Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail

[reefmutt]

Ok!!! I'm about to do a major photo bomb.. Sorry..
I'm doing things a bit different. No major macros. I left the shots more open to give more dof and more perspective.
All these shots were taken with my ef-s 15-85mm.
Gonna start wide open..
Oh yeah. This was shot with a fish eye lens. Get ready for lots of cyano and bubble algae..

Centre

Left side.

Centre up high. New Fiji addition in middle.

Right, centre top

This shot is called 'colors' these three frags are all mid water, centre tank. Pretty much at the exact same depth in the tank..

Lower right of centre island. The corals right in the middle and upper left corner are 10 day old Fiji additions.. More on the upper left one to come...

 

[reefmutt]

Some front glass shots..



Couple more top downs..
Right side. The big purple one is an Aussie hat has Ben in the tank for 5 days.. Curious to see how it changes..

Middle..

 

[slavetonet]

Hey Matt, I haven't read all of your post yet. I will get to it one day... I promise.
The tank is looking good from the photos you have shown.
I noticed you have 2 powder tangs - blue and brown. Are they still friends and play nicely together? How long have you had them together?

 

[reefmutt]

Hey slave, I added both the powder blue and powder brown at the same time, along with a kole tang about 3 weeks ago. They brought in a good case of ich which they are dealing with but not beating. When they first went in, my existing yellow and purple chose the powder brown as the whipping boy, so the powder blue and kole jumped on him as well. He spent a week stuck behind a pump. I had to put New Era algea disks right by the pump every day to keep him fed. But he never gave up, he came out to eat whatever he could. After another week, he could venture out further and in the last week, he is even more tolerated by the other tangs. He is still very thin but a very good eater. Way better than the powder blue. I feed algea flakes which all fish eat but the powder blue. I feed spirulina brine which everybody eats and recently, the powder brown has been allowed to graze on some rocks. So, it's starting to look better in terms of aggression but they are not out of the woods because of the ich... We'll see. I'm feeding as much as I can without really polluting the tank.

 

[reefmutt]

Ok. More.... MORE!!
Older Fiji..

New Fiji. Couple days..

This guy still growing and looking good.


Orange passion has really begun to grow quickly..


Not sure how many shots I can post at one time..

 

[mhucasey]

These are awesome Matt! I love the Fish-eye top downs, they really do give you a sense of the geography in the tank. It looks to me like there is still room for more frags too I love the new Fiji, but the one I'm really loving is the light blue thick stag...that is awesome! I think based on this batch of pics you are back in the groove - cyano and bubble algae do not diminish the tank at all.

The light blue-green one in this pic:

 

[reefmutt]

Thanks Matt! I am coming on one year with this tank, in its current configuration. Although, I have added a deeper sand bed, and cheato and removed the biopellets the tank has matured significantly over the past year.
So I could say; Wow! Since I removed the pellets a month ago, things have really taken off! But really, I replaced one nutrient control system for another (while keeping n and p very comstant throughout the changeover) in a system which has been evolving and aging over the past year. Maybe the same thing would have happened even if I left the pellets going...
At any rate.... The tank is really starting to take off. I am noticing more and more corals beginning to grow, so THAT is good!
Here, Matt. This piece is super gorgeous. It is a wild Fiji piece from Walt Smith and all of the pieces I get from Fiji darken dramatically so, although it is a stunner right now, I'm not sure how it will turn out.. Probably mostly blue purple so I can't complain! It's been in the tank 10 days and so far it hasn't changed much. This shot will be a reference point..

 

[afernandez]

That purple and neon tips!! Uuff beautiful!

 

[cFloor]

That lavender coral with the dark purple polyps and bright yellow green tips is just amazing. What a gem! Great work getting those colors out of it

 

[afernandez]

Maybe you mentioned this before but what are you shooting with? (Camera & lense)

 

[ajcanale]

Matt you've got some fire growing in this tank. :smokin:

 

[solaris11]

Beautiful....you sell frags? I'm in sudbury lol

 

[Wrangy]

Oh the horror!! :uhoh3: Bubbles and cyano and growths oh my! :lol:

You stop your complaining right now Matt! The acro's look fantastic really stunning and some kick-*** colours going on in there too! The tank has really taken on it's own and matured bloody brilliantly! Keep up the stunning work mate and make sure you tank more pictures

 

[DiscusHeckel]

What a beautiful coral heaven. When all those frags become colonies, you will be very busy fragmenting. I wish I lived close to you.

 

[plyle02]

Matt,
Colors look amazing man, keep those close ups coming

 

[nemodan]

Thanks Matt! I am coming on one year with this tank, in its current configuration. Although, I have added a deeper sand bed, and cheato and removed the biopellets the tank has matured significantly over the past year.
So I could say; Wow! Since I removed the pellets a month ago, things have really taken off! But really, I replaced one nutrient control system for another (while keeping n and p very comstant throughout the changeover) in a system which has been evolving and aging over the past year. Maybe the same thing would have happened even if I left the pellets going...
At any rate.... The tank is really starting to take off. I am noticing more and more corals beginning to grow, so THAT is good!
Here, Matt. This piece is super gorgeous. It is a wild Fiji piece from Walt Smith and all of the pieces I get from Fiji darken dramatically so, although it is a stunner right now, I'm not sure how it will turn out.. Probably mostly blue purple so I can't complain! It's been in the tank 10 days and so far it hasn't changed much. This shot will be a reference point..

Hi Matt ..... I am happy that the tank is doing well with the changes you have done moving to a more natural nutrient control.

The corals looks stunning with incredible colors .

Amazing job !!!!.....Amazing tank !!!!

Best......Daniel

 

[jroovers]

I almost immediately jumped in my car and left for Montreal for a frag of this one! :thumbsup: Looks similar to pearlberry, awesome colours! Those colours on that stag are awesome too, reminds me of the blue ice on a glacier.

 

[reefmutt]

That purple and neon tips!! Uuff beautiful!

That lavender coral with the dark purple polyps and bright yellow green tips is just amazing. What a gem! Great work getting those colors out of it

Thanks guys! It has really begun to grow..
Here's a new shot of its old base growing beside a mystery Fiji frag that's been in the tank for months.. When I yanked if off last month, it left a ring of encrusting flash behind.. If closed up rapidly after the frag came off.

Maybe you mentioned this before but what are you shooting with? (Camera & lense)

For 90% of the photos on this thread I have used my Canon Eos 70D with a canon 100m f2.8 L macro. But these most recent, wider shots a non L wide angle zoom; ef-s 15-85m

 

[reefmutt]

Matt you've got some fire growing in this tank. :smokin:

Thanks! Yes. It's a special breed of Cyanobacteria called cyanofirebacterium!!
It's so pretty! It's for sale, if you'd like some

Beautiful....you sell frags? I'm in sudbury lol

Thanks! Yes I would sell frags if my tank weren't almost completely frags. As can be seen and has been mentioned, I tend to really pack the corals in. There is no doubt that when everything starts growing, I will be pruning like a mad man. No question that I will have frags..

Oh the horror!! :uhoh3: Bubbles and cyano and growths oh my! :lol:

You stop your complaining right now Matt! The acro's look fantastic really stunning and some kick-*** colours going on in there too! The tank has really taken on it's own and matured bloody brilliantly! Keep up the stunning work mate and make sure you tank more pictures

Thanks!! I appreciate it! Yes, it is probably the characteristics of the water making the algeas so happy that is making the corals so happy..
Don't worry.. I got more pics!

What a beautiful coral heaven. When all those frags become colonies, you will be very busy fragmenting. I wish I lived close to you.

Thank for the compliment, Bulent. No question! I will need to upgrade my coral gardening tools!

Matt,
Colors look amazing man, keep those close ups coming

Don't worry! I got more.

Hi Matt ..... I am happy that the tank is doing well with the changes you have done moving to a more natural nutrient control.

The corals looks stunning with incredible colors .

Amazing job !!!!.....Amazing tank !!!!

Best......Daniel

Well, Daniel, you are partially responsible for where my tank is right now.. Your system put me over the edge and gave me the push I needed to jump away from biopellets.

 

[reefmutt]

I almost immediately jumped in my car and left for Montreal for a frag of this one! :thumbsup: Looks similar to pearlberry, awesome colours! Those colours on that stag are awesome too, reminds me of the blue ice on a glacier.

Jordan, this coral was a wild Fiji colonie. I don't think it is so uncommon. It actually has A. Plana similarities. But has thinner branches. It's nicer in person. I can't seem to photograph it perfectly. No question, it'll be fragged eventually. I'll put your name on one!
Here's how it looked right after I added it..late July