Maroun 150g Build Thread

[maroun.c]

-The Blue maxima still did not fix on the rock since 4-5 days now however it jumped/was knocked over from it a few times. it's still on sand level so the falls did not hurt it and is still opening fully but I'm just wandering if I should bring it higher or not?
-The Green/Brown maxima is still not opening fully. the max it opens is what you see in these pictures. I wonder if some clams don't open fully or if it has any significance that it only opens this much? could the light be to strong for it? any need for action. So far they are both close to each other and getting a very mild flow.

 

[maroun.c]

The acropora I got 3-4 weeks ago and which had a few tips break off:

Seems to be making a quick recovery. Still doesn't have the polyp extension it had at the lfs but looking better with more green to it

 

[maroun.c]

Now to what I like most in photography, Macros. used a 50mm1.4 with extension tubes at different lengths and some with a reversing ring with or without ext tubes. all following macro shots have not been cropped at all just some colour adjustments and minor sharpening.

Green nirds nest?
Size ref with a 50 mm lens alone

rev ring and ext tubes notice how thin DOF is.

 

[maroun.c]

Green Accro (still waiting for correct ID)
This one is also a new addition from my trip to munich last week. seems to be doing Ok with moderate polyp extension.
These were taken with ext tubes alone without any reversing ring to gain a bit more DOF Again no cropping at all. I would say these are more magnified than some pics I saw today taken with a mesoscope.

It did have those white tips when I got it and was told these are growth signs? many other corals that looked very healthy had whiter tips at the store.

 

[maroun.c]

Last seto f macros for a blue accro that I also got from Munich.
Is this a blue tort?

It did show some polyps the first day, yet no sign of polyps extension afterwards. no fading colours yet or signs of RTN but not seeing polyps at all is keeing me worried. it is now in an area of medium high lighitng and medium flow.

one with no polyps

 

[maroun.c]

Last one, Not really the greatest but at this magnification ration without a macro lens focusing was really hard to get it.

 

[Joeee]

All I can say is WOW.
Great pictures and new additions hope they all make it.
Can you please elaborate on the non croping thing you describe? what difference would it make if the picture is cropped to get this magnification?
I don't really see why focusing would be more difficult than regular pictures?
Did you find any solutions to your water chemistry problems yet?
Finally do you have a recent FTS and maybe a stocklist of your tank inhabitants?
Thanks for your info

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks Joeee.

Can you please elaborate on the non croping thing you describe?what difference would it make if the picture is cropped to get this magnification?

when you don't crop a picture this means that you are getting this magnification "for real" you can make larger prints as this is a full size picture. cropping it gives you less pictures for printing.
the whole essence of buying macro lenses and ext tubes... is to get that bigger magnification without having to crop.

I don't really see why focusing would be more difficult than regular pictures?

when using extension tubes your deapth of field even at F16 or more is very thin. I once took a fly macro with reversing ring and tubes, the fly "eyes" were very sharp and well in focus where the hairs on the neck were totally out of focus. yes it is this thin. when using shorter ext tube you could still autofocus but using a combination of them will make it so hard for your autofocus system and you will be focusing manually. actually you focus by moving hte camera closer or farther away from your subject. at the same time this affects your composition. the hard trick is having the right composition at focus distance...
it is so hard that you resort to using a macro rail which allows you to move the whole setup (camera reversing ring ext tubes and lens) back and front in two modes faster one to be close to your focus then in fine mode to slowly adjust the focus my moving in less than mm increments...
so yes it is very difficult but I enjoy it.
using a macro lense alone will give good magnification at ease of autofocus and metering (which you also lose when using a reversing ring) using ext tubes and reversing rings is much cheaper and harder but gives you higher magnification ratios.

Did you find any solutions to your water chemistry problems yet?

not yet but it's moving hoepfully in the right directions. will post a summary of all the new results and changes as soon as I finalize some points that marc suggested.

Finally do you have a recent FTS and maybe a stocklist of your tank inhabitants?

Will be taking some FTS when I finish with my alk caAnd MG issues. I will also try to make a run down of all my corals with pictures of each. That will have to wait a bit as I'm focused more on my water checks currently.

 

[michika]

Yes, the move is going much smoother now. Kevin though keeps flooding the basement with his stupidity. e.g. instead of filling the 55L garbage bins we have that have float switches for shut-offs he decides he will fill a 5g bucket and then forgets about it.

I love the SPS, they look great, and I really hope they thrive for you. Your clams are cute too!

 

[melev]

Try taking a few pictures of the clams from above. If you can find a plastic container with a smooth bottom, that would let you penetrate the surface of the water to get some nice pictures.

The SPS look nice, and white-ish tips are new growth. If you see bare white skeleton, that's not good. Try looking at that blue coral late at night when the lights are out. Odds are those poplyps will be extended.

 

[maroun.c]

Yes, the move is going much smoother now. Kevin though keeps flooding the basement with his stupidity. e.g. instead of filling the 55L garbage bins we have that have float switches for shut-offs he decides he will fill a 5g bucket and then forgets about it.

Ok I'm sure I'll do that on daily basis in the stress of a move
Still its always good to have somebody to help you.

I love the SPS, they look great, and I really hope they thrive for you. Your clams are cute too!

Thanks just added a new one. pics to follow.

Knowing how much you love clams I'm sure you'll like this tank.
At least I got one of them so far

 

[maroun.c]

few more pics before going back to water checmistry issues.
This is a series of pics I took under actinic lighting which is still not that easy for me.

 

[maroun.c]

 

[maroun.c]

 

[maroun.c]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13598609#post13598609 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Try taking a few pictures of the clams from above. If you can find a plastic container with a smooth bottom, that would let you penetrate the surface of the water to get some nice pictures.

The SPS look nice, and white-ish tips are new growth. If you see bare white skeleton, that's not good. Try looking at that blue coral late at night when the lights are out. Odds are those poplyps will be extended.

Will try doing that Marc. Still waiting for a trip to the states where I could ship back one of your top down boxes.
did you try taking pics with the D70 in that box or is it impossible for a camera without and LCD for preview?
Just looked at the corals (1 AM here and lights have been off since 11:00PM) the green one shows longer polyps that it does during day time. the blue one does not show any. it's been 6 days now without polyps do you think I shoud move it to an area with more light and flow?

 

[melev]

It probably is in an area of good flow if the polyps are retracted currently. Can you feel the force of the flow if your hand is near it? What do you think?

No, I don't even have one. My only backup box was snatched up by a guy, so I need to build some new ones. I've not tried, but since the lens can't get that close anyway, I've not been motivated.

 

[maroun.c]

flow is mild on it when I check it with my hand but I can see particles in the water moving around it. guess I'l just try to redirect a CL output to direct just a bit mroe flow towards it and see if that makes a difference.

 

[maroun.c]

Something is really wrong with my galaxea. It is one of 2 I have in the tank had it for over 6 months. the other one had only 10% of the rock still alive and now seems to be growing back.
This one had lost a bit of tissue from where it is losing now but not as much. Noticed a small spot of dead tissue few days ago which seems to be growing on daily basis and since 2 days part of its side seems to be dying and quickly too. it's under strong light and flow since I got it and seemed to be doing good under it. no changes so far except for raising the MG levels which all other corals including the second galaxea seem to be fine with.
any info on what to check or do (any dips for LPS?) would be graetly appreciated. I notice a residual slime cover after tissue dies don't know if it is what is killing hte tissue or if it is the remains of the tissue. tried sucking them away and blowing over the dead areas yesterday but am seing more die off today.
Thanks for any help or suggestion.

 

[melev]

That is some odd recession, but that coral can sting any of those SPS frags pretty badly. Galaxia sweepers can be very long (12" is not unheard of).

The area that is in the middle of healthy polyps - maybe it was done by a fish nipping? I don't know what else to tell you, as that is one coral I've never purchased because I know it eats up so much real estate.

 

[maroun.c]

MArc this coral never showed any sweepers even at night, till 2-3 months ago when it started growing and recovered some of the dead areas it had. I only see 3-4 sweepers and they are very long. I have it on the edge of the rock with flow blowing across it towards the open space so all sweepers are always in the open direction and they can never touch any of hte corals next to it. Anyway I just reepoxied all frags on some bigger rocks as they were continusously falling from the water flwo and now they are farther away. do you think I should frag it into multiple smaller pieces if the recession continues to expand?