d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build

[ClownsRCoo]

Awesome video you made man. I don't think most of us realize just how long it takes to take shots, prep them, and upload to the forum. We take for granted all of the behind the scenes stuff you do when you are posting a ton of pics on a regular basis.


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[d2mini]

Awesome video you made man. I don't think most of us realize just how long it takes to take shots, prep them, and upload to the forum. We take for granted all of the behind the scenes stuff you do when you are posting a ton of pics on a regular basis.


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Thanks, Chris!

 

[Nimitz87]

dennis how are you liking the scrubbing?

what air pump are you using?

 

[damienpbuckley]

That's a great walk through. It's always interesting to see others process in both LR and Photoshop given how many options there are in both pieces of software.

You asked for suggestions and I for one would love to hear about how you get the right ISO, shutter speed & aperture settings for shooting aquariums. I've taken photos for years but still struggle with this with a DSLR.


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[mikeatjac]

Not sure about the Triton System. Came home after 4 days and the micro algae is very faded. Hair algae has started to grow in the refugee. Coral colors a little faded.

Tested for Nitrates and found 0. I have used 1/4 a teaspoon of stump remover twice in the last 24 four hours just to get something the test kit could detect by Salifert. Showing 1 PPM 30 minutes after second dose.

Are you making up a solution and dosing it and if so what strength? Looking for some base line as I have to leave again for a week on Monday.

Thanks

You know I got in this mess because I wanted a Mandarin and your refuge looked like it support a large colony!

 

[d2mini]

dennis how are you liking the scrubbing?

what air pump are you using?

My sps look like H E double hockey sticks right now so I can't comment on subtle improvements people typically mention like improved PE and such.

I'm just trying to get more gunk out of the display and into the fuge where it can be skimmed.
I have noticed substantially increased skim production, and more red colored like my diatoms or dinos or whatever the heck it is.
And I *may* be seeing decreased amounts of it on the sand bed. Too hard to call just yet.
I've also been blowing the rocks off and stirring the sand bed daily, again to help export the stuff.
Of course its mostly clear in the morning but after the lights come back on it comes back. Hopefully less than the day before.

This is the pump and airstone.
I also have a little air control valve to create backpressure and finer bubbles, per the advice of Cruz Arias.

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[d2mini]

Not sure about the Triton System. Came home after 4 days and the micro algae is very faded. Hair algae has started to grow in the refugee. Coral colors a little faded.

Tested for Nitrates and found 0. I have used 1/4 a teaspoon of stump remover twice in the last 24 four hours just to get something the test kit could detect by Salifert. Showing 1 PPM 30 minutes after second dose.

Are you making up a solution and dosing it and if so what strength? Looking for some base line as I have to leave again for a week on Monday.

Thanks

You know I got in this mess because I wanted a Mandarin and your refuge looked like it support a large colony!

Mine were holding steady for awhile lately without dosing, and then i checked last night and boom.... zero again! Probably because my fuge started kicking in again.

Here's what I wrote earlier in this thread when I first mixed it up...

Mixed up somewhere around 5 tablespoons with 450 ml of water, but the neck in the container I was using was small and I spilled a bunch so not sure how much made it in there this time.
I'll get a better measurement next time I mix it up.
But for now I dosed 10ml of that solution the first night but it didn't move much so I dosed 20ml the next night. Following morning nitrates seemed to be around 4-5 ppm. I dosed 10ml last night but haven't tested again yet.

I dosed 10ml late last night but haven't checked it again. Will later today.

 

[d2mini]

That's a great walk through. It's always interesting to see others process in both LR and Photoshop given how many options there are in both pieces of software.

You asked for suggestions and I for one would love to hear about how you get the right ISO, shutter speed & aperture settings for shooting aquariums. I've taken photos for years but still struggle with this with a DSLR.


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There is no "right" ISO.
Higher ISO just makes the camera more sensitive to light, so you can run a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture (higher f-stop number).
Go too high with the ISO and images get noisy. This depends on your camera. The newer it is, the better it will be.
I keep mine around 1000 iso.
Now all you are left with is shutter speed and aperture.
I like soft backgrounds when shooting the tank so my aperture is pretty open at around f/4 give or take with the macro lens.
So I use shutter speed to give me the correct exposure.

 

[mikeatjac]

Mine were holding steady for awhile lately without dosing, and then i checked last night and boom.... zero again! Probably because my fuge started kicking in again.

Here's what I wrote earlier in this thread when I first mixed it up...




I dosed 10ml late last night but haven't checked it again. Will later today.

Thanks

 

[saf1]

You ever consider going back to your routine prior to new tank and Triton? There are also a couple other supplement systems. For what it is worth your tank still seems healthy outside some of the issues you are addressing.

 

[d2mini]

You ever consider going back to your routine prior to new tank and Triton? There are also a couple other supplement systems. For what it is worth your tank still seems healthy outside some of the issues you are addressing.

I'd be back to a CaRx if I did anything else.

 

[damienpbuckley]

There is no "right" ISO.
Higher ISO just makes the camera more sensitive to light, so you can run a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture (higher f-stop number).
Go too high with the ISO and images get noisy. This depends on your camera. The newer it is, the better it will be.
I keep mine around 1000 iso.
Now all you are left with is shutter speed and aperture.
I like soft backgrounds when shooting the tank so my aperture is pretty open at around f/4 give or take with the macro lens.
So I use shutter speed to give me the correct exposure.

Thanks. I have a D-7000. I struggle not to end up with blurred fast moving fish lol. There's a lot to get right with LED lighting, movement etc. I probably need to lift my ISO - I don't think I had it as high as 1000.


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[mpderksen]

Okay, reality check. Watched your video (which was great, btw). Totally weird, but in my mind you were 60+ and a balding white guy. Now, hearing your voice on the video, I picture you as a maybe 30 and a tech-geek.....
the internet is a very weird place....

 

[d2mini]

Okay, reality check. Watched your video (which was great, btw). Totally weird, but in my mind you were 60+ and a balding white guy. Now, hearing your voice on the video, I picture you as a maybe 30 and a tech-geek.....
the internet is a very weird place....

LOL! Well, you got the bald part right. :strooper:

 

[d2mini]

Dino's or whatever I've had for the last several months has beat me down.

Since my tank was "only" 9 months old and I didn't have a ton of coral yet, I decided to cut my losses now and start fresh.
Going back to what I know works for me. Standard Berlin style filtration, a nice ball of cheato (that gets trimmed!), and no more Triton dosing.
Triton was going ok for me in the beginning but once the fuge crashed, it's been all downhill.
I'll use ESV Bionic for now since I'm set up to dose, and once demand pics up and I have time to recover $$$ from this, I'll invest in a CaRx again.
New TBS rock and sand coming tomorrow night.

This pic is this morning.
Nona (our kitteh) is all "wth?" Can you find her?

None of my fish made it through the transfer.
I set up a 50g QT with matched salinity and temp but there must have been an 02 drop because they were all dead within a couple hours.
So pretty bummed about that to say the least.

Most coral are packed in an 18" cube. I took a few lps to my office nano.
All coral were dipped and put into fresh SW.

The tank was drained, and then filled with tap water and bleach and run for 10 hours over night.
I drained it again this morning.
Filling with fresh SW commences later today.
Part 1 of the rock and all the sand goes in tomorrow night.

 

[ClownsRCoo]

That BLOWS! I know first hand how frustrated you must have been to finally decide to totally start over. Good luck with the reboot


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[jason2459]

Really sucks but looking forward to what comes next as I'm sure will be awesome. Not to mention I love the dancing chaeto.

 

[ClownsRCoo]

You ever consider the ARID chaeto reactors? They seem so simple, they can be isolated from the system if the algae does crash, and it takes up less space than a traditional fuge and probably out works it?


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[d2mini]

You ever consider the ARID chaeto reactors? They seem so simple, they can be isolated from the system if the algae does crash, and it takes up less space than a traditional fuge and probably out works it?


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Yeah... i have. They are enticing... but a bit pricey.
I have seen some DIY's though.
But not sure if I want to limit myself to a reactor. I like the ease of just reaching in to trim or whatever, and also have the option to toss something else in there if need be. So still leaning towards a regular fuge.
Good suggestion though. Will keep it in mind.

 

[swk]

It's hard to beat a masterflex driven calrx with a nice big skimmer. The KISS method hasn't failed many people that I know of. Sorry to hear you have to reboot but hope it brings positive results for you.