Tswifty's Custom 40g Rimless Build Thread
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
2frosty4u
New member
There's nothing better than having piece of mind knowing that you have someone you can trust to look after your tank and it's inhabitants while away for a day or two, or even a couple of weeks or months in your upcoming case. I once read a fellow reefers post in another thread who was hospitalized for a period of time and his wife refused to even feed the guy's fish while he was sick...unbelieveable!
I just did some tank sitting for a friend earlier this week and I am really happy and calm when he does the same for me when the family takes a road trip.
You are really lucky that you have a live in tank sitter while you're away in Texas...I think you're little sister is going to be inline for a nice present from texas after your next visit...lol
Taqpol
New member
Tj, I remember you took some kind of class/presentation on aquarium photography, was it an actual class or some kind of thing from the internet? If so, do you have a link to it?
Regardless, do you have any pointers on taking closeups (not necessarily macros, just closer than a FTS)?
Regardless, do you have any pointers on taking closeups (not necessarily macros, just closer than a FTS)?
Tswifty
New member
Some changes:
- The Ca Reactor is still driving me nuts. The flow changes so dramatically throughout the day, that I need to adjust it 3 or 4 times per day... or the effluent rate will slow down to the point it almost stops completely. So I'm planning on switching the needle valve from the input, to the output side today.
- Bringing my Kalk Reactor online. Now seems like the perfect time to do it with the Alkalinity low (which was expected). This way I can monitor the effect it has on the Alkalinity before making any changes to reactor's bubble rate to bring it back up. I'm going to add about 3-4" of slurry into the bottom of the reactor to start.
- Nitrates dropped. I probably overestimated them at 2 ppm. I think this could be a combination of, or one of the following changes while I was gone... 1 feeding per day, no filter socks, Macro is finally growing in the refugium.
Tswifty
New member
Haha... yeah, outside of almost tossing my cookies... it was great. We had a perfect day to go as well. Marc was jealous.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15053771#post15053771 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OwNeD162
Glad to hear your tank survived your trip TJ
Also glad to hear that you had a good time
Haha, sounds like Six Flags was awesome too
I'll tell you what, I love roller coasters, and you can flip me as many times as you want going forward... put me in reverse... game over. :lol:
I left the night after I saw it in the nem. So far I haven't seen her in the nem during the day, but she still retreats into it at night though.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15053804#post15053804 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OwNeD162
Sorry, double post...
Is the clown still hosting the anemone TJ
I must have missed it this morning... headed back. :lol:<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15056257#post15056257 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OwNeD162
I just got some new additions, I definitely think you should checkout my thread
Yeah, I owe her something for sure. I'll probably take her to the mall tomorrow. Plus I think my tank likes her better anyway. :lol:
I attended Marc's presentation as well as Anthony Calfo's on photography. Picked up some pointers here and there regarding some of the settings. The biggest pointer, I personally can give based on my experience is just to try and keep the camera as steady as possible when taking pictures (if you don't have a tripod)... that and get your white balance set properly for your tank. Capturing a good FTS is very difficult, I think I remember Marc recommending trying to focus on the trim of the tank when doing so.
There are some guys on the thread with lots of photography experience though... I know Marc, Maroun and Sagi are all very experienced with the photography aspect.
Aquarist007
New member
melev
Well-known member
Here is a very good tutorial for Photography, with tons more information than you need. Take your time and work your way through each page.
http://www.ximinasphotography.com/lessons/
http://www.ximinasphotography.com/lessons/
Tswifty
New member
Some VERY quick pictures as I'm running out the door, so I'm not 100% pleased with them. The FTS's I took looked like I was standing on a hill... so they didn't make the upload.
My Blue Hornet Zoanthids
Candy Apple Red Palythoas & Valentine's Day Massacre Palythoas
RBTA
Steel Blue Chalice (you can see some sting marks near the top from the RBTA)
My Blue Hornet Zoanthids
Candy Apple Red Palythoas & Valentine's Day Massacre Palythoas
RBTA
Steel Blue Chalice (you can see some sting marks near the top from the RBTA)
maroun.c
New member
Taqpol,
Try a search on my username in the photography forum as most of my posts there are of macro or extreeem macro shots using reversed lenses, extension tubes, and both sometimes...
Even if that's not your main interest. I believe doing those high mag ratio macros make us understand more the effect of each factor in the picture as the effect is also magnified...
Some pointers to get you going even for only close ups:
- + 1 for super steady camera (tripod is a must) in addition to that using the timer or cable or wireless realease is also recommended if available.
-Shooting perpendicular to the glass is very important to avoid distortions.
-Clean glass the day before a shoot to give time to the particles you realease to settle or get trapped.
-Bettter plan your session after a water change or a couple of days after new carbon as water will be cleaner without that yellow cast.
- Understanding the effect of Aperture and Shutter spped is essential.
- Deapth of field which most people think is related to Aperture is actuially related to 3 things: Aperture, Distance to subject and Focal distance. When taking closeups or macros you're already shooting closer to yoru subject to fill your frame so this results also in decreasing your DOF. Unless a thin DOF is your intention you will have to use very small apertures (big Number) which will cut the light going through your lense and require a slower exposure which in turn results in more blurred shots. Stopping yoru pumps is one way to deal with it but sometimes some corals look ugly and unnatural without flow hitting them so maybe just cut down your flow a bit.
Try to expose at a moment where your flow is switching and your coral is less moving (for softies mostly)
Another option would be to up your ISO to allow faster shutter but this comes on the expense of noise in your image (depending on Camera, newer camera can shoot noiseless pics at ISO 1600)
-Learn how to read your on Camera histogram. Under exposed shots are easier to deal with in PP however upping exposure causes noise to appear more.
- White balance is also Key, your options would be to measure the white balance in camera before shooting (see manual of yoru camera on how to measire WB) or fixing WB after the fact in PP for that using RAW format is much better.
-Depending on which camera you are using (point and shoot) and which lense you are using (on a DSLR) you have min focusing distance which you should not cross or all shots will be blurred. with a DSLR and shooting very close camera will not be able to lock focus sometimes and manual focusing has to be used. Manual focusing can be very sifficult sometimes....
Finally flash: helps yo uachieve faster shutter speeds but is apain from 2 points:
Reflections: you can deal with those by shooting with lense perpendicular to glass and flash pointing up (need external flash for this) a diffuser like omnibounce on the flash is also better. I find no reflection on my shots unless my camera points a bit up.
second bad aspect of a flash is washing out colours mostly in corals as fish are better in this. Most people would shoot corals without a flash to avoid washed colours look. I find that I can still use some flash however I either decrease its output so that speed is still slow for the camera to pick up ambient lighting colours and then flash works here in freezing the pic. another option would be to use smaller aperture (larger number) as this lessens the amount of flash lighitng going in. using faster shutter speed doesn't cut the flash light in anyway as flash duration is much faster that use shutter speeds.
-Hope this helps, feel free to send direct questions if you have some. Posting some of your pics can sometimes help issues your pics suffer from and give you better advice.
Sorry for the Hijack TJ
Try a search on my username in the photography forum as most of my posts there are of macro or extreeem macro shots using reversed lenses, extension tubes, and both sometimes...
Even if that's not your main interest. I believe doing those high mag ratio macros make us understand more the effect of each factor in the picture as the effect is also magnified...
Some pointers to get you going even for only close ups:
- + 1 for super steady camera (tripod is a must) in addition to that using the timer or cable or wireless realease is also recommended if available.
-Shooting perpendicular to the glass is very important to avoid distortions.
-Clean glass the day before a shoot to give time to the particles you realease to settle or get trapped.
-Bettter plan your session after a water change or a couple of days after new carbon as water will be cleaner without that yellow cast.
- Understanding the effect of Aperture and Shutter spped is essential.
- Deapth of field which most people think is related to Aperture is actuially related to 3 things: Aperture, Distance to subject and Focal distance. When taking closeups or macros you're already shooting closer to yoru subject to fill your frame so this results also in decreasing your DOF. Unless a thin DOF is your intention you will have to use very small apertures (big Number) which will cut the light going through your lense and require a slower exposure which in turn results in more blurred shots. Stopping yoru pumps is one way to deal with it but sometimes some corals look ugly and unnatural without flow hitting them so maybe just cut down your flow a bit.
Try to expose at a moment where your flow is switching and your coral is less moving (for softies mostly)
Another option would be to up your ISO to allow faster shutter but this comes on the expense of noise in your image (depending on Camera, newer camera can shoot noiseless pics at ISO 1600)
-Learn how to read your on Camera histogram. Under exposed shots are easier to deal with in PP however upping exposure causes noise to appear more.
- White balance is also Key, your options would be to measure the white balance in camera before shooting (see manual of yoru camera on how to measire WB) or fixing WB after the fact in PP for that using RAW format is much better.
-Depending on which camera you are using (point and shoot) and which lense you are using (on a DSLR) you have min focusing distance which you should not cross or all shots will be blurred. with a DSLR and shooting very close camera will not be able to lock focus sometimes and manual focusing has to be used. Manual focusing can be very sifficult sometimes....
Finally flash: helps yo uachieve faster shutter speeds but is apain from 2 points:
Reflections: you can deal with those by shooting with lense perpendicular to glass and flash pointing up (need external flash for this) a diffuser like omnibounce on the flash is also better. I find no reflection on my shots unless my camera points a bit up.
second bad aspect of a flash is washing out colours mostly in corals as fish are better in this. Most people would shoot corals without a flash to avoid washed colours look. I find that I can still use some flash however I either decrease its output so that speed is still slow for the camera to pick up ambient lighting colours and then flash works here in freezing the pic. another option would be to use smaller aperture (larger number) as this lessens the amount of flash lighitng going in. using faster shutter speed doesn't cut the flash light in anyway as flash duration is much faster that use shutter speeds.
-Hope this helps, feel free to send direct questions if you have some. Posting some of your pics can sometimes help issues your pics suffer from and give you better advice.
Sorry for the Hijack TJ
Tswifty
New member
Kalk Reactor is up and running. I made a mess adding the kalk, but it's starting to settle, and looks like I added about 4" to the reactor.
Also, as I mentioned... I'm still pretty frustrated with this Korallin Ca Reactor, and how the effluent rate fluctuates. I was planning on changing everything around so the needle valve would be located on the effluent line, instead of the intake to the reactor. However, when I pulled the needle valve off I noticed a plastic ring on the inside of the valve was damaged pretty badly. I'm not sure if that was causing problems or not, but regardless I didn't feel comfortable using it anymore. So now the reactor is running off the manifold, and I'm using a pinch valve to control the effluent rate.
In the picture below I was running the reactor's effluent and bleed line wide open for 20 minutes to clear any air out of the lines. The bleed line is in the back left pouring into the refugium, and effluent line with the pinch valve is in the front center of the picture.
Also, as I mentioned... I'm still pretty frustrated with this Korallin Ca Reactor, and how the effluent rate fluctuates. I was planning on changing everything around so the needle valve would be located on the effluent line, instead of the intake to the reactor. However, when I pulled the needle valve off I noticed a plastic ring on the inside of the valve was damaged pretty badly. I'm not sure if that was causing problems or not, but regardless I didn't feel comfortable using it anymore. So now the reactor is running off the manifold, and I'm using a pinch valve to control the effluent rate.
In the picture below I was running the reactor's effluent and bleed line wide open for 20 minutes to clear any air out of the lines. The bleed line is in the back left pouring into the refugium, and effluent line with the pinch valve is in the front center of the picture.
Tswifty
New member
Nice, I like the website idea.
Thanks. I'm not too concerned just yet since it's a very small area on the chalice right now, and the chalice is so big compared to everything else in the tank. If I notice it starting to spread, I may trim the chalice back so the RBTA can't reach it, or relocate the chalice.
No worries, that's why I mentioned your name. :thumbsup:
BigJay
New member
Tswifty, check out this thread on modding the Korallin:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1523880&highlight=Korallin
Halfway down the page there's a pic of the reactor with the gate valve and JG fitting physically attached to the pump output, along with a post on how to do it and which parts to buy. I'm going that way, since there will be fewer places for air and detritus to get trapped in the effluent line.
I just ordered the parts, along with another set of air check valves. I just had another brass one go bad.
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