Cali Kid Corals

Kinetic's ELOS 120

Thanks for all the offers guys, but I got everything in now. Things are running, I'm waiting on getting my topoff working again and one piece from BRS for the dual reactors, and i'm all set. Cleaned the return pump, ditched the unreliable suction cups, and zip tied neoprene onto the bottom:



Here is the sump in there minus any equipment yet:




I'll take more later with the skimmer etc.

Have a great thanksgiving!
 
Installed a pair of Phoenix 14K 250watt DE's into my Giesemann to replace the MegaChrome, and wow, it's sweet. A little on the bluer side but crisp. Hopefully this will help some of the brown corals color up a bit ;)

The lamps don't seem as bright as the megachrome, probably because they are so blue. I think I'll keep the T5's for now until they need to be replaced.

Almost done fidgeting with the tank to just let it cruise.
 
Got a pair of porcelain crabs today! I introduced them to a nice little "cave" up front so I can see them. They immediately opened up their setae and started catching food. Not sure if they got anything, but glad they're staying put where I can see them. I bought them as a mated pair, one is WAY bigger. They seem to be OK with each other.

 
Hey Art you effectively eliminated the usefulness of the neoprene by adding hard connection points (zip ties) to the base. I'd remove those :)
 
GreshamH said:
Hey Art you effectively eliminated the usefulness of the neoprene by adding hard connection points (zip ties) to the base. I'd remove those :)
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Thanks for looking out. Pump is still quiet as heck, but we'll see if removing them changes the sound (at least I'll get a nice placebo). Now could you ID that anthias I have? ;)
 
Well, I'll just let her be and see what happens. Seems to be doing well. Bosses chromis around.

Today's params after a week of not fidgeting:

Alk: 9dKH
Ca: 440ppm
Mg: 1200ppm
Nitrite: undetectable
Nitrate: undetectable?
PO4: undetectable
pH: 8.3

I'm running a buttload of GFO right now in my new BRS dual reactor, which might be why po4 is undetectable. I see a little algae growing on snail shells though.

I'm doing about 4 gallons of water changes a day (continuous throughout the day) so maybe that's why nitrates are so low? Putting in the new sump last Wednesday also amounted to a 30 - 35 gallon water change.

I can see that Ca is a tad lower and Mg is about 100 - 150ppm lower than before. Either: good corals are growing now, or the newest bucket of seachem reef salt has slightly lower levels.

I think I'll need to dose for Mg? I'll check again tomorrow.
 
mpoletti said:
Very nice Art. Youru photography tells a story in every picture?
What do you develop in? What zoom do you use? 24-70mm f/2.8?
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Hey Mark,
I use Adobe Camera RAW and then I just use Photoshop CS3 to resize. I really suck with photoshop, I can barely do layers. I don't know why I bought it ($700!)

I don't have any zoom lenses at all =) I'm a prime lens guy. I shoot: 105mm f/2.8, 85mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.8, 20mm f/2.8

All my gear fits into a tiny Crumpler 6 mil dollar home bag, with plenty of room to spare. Sometimes if I don't bring the macro along, I can fit it all into a 5 mil bag.

I used to do all those gigantic zoom lenses and stuff, but now a days I love the super lightweight and small lenses, as well as zooming with my feet ;) The DOF control of prime lenses and the clarity is really my style these days. Also the fixed focal length makes me less lazy and I find myself getting really creative with compositions. Sometimes it also forces a composition that I might not have tried in the first place (going straight for the zoom to get something I was used to).

Plenty of downsides of shooting prime only, but I've become used to them and usually don't feel too bummed when I can't zoom. Can't always get the shot you want.
 
I picked up my first prime a few months ago; it was the 50mm f/1.8. For the price, I think everyone should have one in their bag. I have been looking into the 85mm as I already the 105mm f/2.8 as well. I just can not capture the quick moving fish like I wish I could. Its either "just" out of focus or their is too much noise.

Thanks to the professionals like you guys, I still have alot of room to improve.
 
mpoletti said:
I picked up my first prime a few months ago; it was the 50mm f/1.8. For the price, I think everyone should have one in their bag. I have been looking into the 85mm as I already the 105mm f/2.8 as well. I just can not capture the quick moving fish like I wish I could. Its either "just" out of focus or their is too much noise.
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The 50mm F/1.8D is one of the best lenses I have. Sure it's cheap, but I use it all the time. Quality is awesome, great focal length, great for a lot of things. I never found the need to upgrade to a 1.4 or whatever, this one rocks as is. The lens you use the most is more valuable than any lens that just sits in the bag, regardless of sticker price.

The 85mm has a wider aperture, sure, but that won't get you the shots you want at the right focal length. The compositions that you'll get with the 85 are going to be completely different than your 105. I'm guessing it's a macro 105? The magnification on the 105 macro is about 1:1, meaning you can get really freaking close to what your human eye can see close up. The 85 is much different, you can't get that close by any means.

The solution you're looking for is basically more light, or higher ISO capabilities. You want a faster shutter speed for sure, such that you can capture the fish. But you also can't stop down enough the aperture to allow for good exposures. More light might be hard, as your tank really only has that much light, even 400watt halides right above the tank won't help really. Higher ISO capabilities means a new camera body =) I shoot with a nikon d700 which is amazing even in the lowest of light hand held, just for this reason. I think you're learning the limits of your camera's ISO?

Thanks to the professionals like you guys, I still have alot of room to improve.
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Not a professional by any means, plus professionals really aren't that good at photography ;) It's the hardcore hobbyists that really define what photography really is, just like reef tanks!
 
Not a professional by any means, plus professionals really aren't that good at photography ;) It's the hardcore hobbyists that really define what photography really is, just like reef tanks!
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so true :)
I just got my first zoom not too long ago (17-40) which was a first because all I used prior were primes (after you recommended them via flickr I was hooked!) before. I like primes, but i also like zooming sometimes ... just got a 70-200 :)
 
A_Lee said:
Not a professional by any means, plus professionals really aren't that good at photography ;) It's the hardcore hobbyists that really define what photography really is, just like reef tanks!
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so true :)
I just got my first zoom not too long ago (17-40) which was a first because all I used prior were primes (after you recommended them via flickr I was hooked!) before. I like primes, but i also like zooming sometimes ... just got a 70-200 :)
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Very cool lenses, and yeah I'm not knocking on zooms by any means, they produce some amazing quality, just as good and better in plenty of cases than primes.

I'm thinking of renting a 180 f/2 one of these days to shoot some sports and street candids, which I think might frustrate me enough to get a zoom =)
 
Very nice Art. The d700 is amazing. I started with the d40x and that was just a mistake as it just opened up my intrigue. I still have the D40x as I let my wife use it :) I upgraded to the D90 a few months ago and that is when I picked up the 50mm f/1.8. My next purchase is going to be a sb600 speedlight. Hopefully that will help me get down when I need to.

The 105mm is the macro and I was looking into the 85mm more for outdoor applications. As Emma grows up, I think my lens collection will continue to grow. I did finally pick up a new microtrekker backpack and it has made going to trips 100 times easier.

Since I have not been able to produce quality fish pictures on a consistent basis, I will continue to tell myself I need more and better equipment :D
 
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