Maroun 150g Build Thread

[maroun.c]

Amazing pictures.
Thanks for sharing. Yes that Camel is weird not sure if it's cute or freaky seeing how big it is. It's weird how your Lowepro bag contrasts with the rather poor environment. So What camera body and lenses do you usually use/travel with?
Egypt is on my Countries to visit list.
Love the Croals you got and hope they'll do fine in your tank.

Joeee,
the Camel was weird to say the least but it was a nice ride. it's really scary when its stands up or sits down as you ride it while itls laying on the floor. it just stands up on two feet pushing you back then lifts the other two swaying you around. its amazing how tolerant of the weather it is as my guide was on horse and it looked dead tired after a few hundred meters. still the guide was easiy tripple my wieght.... Good catch on the Lowepro bag:hmm3: I just love Lowpro bags and can't get enough of them have 3 already. I travel with my
D70s which is well due for an upgrade when I can afford a new body but I'm still waiting on the perfect upgrade. For lenses it's alway different depending on what I foresee to shoot while on travel:
For single lens travel I would take my Nikon 18-200 VR as it covers a nice range.
Second lense especially if there are aquarium stores or displays on the trip would be the Tamron 17-50 2.8 which can focus really close and allows me to suspport my camera on the aquarium glass if I'm not using a monopod or tripod which I rarely take on travel. if I foresee flashless shooting and dark locations or tanks my Nikon 50 mm 1.4 will be along. and if I foresee wildelife or birding shots I'll take my Nikon 70-300 VR.
I'm still looking forward to add a Nikon 105 VR macro and another long zoom fast lens and a wide angle lense. then afterwards would upgrade the body.
Egypt was a nice country to visit but IMHO was a bit overestimated eventhough it's got one of the wonders of the world (the Pyramids) which for some reason weren't as Impressive as I anticipated... still the museum is worth visiting. Still my impressions could have been affected by being upset with People attitude there... somehow it felt very cheap and everyone was trying their best to get some money out of you... not to mention how crouded and corrupted it is... definitely not the coutnry I would suggest for tourism although one of the most touristic countries in the region...
The corals I got are doing better everyday and hopefully will be back from Spain this week to fix them in their final locations...

 

[maroun.c]

One last question,
Is that head wrap part of your local dress as it's a bit weird with Jeans? No offense intended just interested in knowing the local egyptian dress code.
Thanks

No I'm Lebanese to start with not Egyptian. Our dress code would be European or American (not sure how to call it) Jeans T shirts shirts suits neckties depending on what you're doing on the day. the head wrapp thing was for the sun as it was very hot on the desert near the Pyramids. It got "offered' to me by a small kid and once I opened it and put it on my head the guy changed his position from it's a gift to you to you know for 20 usd it's better than having a headach due to the sun... No offense taking however it did make me laugh. My wife had the same reaction when she saw the pic as she was like: why do you have this over your head:eek2:
No offense taken :beer:

 

[Aquarist007]

No I'm Lebanese to start with not Egyptian. Our dress code would be European or American (not sure how to call it) Jeans T shirts shirts suits neckties depending on what you're doing on the day. the head wrapp thing was for the sun as it was very hot on the desert near the Pyramids. It got "offered' to me by a small kid and once I opened it and put it on my head the guy changed his position from it's a gift to you to you know for 20 usd it's better than having a headach due to the sun... No offense taking however it did make me laugh. My wife had the same reaction when she saw the pic as she was like: why do you have this over your head:eek2:
No offense taken :beer:

that reminds me of the kids in the Bahamas that offer you a towel or raft to lie on the hot beach sand with for a fee of course. You go swimming and they scoop it back up and start over again:spin2:

 

[maroun.c]

Just finished a business trip to valencia Spain and took a well worth it 3 hours train trip to Barcelona to pickup a few corals from the store I was at last time. As they had informed me they are packed with corals so here's a few shots of what they have then a few shots from their display and then some pics of the corals I will be picking up this evening to travel back with tomorrow. Would appreciate any suggestions on further corals from the followings to get:

 

[maroun.c]

 

[maroun.c]

 

[maroun.c]

FTS of the Coral selling tank:

FTS of their Display:
small tank and this pic doesn't doit justice as you see in the closeups of corals inside:

tried to buy this nice pirple coral but they wouldn't sell it. was still primised a frag when I pass by to pick up my corals:

 

[reeflord]

spanish corals rock:smurf:

 

[maroun.c]

and a hareem of anthias squampini.
this is the male and they have 4-5 females with him

Finally corals I'm buying (if they fit in my bag) comments and suggestions are welcome:

I hope this one will get a bit more purple in my tank:

Don't have any SPS with this texture so I'm picking up this one not sure if it's stay this color or not:

same as this one to add a bit of lights to the tank:

Then some more. I tried one like this one last trip but it didnt make it through shipping so I'll try again: (brown with blue tips)

This one is going to a friend but will get a frag of it in the future:

These are large enough to split with a couple of friends:

 

[sue711]

wow, wow, wow!!

 

[maroun.c]

Just hoping they'll all fit in the box and coolers I have as well as in my bag....

 

[maroun.c]

Reeflord Sue,
The pics don't even do them justice and the worst part is that they still get them from Indonesia which is much closer to my country than to Spain but our LFS either get the worse stocks or they don't buy enough to get the best quality... Still for the price they sell for and the Euro rate today these will be outrageously painnnnnnffffffuuuuuulllllll.

 

[sue711]

Ouch, I bet. $$$ You will have some more beautiful corals to add to your tank though!

Oh, I wanted to comment on those snail like things you took pictures of in your tank. They look like harmless Stomatella to me. They are great little critters that eat micro algae.

I enjoy your updates Maroun!

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks Sue,
You got it right. I posted on reef discussion and got the same ID. For once something multiplying at that fast rate in the tank is harmless and beneficial...
More updates later on as I just went to the LFS and picked up the corals I wanted (and some more) I'm just hoping they'll arrive fine. one the last shipment from Spain with an added delay of hours on flight I lost 1 out of 5-6 corals let's hope I have the same ratio this time.

 

[Aquafred]

Crazy corals collection.
Any updates on which ones you picked up finally and how did they ship?
Awaiting pics of them in your tank...

 

[maroun.c]

Got the followings:

Arrived fine

Arrived completely RTNd

Arrived fine

Arrived fine. Given to a friend and RTNd in his tank.

Arrived with few branches white. No further loss since then and remaining branches seem to be recovering.

Arrived with many white branches and had RTN on following days saved a couple of branches by fragging and some remaining ones seem to be recovering.

Arrived fine

 

[Joeee]

Great Corals and pictures.
Are these pictures taken at the store? do you take your tripod with you for such crisp pictures?
Can you please ID the last coral you posted? I'm sure your tank looks much different with all the new additions? FTS Please.

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks Joeee.
No I don't take any tripod with me. Just use a fast lense, fast shutter to avoid motion blurr and sometimes add a bit of flash just enough to freeze motion and not casue colorwash...
About that coral, I'm not sure if it's a Suharsonoi sp? or sometype of digitata?
Tank does look very different after all the additions as well as after some rescaping...
will post pics in coming days

 

[JillNairn]

Nice thread.. nice corals! Nice thread documenting your tank!

 

[Aquarist007]

can we see a full tank shot Maroun?