TOTM quality 6' SPS tank for under $1k? The 5.56 build thread; AKA a really bad idea
- Thread starter five.five-six
- Start date
watchguy123
New member
I do not believe Nikon will be able to achieve white balance above 9900 k. Sony as well. Some canon’s can get higher kelvin than that with their custom white balance feature.
The higher kelvin that your lighting is, the more challenging correcting for the extreme blue with the camera’s white balance alone. Depending on your cameras ability to deal with really high kelvin light, Lightroom can sometimes easily color correct just by using the Kelvin adjustment to match your tanks kelvin. But with few exceptions, in very blue light it’s very challenging not to need both your cameras custom white balance plus Lightroom plus a filter.
The higher kelvin that your lighting is, the more challenging correcting for the extreme blue with the camera’s white balance alone. Depending on your cameras ability to deal with really high kelvin light, Lightroom can sometimes easily color correct just by using the Kelvin adjustment to match your tanks kelvin. But with few exceptions, in very blue light it’s very challenging not to need both your cameras custom white balance plus Lightroom plus a filter.
five.five-six
Well-known member
A lot of people reccomend Lightroom for post, others reccomend elements. Currently I am just using the ViewNX 2 but it’s so basic that I haven’t been saving any of the changes I’ve made in post. At this point I’m trying to get my RAW images to be true to life and I’m closeing in on it.
Here is a forest fire digi shot in NEF and straight converted to jpg. Focus problems and I left the pumps running aside, it’s pretty true to life.
https://imageshack.com/a/img923/8972/1noXsf.jpg
marioensf
Active member
556 wife has been on me like Donkey Kong. That number is right as rain.
I'd be willing to face a Muller investigation on that number
Anyways, I hooked up the T5 blue plus lamps temp. Just wrapped wires around the pins to save the $21 for endcaps just to try it out and those 10K are bright AF. The ATIs help the color tremendously but still not as blue as the radiums alone. There's no reflectors either except for where the lamps pass under the halide reflectors. I think putting reflectors on the bare sections will help even more.
I grabbed some T5 end caps from a local reefer today, I can mail them to you if you need them, they are waterproof with stand-offs.
five.five-six
Well-known member
I actually got a set on ebay for $20 or something shipped from Lithuania. They are the rubberized style which is what I wanted for my unique mounting scheme. I'll post photos later.
I got some dust on my CCD sensor and spent a week or so researching how best to clean it. I'll be snapping photos again soon.
I found a box big enough for your reactor
five.five-six
Well-known member
I need your address, It's probably on one of the boxes in my pile of boxes but I want to make sure I send it to you.
Here is the latest and probably final revision of the lighting for this tank with $30 eBay 420nm moon lights, ATI 60" blue plus and radium 20k
five.five-six
Well-known member
This shot with 10,000K WB and a cheep kit lens just screwing around gets the color just about right Same with the other 2 coral in frame and no work in post. I want to take some serious photos but it requires kicking the kids out of the house for an hour and a bunch of setup.
(the coral 2 the right is the frag of the coral you won at RAP and the frag to the left is SC rainbow milli, still coloring up)
five.five-six
Well-known member
It's purpose is to flood the tank with light I had to use tin snips to get the small reflector segments.
five.five-six
Well-known member
five.five-six
Well-known member
I’m kinda bummed. Yesterday I bought a 2 week QTed powderblue. Powder blue was going to br my last fish as it’s significantly differant than Vlamingi and scopus and that’s about as much bioload as I want to put on the tank. Well, it’s a beautiful fish and took to picking alage from the rocks right away. It also took to fighting with scopas right away. They are pretty much constantly fighting. I have a small trap but really don’t know if I can get him out alive 
PBT is much smaller than scopus and it’s not looking good for him. I’m hopeing they just get their territory figured out and cool it.
5.56 wife is beside herself. She sat by the tank for better than an hour last night slapping the glass every time scopus attacked PBT and pointing her finger and verbally scolding scopus: “Don’t you do that!” It actually did slow down the action considerably.
New overage: $349.32
PBT is much smaller than scopus and it’s not looking good for him. I’m hopeing they just get their territory figured out and cool it. 5.56 wife is beside herself. She sat by the tank for better than an hour last night slapping the glass every time scopus attacked PBT and pointing her finger and verbally scolding scopus: “Don’t you do that!” It actually did slow down the action considerably.
New overage: $349.32
BeanMachine
Active member
Drop a mirror on the outside of the tank. Aggressive fish hate that and may give the powder blue a chance.
five.five-six
Well-known member
Well, I get home today and the PBT has about 3 fin nips but they aren't fighting. Then I did the mirror trick and the 5" scopus and 12" Vlamingi hide imedeatly but the 3" PBT attacks the mirror. It seems that the PBT may be the aggressor and just got tired of getting its butt handed to him.
My phosphates are going to skyrocket. I told 5.56 wife that feeding can help with aggression and I noticed that a new sleeve of mysis shrimp was half gone today and I think she probably feed at least one of the giant home mad seafood mix ice cubes too. I'll load up some GFO in the reactor.
Fish are all so fat they can't move LOL
sil40sx
Member
Yup, the "real" tripods and ball heads are expensive. But for shooting our tanks and inhabitants, we dont need tripods.
For reference, here are some of my pics, and never used tripod on any of them.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/38395976@N04/
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five.five-six
Well-known member
Tell me about that photo of the glowing coil, lens, apature fstop and shutter. You have great DOF
sil40sx
Member
Ooh, you Vape too?!
That’s one of my best lucky shots. LOL
I’ll check when I’m back on my PC.
five.five-six
Well-known member
To get good DOF you need to Close down the apature which means high ISO and slow shutter, that's where the tripod comes in.
CRookSkee
Member
Wow awesome pics neighbor, what lens are you using and how do you set your wb to take pictures that good. I'm still in the dslr beginning steps.
Manny
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