aluminium, euro brace, polycarb lid as standard

 

[krayzie]

unboxing and putting it into position, had a two of the guys from the LFS help me lift it into position up 2 flights of stairs was not easy.

much appreciated BRETT and WILL from Eastwood Aquarium in sydney

had the manager watching closely

 

[krayzie]

full sump shot

 

[krayzie]

this is the suicide door on the left looking into the sump

 

[krayzie]

this is the chiller section.
there is actually a shelf in the protective foam for dosers and also where the power boards live

the boards on the outside can mount controllers with some cable management holes and covers to tidy up the spaghetti

 

[krayzie]

finally right hand side suicide door where more controllers can be mounted with cable management and the power boards

 

[shadyraro]

Looking good!
I'm also looking to upgrade to an S3 1200 so I'll be watching your build with interest.

 

[krayzie]

Looking good!
I'm also looking to upgrade to an S3 1200 so I'll be watching your build with interest.

Thanks mate! I’ve been looking at your 900 for a while. It’s partly why I went to the Cade

 

[shadyraro]

Thanks mate! I’ve been looking at your 900 for a while. It’s partly why I went to the Cade

Awesome!
You won’t be disappointed with the Cade, I’m looking forward to seeing yours up and running!

 

[krayzie]

so ive got some more stuff to put on the tank

return pump Jebao - MDP-10000 DC Pump

Wave Makers
Jebao – DMP40 (Left)
Jebao – DMP40 (Right)


lets see how long they last. while i save for the real deals and maybe a M2

the DMP40s were $120 AUD off Aliexpress so quite a lot cheaper

 

[Australian_Reef]

I fancy trying a jebao… any good? Never used Ali express.. are they legit, fast delivery etc?

 

[krayzie]

they are somewhat fast around 1.5-2 weeks on average
from what i have read they have a break in period and have similar wave patterns to a mp40 but i have never owned an mp40

 

[krayzie]

i have a inkbird ITC-306A and a single aquael 300w heater

 

[krayzie]

Filled the tank. 2 trips was needed

the big tank was 120L and a few 25L containers and 20L salt mixing buckets

i was also able to borrow their candy cane and pump from the garage which helped heaps

 

[krayzie]

3 bags of 20LBs(9.5kg) bags Carbisea arag alive went in

 

[krayzie]

in goes some western Australian branching live rock

i chose this because i wanted the more negative space look over arches and bigger pieces

 

[Gumbies R Us]

3 bags of 20LBs(9.5kg) bags Carbisea arag alive went in

That's the same sand I used in my tank! I definitely was a fan of that sand!

 

[krayzie]

That's the same sand I used in my tank! I definitely was a fan of that sand!

i was worried at first that it wasnt white enough and i was going to go aquaforest bio sand which was super white but grain size was super small, afer putting it in the tank its actually really nice and not dull

its very natural looking