dmorel's 220 Round & Shallow reef build

[dmorel]

And now for some new photos...

Just took these an hour ago.
I apparently still stink with a camera, I probably need a better lens, but really what I need is a skilled photog to come take some shots for me!

full tank and partial tank shots

random corals and fish

More in a moment

 

[dmorel]

Couple more...

 

[dmorel]

Well things are up and down with the tank.
I've been dosing 2 part for a few weeks but finally put this dreaded calcium reactor back online today. Maybe this time it will work, if not I'm definitely getting another reactor body. Dosing 2 part I'm using 300 ML a day to stay at 8DKH 400 calcium.
No way I can keep doing that much, so one more shot at the reactor.

I've been dosing MB7 for the last two weeks and will start adding vodka today .6ML twice a day for the first couple days. I've taken the GFO offline now that I added my first dose of vodka but left algae in the fuge. I'll pull that if it starts to die off.

SPS and LPS are all doing really well. I've had two different really nice zoa frags melt though, and I have no idea why. Others look fantastic, and frankly I'm puzzled by the events.

Other sad news is that the Achilles did not make it. I'm really bummed about that, all other fish are doing well.
One of the wrasses jumped out of the tank while I was standing there the other day though, which was pretty crazy. Fortunately I was there and got to him before the dogs did. Scooped him and he was back in the tank in less than 15 seconds.

Been reading a little about taking pictures and may try some new things with the wife's DSLR tomorrow and so I can document the vodka dosing.

 

[aquariumclown]

Luckily for your wrasse you were there to save him. You may or may not be aware of this but almost all wrasses jump. This might post quite a risk with an open tank like yours. I used to have 3 yellow coris wrasses and they jumped all the time, it was rather safe because of my tall canopy, but they would jump into the overflow and jump back into the DT periodically.

Also quite a few species of blennies and gobies jump too, have heard too many cases of this.

 

[aquariumclown]

You did a good job with the pictures. If I could recommend anything I'd say...

- Get a tripod for all in tank close up shots.
- Get a acrylic photobox for all top down shots.
- Turn off the pumps and let the water sit still, this will clear up any debris and allow you to shoot clearer photos.
- If you can afford it, for best close ups, get a macro lens.

Hopefully this might save you a ton of reading.

 

[dmorel]

Thanks Aquariumclown.
I actually did a bunch of reading this morning and tried a few things.
Shot in RAW mode, with an ISO of 100 and an F stop of 20. Followed a few other tweaks and YES I used a tripod. I still got a bunch of unsable ones, but... a few are pretty good...

See for yourself (little smaller this time)

Full tank

Right Side

Some zoas

Crazy Colors SPS

Couple of rics

Micros

Efflo

Dueling Caps and zoa's

Acan Garden

 

[aquariumclown]

Good job, it's much better. The smaller focal length allowed you better DOF. Just be careful with overexposure, which is why you have glaring white spots. For this you can try to put the camera in manual and slow down the shutter speed. Or easier might be turn exposure compensation to -3 or -7, and so on. There are other ways of course, but these might be the easiest for someone new to photography.

 

[Ed Reef]

Very nice.....defiantly coming along nicely. Can't wait for those corals to grow out in a year's time

 

[Plankt0s]

Everything is looking great. Sorry about you Achilles but you know how they are. Its cool to have such a unique tank.

 

[Lightsluvr]

Wow!

Wow!

Your tank definitely has the WOW! factor.

Very unique and stunning display. Very modern thatrical feel with the one of a kind lighting...

Congratulations!

LL

 

[Elliott]

everything is coloring up nicely! I know the feeling of having things do well and others not, seems to be a constant part of this hobby, sort of trying to keep a beach ball underwater

 

[Cantonesefish]

Dmorel, please check your pm box

 

[Pawky]

I love the tank build. Its refreshing to see something different.

 

[Bax]

Different, unique and stunning, all descriptive words that really fit this display to be sure!

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

Looking great Dave!

 

[LUVSPS]

Looks wonderful!!!

 

[dmorel]

Sorry been quite for a while, just got back from a long business trip to Europe. Too long...

Tank is coming along nicely, the vodka and MB7 experiment is going well(ish) currently seeing PO4 starting to drop, colors might be better, but not certain so probably not
At the moment dealing with a little stringy cyano type gunk on the sand bed and a bit on the rocks so going to cut back on the vodka for a little while and see how that goes. Still pushing through 300ML a day of two part! I need to get a new reactor, I just have to... I will say aside from the expense that dosing two part is much easier than dealing with the reactor, even when I using it on a controller, and I don't have PH problems this way.... But going through a gallon every two weeks is simply not affordable. Corals are growing like mad though, burning up all that calc and alk!

 

[Elliott]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15727569#post15727569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dmorel
Sorry been quite for a while, just got back from a long business trip to Europe. Too long...

Tank is coming along nicely, the vodka and MB7 experiment is going well(ish) currently seeing PO4 starting to drop, colors might be better, but not certain so probably not
At the moment dealing with a little stringy cyano type gunk on the sand bed and a bit on the rocks so going to cut back on the vodka for a little while and see how that goes. Still pushing through 300ML a day of two part! I need to get a new reactor, I just have to... I will say aside from the expense that dosing two part is much easier than dealing with the reactor, even when I using it on a controller, and I don't have PH problems this way.... But going through a gallon every two weeks is simply not affordable. Corals are growing like mad though, burning up all that calc and alk!

I'm tempted to abandon my Ca Reactor and start dosing, better control of parameters, however both methods have their advantages/disadvantages, if I dose I'll get some very large containers to buy me some time between fill ups

 

[Snakebyt]

awesome tanks a great build thread, i love the way those caps are coming together. Very interesting build. Just encase i missed it, how many gallons is the DT?

 

[Rickyrooz1]

Where did you buy the lights?