Mr. Microscope's JBJ Picotope

[Mr. Microscope]

Update 2011.04.08 (Yes, I know it's the 10th, but pics taken on the 8th)

 

To start out, here's a few FTS's.

 

Comparing all LEDs and just the Blues:

I feel like I'm getting better at adjusting the royal blue images to get an accurate representation. The greens really turn out well, but the challenge is with the reds. The camera can't really pick up the pop I'm getting on my warmer colors which really are amazing in person!

 

Here's a fun video of the tank:

I've been feeding a good amount of phyto and the GSP is loving it. I even target feed this colony and the polyps close up on the phyto and come open back up again begging for more. Here's an update on their progress. (RB/CB LED's)

Just for fun, I took a few images from the sides of the tank. Here you can see the M3R rack.

And from the other side. I like the depth of field in this one:

Here's a neat video from a similar perspective. You can see the xenia pulsing like crazy here. The driver I had on my white LEDs blew out, and I had my tank under just blue LEDs for a couple weeks. After fixing it and putting on the whites for the first time in a while, the Xenia went crazy and pulsed all day long, faster than I've ever seen!

When I was taking this shot, I accidentally took this one. I was about to throw it out, but I think it turned out pretty cool.

Here are a few highlights. These were taken under just Royal Blue and Cool Blue LED's. In the bottom left, you can see the trumpet that I got a while ago that bleached. It has gotten most of its color back and is plumper than ever. The Organism palys (upper right) have drawn back to the rock and are no longer stretching. The Green Implosions here seem to be maintaining their deep green better than the ones up top that are getting more white stripes (no, not bleaching, just morphing a little). Whammin' Watermelons and Tub's Blues healthy as ever are in the lower right.

Some more NW, RB, CB Vs. Blues images:

Finally, here's the rack with just blues, and all LEDs:

Maintenance update:

Since taking out my Chemi-Pure Elite, everything seems okay. I guess it's too soon to say if it's better or not. I'm definitely having to clean the glass more frequently. That probably means that there's a lot more nutrients in the water.

 

Also, I stopped doing the heavy feedings and 90% water changes. Mostly because it's been too much of a PITA to do at work compared to just 4L which I can brew up in a large beaker. I'm still feeding 250 microliters of live phyto once or twice a week and some Coral Frenzy. All feedings are targeted for the most part.

 

As I mentioned before, one of my BuckPucks blew. I had to order a new one and replace it which took a few weeks due to personal business. I've heard from several other sources that BuckPucks are known to be unreliable, but for driving such a small amount of LEDs with dimmers, they are really the only option. For example, I have just one LED on one of my drivers. I don't think that can be done on any other drivers out there.

 

Finally, I went to the Manhattanreefs Frag Swap today. I definitely got some goodies (and I won a few!!!). More updates to come!

[Mr. Microscope]

love that xenia!! did you ever build the marshmallow gun?

 

Thanks jdl! Nope, no marshmallow gun yet. My wife rolled her eyes when I showed her the video of that. I told her I'd only shoot them at cars on holidays like the Forth of July, but it was still a no-go.

[animalmaster6]

The tank is looking awesome Mr. M!!

 

I like that frag rack a lot.

[.Newman.]

looks like you are getting the hang of taking pictures under the light

tank looks real good, though you need to grow a big colony of something. maybe those palys; they look to be closest to that goal

[ParanoidObseshun]

Looking good! I didnt realize how big that frag rack was lol.

[Mr. Microscope]

The tank is looking awesome Mr. M!!

 

I like that frag rack a lot.

Thanks am! You won't believe what I got at the swap.

 

looks like you are getting the hang of taking pictures under the light

tank looks real good, though you need to grow a big colony of something. maybe those palys; they look to be closest to that goal

Thanks newman! Haha! +1 I've been thinking about trying grow out something a little more. What can I say, I just love fragging! It must be the scientist in me. I just gotta dissect stuff.

 

Looking good! I didnt realize how big that frag rack was lol.

Thanks PO! Yup, takes up a good chunk of the tank, but I like it.

[animalmaster6]

[friar1]

Love the pics Mr M,

do you still have that 1Liter Gravity fed ATO? If so how did you build it, what does it look like? I am trying to plan an ATO for my new 4 gallon Finnex (Just arrived!) So I am looking for Ideas.

 

Thanks,

Friar

[Mr. Microscope]

Love the pics Mr M,

do you still have that 1Liter Gravity fed ATO? If so how did you build it, what does it look like? I am trying to plan an ATO for my new 4 gallon Finnex (Just arrived!) So I am looking for Ideas.

 

Thanks,

Friar

 

Thanks Friar! Here are some links for my ATO:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;hl=ATO+bottle

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;hl=ATO+bottle

[jdl]

just built one myself and it works great!(ato)

[pj86]

New update:

Well today, about an hour after the lights switched to moon, I noticed another little guy in there. It is really small! About a 10th the size of the first. I have no idea where it came from, but I'm just swimmingly happy that there's another one. I guess I can watch this one grow. I just hope the bigger snails don't pick on him.

 

I guarantee you that there is probably more than one now, they reproduce like bunnies. They are the best cleaning crew I've had, also their population has reach close to a hundred in my tank.

[.Newman.]

what are we talking about now?

[Drift Monkey]

I guarantee you that there is probably more than one now, they reproduce like bunnies. They are the best cleaning crew I've had, also their population has reach close to a hundred in my tank.

Collonistas? I was never able to source them...there are a few people that aquaculured them in Houston, I just never got around to picking them up. If they're anything like the nano-conch snails that I had before (collonistas are probably better) they rock. Reproducing CUC ftw!

[Mr. Microscope]

just built one myself and it works great!(ato)

Yeah, I'd say it's never failed me.

[Mr. Microscope]

I guarantee you that there is probably more than one now, they reproduce like bunnies. They are the best cleaning crew I've had, also their population has reach close to a hundred in my tank.

December 2009?? How'd you come across that? Yes, I have a million collonistas in my tank now. They are awesome. Culturing them isn't a bad idea.

[Mr. Microscope]

So, as I mentioned in my last update, I went to the Manhattan Reefs Frag Swap last Sunday. I guess I'll share my spoils.

 

For starters, I picked up this little colony:

 

24K ZOAS!

These are my absolute favorite zoa at the moment. I can't believe I found some. The seller was calling them, "Yellow Brick Roads", and I was like, "...sure...okay, I'll take those, *ahem* Yellow Brick Roads.. "

He sold me like $300 worth of zoas for..well, lets just say less than $300.

 

I also picked up these Eye of the Strom zoas. They're kinda nice.

 

Finally, a local member sold me this little SPS piece for $5. I thought it was a Stylo and so did another reefer that I showed yesterday, but the seller thought it was some sort of Monti. Either way, I like it and it seems to be doing okay so far.

 

At the end of the day there was a raffle. There were people throwing hundreds of dollars worth of tickets into the various bins there. I actually went to the swap with the sol purpose of the possibility of winning an RODI system. I really need one of these so that I can start a reef at home. Well, I put my few tickets into the RODI bin and sure enough, I WON! I got a 5 stage RODI system from airwaterice.com. I think it's the Extreme Typhoon.

 

On a smaller note, I won a battery powered air pump. I saw there there were hardly any tickets in this bin. So, I thought what the heck. Now I can build an ATO that lasts longer than a couple days.

 

All in all, it was a fun day. I saw a good talk by Tony Vargas who is coming out with a book about reef tanks around the world and saw some cool corals. I have to say the zoa and acan selection wasn't as good as the last swap, but there were a lot of cool clams and plate corals. I'm looking forward to the next swap.

 

One more thing. I noticed this awesome brittle star in my tank the other day while I was feeding. This has got to be the prettiest one I've seen so far. I love the stripes. He's also considerably larger than I've seen in a brittle star.

[friar1]

I am actually a little jealous. I am the only reef hobbyist in my area, so there are no frag swaps to go to! But I love your new zoas, and congrats on the RODI! Can't wait to see your tank at home!

 

Friar

[jdl]

those frags are amazing, if you have more than one brittle they can reproduce like rabbits. pretty cool to see all the arms sticking out of the holes in the rock. congrats on the rodi

[Mr. Microscope]

I am actually a little jealous. I am the only reef hobbyist in my area, so there are no frag swaps to go to! But I love your new zoas, and congrats on the RODI! Can't wait to see your tank at home!

 

Friar

Thanks Friar!

 

Bishop, CA? I just google mapped you. Wow! You're right smack dab in between four national parks including Yosemite and Death Vally. That's gotta be a pretty place to live.

 

those frags are amazing, if you have more than one brittle they can reproduce like rabbits. pretty cool to see all the arms sticking out of the holes in the rock. congrats on the rodi

Thanks jdl! I hope those brittle stars take off.

[Mr. Microscope]

New update:

 

I was sad to have lost my stomatella varia, it was huge and perhaps old (or at least I hope it died of old age). That was more than two weeks ago.

 

Well today, about an hour after the lights switched to moon, I noticed another little guy in there. It is really small! About a 10th the size of the first. I have no idea where it came from, but I'm just swimmingly happy that there's another one. I guess I can watch this one grow. I just hope the bigger snails don't pick on him.

I guarantee you that there is probably more than one now, they reproduce like bunnies. They are the best cleaning crew I've had, also their population has reach close to a hundred in my tank.

Okay, I looked back at that post on page 1. This was actually about stomatella varia snails. No, I don't have any more of those. Actually, the only snail I have in there besides the collonistas is a small nassarius vibex.

[Drift Monkey]

Okay, I looked back at that post on page 1. This was actually about stomatella varia snails. No, I don't have any more of those. Actually, the only snail I have in there besides the collonistas is a small nassarius vibex.

Out competed by collonistas?

[Mr. Microscope]

Out competed by collonistas?

Nah..more likely the cheato and frequent water changes I was doing at the time. That and no feeding made the tank pretty sterile. The collonistas didn't show up until about six months ago.

[friar1]

We do live in a very pretty place. Mountains on both sides, no smog, four seasons, skiing, hiking, boating. Yosemite, Death Valley, backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Range, Mount Whitney,

This is my backyard, although the pic really doesn't do it justice:

 

 

So although I have all this at my doorstep, still no local reefer besides myself. But I guess I can't complain. After all, we also have no smog!

 

[Mr. Microscope]

Wow! That's beautiful! There's got to be so much wildlife to explore. That prairie land alone has got to have some amazing things to see. It's quite a contrast from the view out my window:

Yes, that's a falcon sitting on my porch. Specifically, a Eurasian Kestrel.

[friar1]

That bird is not bad for living in the city! We don't get to see them that close here very often. But we do see a lot of life.

 

Deer,

bears,

Bald eagles

Golden eagles

 

 

And then....

 

my little tiny piece of ocean!

 

Friar