Our tank's biology up close

[jason2459]

 

[jason2459]

Video Playlist

Rock Surface: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN_wI2B-a8vqdnQL2ZqE4mad4xTwH_fr6

 

[bertoni]

That last picture looks a bit like a Stomatella. What's the magnification?

 

[jason2459]

That last picture looks a bit like a Stomatella. What's the magnification?

The last picture would have been with a 10x lens so a little over 100x. The picture above it is of the molt of a pod close up which is also in that last picture but with the 40x lens so that one is something over 400x.

I'm not exactly sure what the camera magnification is. Its stronger then when I look through the 10x wide field eye pieces but slightly less then the 25x eyepieces.


I wish my phone kept them in order.

Here it is all together

Adjusted the white balance

 

[bertoni]

Nice shots!

 

[jason2459]

Thanks. I'm still getting used to the camera software as it has a lot of features.

 

[Ghost25]

Cool pics Jason! I also have these soft red worms in my reef tank, any idea what they are? I'm jealous of your microfauna diversity, how old is your tank?

A quick video of some stuff in my tank: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYCZq98RKS4

 

[jason2459]

Nice video. I've had this running since 2009. It's been through a couple moves and an upgrade from a 55g to a 180g. I also use minimal mechanical filtration. A skimmer and around a 1% daily automatic water change. No filter socks.

The red organisms are a type of walking ciliate.

Here's one up close. Something over 1000x and you can see the "legs"

https://youtu.be/67fKqn7ynJc

 

[jason2459]

I went hunting for pods tonight. Particularly the Tigriopus genus. And more specifically the female. I've found plenty of males.

Here's a great life cycle stage of one of the types of tigriopus up to sexual maturity and you can see the difference between female(second to last) and male(last).

I finally not only found one but found one with a couple eggs left attached! Pretty cool and man the females are fast. Like really fast. It looks like I'm watching a move skipping fames while watching them through the eye pieces. Faster then my eyes could process.

Found them in this what seems to be nothing. Which was sucked up of a rock under my bubble tips.

Pics and vids transfering now.

 

[Ghost25]

Very cool! I spent some time checking out the microfauna with a loupe but I haven't gotten any good images of this sized stuff except a Montipora eating nudibranch. Any more microfauna animals you took pics of?

 

[jason2459]

 

[jason2459]

 

[jason2459]

Found 2 females

 

[jason2459]

A few eggs left

 

[jason2459]

 

[jason2459]

Da baby

 

[jason2459]

Video playlist
Tigriopus sp hunting: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN_wI2B-a8vqJd-W6sC3sU03FerYr2IS2

 

[jason2459]

Very cool! I spent some time checking out the microfauna with a loupe but I haven't gotten any good images of this sized stuff except a Montipora eating nudibranch. Any more microfauna animals you took pics of?

]

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Besides what I've already posted in this thread what kind of microfauna are you looking for?

 

[Ghost25]

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Besides what I've already posted in this thread what kind of microfauna are you looking for?

I wanted to get some better shots of worms and copepods and such in situ rather than scraped up on a slide. Unfortunately I don't have a macro lens.

 

[jason2459]

I wanted to get some better shots of worms and copepods and such in situ rather than scraped up on a slide. Unfortunately I don't have a macro lens.

Well, macro/micro photography is most definitely fun too. My focus has been photomicrography. I have certainly found many worms and pods of various types and posted their images here right from where they were inhabiting and watching them interact live, why I haven't stained, which is in the videos I've posted too. I suck my samples up and drip them onto the slide doing minimal damage if any at all.