MegaBite's 180 & Shallow Reef

[Megabite]

Freaking 7D..... you have me so jealous now. I need to pay more attention, that camera came out a few months after I bought my T1i and I had no idea it was coming.

LOL, I know what you mean. I do that all of the time.

Honestly, I was going to get the T1i. I think it's a great camera and would have met all my needs without issue. However, I made the mistake of walking by the 7D and grabbing the camera to see how it feels. Bottom line, don't grab a camera that costs over $1,000 more and not expect to like it more. Additionally, do not call a relative that's an avid photographer and ask their opinion. He's even telling me to get a "real" lens for that camera in order to take good pictures. The lens that he's telling me I should start with is about $1,800I JEEZ! I doubt I will be getting a new lens anytime soon.

In any case, I really like the 7D and the pictures it takes look truly amazing. Then again, I'm comparing it to my Canon S5 IS which is a really nice camera but more of a point and shoot type.

 

[Taqpol]

$1800, is that the Canon 180mm Macro? If so, that would be an absolutely amazing lens for fish tank shots!

or for $1000 they now have my favorite lens (the 100mm Macro) in IS.

What lens did the camera come with stock?

 

[Megabite]

That's for a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L series IS lens http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=216&modelid=7469. More of a high end general purpose lens not really for the tank although I bet I can take great shots with it. Most of the shots I took were at over 100MM and both the coral shots at full 135mm zoom. I'm not sure what shooting distances I can use with macro. I really can't get that close to most things in my tank.

The stock lens it came with is a EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. I think it's the same one the 50D comes with stock as well. http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=216&modelid=7337

 

[kmacartney]

There is now way I'm going to do that. I know where the crab lives just can't get to it. I'm wondering if I can trap it of something. Haven't figured it out yet.

Eventually my crab became brave enough to come out at feeding time. If yours is the same it would be easy to trap.

 

[Megabite]

Eventually my crab became brave enough to come out at feeding time. If yours is the same it would be easy to trap.

It would be great if that's the case although I've only seen him venture out after lights out. Thanks for the encouragement

 

[Megabite]

happy new year all!!!!!

 

[blennymower]

Awesome progress MB. What ballasts do you use on your DT?

 

[Megabite]

Awesome progress MB. What ballasts do you use on your DT?

Thanks Blenny. I use 3 - 250W IceCap electronic ballasts.

I see you're from Miami. I was born and raised there and moved to Central Florida a little over 6 years ago. I was living in Kendall when I moved.

 

[blennymower]

Thanks Blenny. I use 3 - 250W IceCap electronic ballasts.

I see you're from Miami. I was born and raised there and moved to Central Florida a little over 6 years ago. I was living in Kendall when I moved.

I wasn't born in Miami but I've lived here since I was 8, great city :fun4:

Anyways, what bulbs are you currently running?

I want to go with HQI's but I've heard IceCaps underdrive them. Thinking about getting dimmable lumateks.

 

[Megabite]

I wasn't born in Miami but I've lived here since I was 8, great city :fun4:

Anyways, what bulbs are you currently running?

I want to go with HQI's but I've heard IceCaps underdrive them. Thinking about getting dimmable lumateks.

I'm running Phoenix 14K HQI's on the Ice caps. No problems at all and great color.

 

[Megabite]

New FTS.

 

[rastarainy]

wow. truly amazing how beautiful your tank is.

 

[Megabite]

wow. truly amazing how beautiful your tank is.

Thanks Rasta. Took a bunch of new pics today. Will update soon.

 

[Megabite]

I re-arranged few things and took some pictures last night and there are some updated pictures of the shallow tank as well. It was a little late so only the actinics were on when I took the pictures of the shallow tank.

Enjoy :beer:

 

[Taqpol]

I love the green polyped birdsnest you have frags of in your tank, thats probably one of my favorite all time corals!

I like all the changes you made to your display tank, especially moving the green cap over. It really opens it up a lot.

 

[Megabite]

I love the green polyped birdsnest you have frags of in your tank, thats probably one of my favorite all time corals!

I like all the changes you made to your display tank, especially moving the green cap over. It really opens it up a lot.

Thanks man. All of those frags was from a colony that was starting to die off. Had some issues that really affected it. So fragged it up a before it all died a few months ago and all of them frags are the results.

 

[Megabite]

Here's an "action shot".

 

[Megabite]

I get PM'ed once a while about equipment and maintenance so here it is.

Main Display - 180 AGA
Lighting: 3-250 HQI 14K Phoenix Bulbs, 3-48" T-5 actinics, and 9-PowerBrite LEDs
Filtration: BK SM250, I run activated carbon, Ozone, a sock, and dose Vodka (3ml per day)
Circulation: 2-6105 Tunze's and 2-6055 Tunze's on a 7095 controller
Return Pump: Iwaki
Controller: ACIII
Cooling: Fans on the Shallow tank (shallow tank shares the same sump/ water)
Top off: JBJ auto top off on a 40 gallon tank with Kalk mix. 2tbs per gallon of kalk (3.5 gallon evaporation per day)
Supplementation: I check parameters (Nitrates, Cal, Alk, Mag) every 2-3 weeks and add whatever is lacking with BRS stuff. Kalk keeps my calcium and alkalinity pretty good.

Lighting schedule:
LED: 10:00AM to 9:30PM
MH: 11:00AM - 2:00PM
T5: 1:30PM - 5:00PM
MH: 4:30PM - 8:30PM
T5: 8:00PM - 9:00PM

Parameters:
Nitrates 0
Phos 0
Calcium 420 - 450
Alk 8.0 - 9.5
Mag 1300 - 1350
PH 8.0 - 8.3
Temp 78.5 - 80.5

Maintenance:
Clean glass daily (Magnet cleaner) and scrape as needed
20 gallon water change every 3-4 weeks (Tropic Marin Salt)
Move top layer of sand as needed every few weeks and or vac crud as needed every few months.
Clean skimmer cup/ neck every 3 - 5 days.
Change out sock every 3 - 5 days
Change out activated carbon monthly

Feeding:
Fish: once a day, 4 frozen cubes of different foods. Sometimes I add garlic, flakes, and/or pellets.
Corals: Spot or broadcast feed Microvore, Phyto, etc. every 3 -5 days.

 

[Megabite]

New addition.

 

[miztahphong2]

UNBELIEVABLE how everything looks. its all grown out nicely and im glad to see everything growing in soo well and coming together soo nicely