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Mr. Microscope's Cube 2.1


Mr. Microscope

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Dang- gettin after it. Is that the bubble gum- mine is showing better PE now that it's moved to a higher flow area. I am thinking I might finally add a powerhead but I am worried about the Nuvo cracking- might have to get creative on suspending one and not have it attached to a wall

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Mr. Microscope

Dang- gettin after it. Is that the bubble gum- mine is showing better PE now that it's moved to a higher flow area.

Yup, that is my bubble gum. Just looked at your thread. Your PE and color look nice on your bubble gum!

I am thinking I might finally add a powerhead but I am worried about the Nuvo cracking- might have to get creative on suspending one and not have it attached to a wall

Is that why people's Nuvo's are all cracking? I'd think you should be able to add one, no problem. Hmm.. Any thoughts on what kind? I know pulsing pumps like the vortech can add stress to the glass, but I'd think a constant flow mode of sorts should be fine.
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Dang- gettin after it. Is that the bubble gum- mine is showing better PE now that it's moved to a higher flow area. I am thinking I might finally add a powerhead but I am worried about the Nuvo cracking- might have to get creative on suspending one and not have it attached to a wall

 

I added an Mp10 to my nuvo 16 a month ago. Mine hasn't cracked (yet). I think the rounded corners are the real issue and most everyone who experienced a cracked tank just happened to have a pump attached.

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Ya- it seems most that have cracked have had a powerhead in the round corner areas- or pointing in that area. Good point on the pulsing- I bought 2 of the Hydor Nano's with the controller on Craigslist for cheap- thinking about just adding one- maybe run it hr on hr off- or something like that. I think attaching to the back or back side area might be good- but I am still really hesitant . Ya the bubblegum has started to extend its polyps a little better now- really like this coral- hope it takes off!

 

I added an Mp10 to my nuvo 16 a month ago. Mine hasn't cracked (yet). I think the rounded corners are the real issue and most everyone who experienced a cracked tank just happened to have a pump attached.

Hasn't cracked yet- argh!! I hear ya- it's a little scary for sure- keep us posted on how that is going
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I added an Mp10 to my nuvo 16 a month ago. Mine hasn't cracked (yet). I think the rounded corners are the real issue and most everyone who experienced a cracked tank just happened to have a pump attached.

 

The issue is that they used a thinner glass that likely due to a multitude of reasons (slight imperfection in levelness, weight of add ons, just the pressure of the water as even stagnant water puts pressure on the tank, granted not a ton but with thin/ inferior glass you always take a gamble and then you add to it with circulation of the water and adding force, etc...) doesn't hold up over time. The new (Gen 2 if you will) use a thicker glass and so far have no known issues.

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Mr. Microscope

The tank looks great!

Thanks TigerLily!

I love the acans especially - they look like little cushions.

lol. made me think of this

 

Looks like perfection to me :wub:.

Awe! Thanks Gena! ;)
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Do your nems move much up there? or once they found their spot they've pretty settled? Your formation is just so different than anyone's I've seen so I don't know how they react.

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Mr. Microscope

Do your nems move much up there? or once they found their spot they've pretty settled? Your formation is just so different than anyone's I've seen so I don't know how they react.

For the most part they stay in one place, but some do seem to move around an inch here or there on occasion. It's not a dependable situation though. I'm sure they could start walking at any time. What keeps them in place for the time being is the nice intense lighting and the situation with flow. I think as long as I keep those parameters constant, they might stay up there.

 

Also, it's kinda funny; my rocks are extremely full of holes. Some of the nems have their foot mounted a bit into the rock structure. As a result, even though they stay anchored in the same place they may open up though different holes from day to day making it look like they moved even though they haven't.

:wub: this tank. The pull of the clowns is strong whenever I see yours.

:D Thanks Jaime! Yes, I think they really like each other. I enjoy watching them hang out and swim through and behind the anemones. It's cute at night too, I always see the blacker one sleeping on its side on top of the RBTA. She thinks she's human. lol!
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Mr. Microscope

Hello All,

 

I went to the Shedd Aquarium a couple weeks ago with my son. It was a great day, though a bit pricey. Parking was $19. Admission for me was $32. Luckily, my son was free because he's only two, but at age three they start charging. Lunch was a crappy hotdog (no sides), three chicken tenders (no sides), and two drinks for $17.

 

Here's some fun pics.

 

The first exhibit we went to see of course was the, "Wild Reef." The first thing you see when you enter the floor is a nice show tank with a bunch of corals and fish in it. The centerpiece of the aquarium is this giant clam. It's by far one of the biggest I've seen. Fully grown tangs were swimming in and out of it. lol. The pic doesn't do much for the scale of it, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was 3 feet plus long. Those tangs on the top of the image are right next to the glass. So, don't use them to compare sizes. When they swam up close to the clam, the tangs were absolutely dwarfed.

SAClam_zps1429ebfc.jpg

 

They had some smaller tanks in the wall with pipefish and a nice fat looking mandarin that hid as soon as I got the camera close to it. We laugh as reefers, but I love these giant majano nems. Some of them were maybe as big as four inches across. They kinda looked like a bunch of elegance corals. haha!

SAMajanos03_zps23c0e698.jpg

 

Here's one of the big ones.

SAMajanos02_zps06bbedf3.jpg

 

SAMajanos01_zps1dab5df2.jpg

 

Another tank had a couple big fat head sunburst anthias. One of my all time favorite fish.

SAFSAnthius_zps1f06f7aa.jpg

 

My son really liked the tank next to it.

SATheo01_zps71847353.jpg

 

And they had a bonded pair of these bad boys!

SAfiles_zps1418c91b.jpg

 

At the end of the exhibit, they showed off their aquaculture facility. They're growing green stags, some stylos, digis, and what they claimed was elkhorn but looked an awful lot to me like just a different colored digi.

SAAquaculture_zps5915add9.jpg

 

SAStags_zps70533925.jpg

 

SAStylos_zpsd7ae5804.jpg

 

In the, "Oceanarium" part of the Shedd they had a kids area. There was a large display with a bunch of penguins in it. On the opposite wall was a big play area. The kids could dress up like penguins, climb up rocks, sit on nests, and slide down the ice. My son had a lot of fun.

SATheo05_zpsb423a759.jpg

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but he was NOT impressed with the penguin costumes. :lol::D

SATheoPenguin_zps76ad0b61.jpg

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Lol that penguin costume picture. I'd love to see more reef involvement at the aquarium in New Orleans but their one and only reef tank looks questionable at best. They have a bubble tip and clownfish tank too but that's not great either. Kind of disappointing :( I'd love to see an aquarium with huge tanks full of live coral.

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Looks like you had a fun time at the aquarium and that reef looked better than the one here. I went to the Florida aquarium a few weeks ago and tanks were nice except for the reef tank. Cyno everywhere, a lot of anthias, browned out chalice, small plating montis frags glued to a fake plastic rock wall. A couple of their clams were doing ok. I was tempted to ask for permission to go in and fix the reef. :/

 

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Mr. Microscope

Very very nice but I agree very costly !

 

But I am sure you had a great time

Thanks Albert! Yeah, I miss all the suggested donation museums in Manhattan. 'Could go spend a day at the Met for $5 and not have to worry about parking.

 

Lol that penguin costume picture. I'd love to see more reef involvement at the aquarium in New Orleans but their one and only reef tank looks questionable at best. They have a bubble tip and clownfish tank too but that's not great either. Kind of disappointing :( I'd love to see an aquarium with huge tanks full of live coral.

Hee hee! :) Thanks Opaque! Most of the public aquariums that I've been to are put to shame by hobbyist reefs out there. Honestly, even a lot of the tanks at the Shedd made me go <_< . What's the deal with fake coral and lame plastic crap?! I'd rather just see a bunch of live rock than a fake aquascape.

 

Looks like you had a fun time at the aquarium and that reef looked better than the one here. I went to the Florida aquarium a few weeks ago and tanks were nice except for the reef tank. Cyno everywhere, a lot of anthias, browned out chalice, small plating montis frags glued to a fake plastic rock wall. A couple of their clams were doing ok. I was tempted to ask for permission to go in and fix the reef. :/

Thanks neu! Eep! You'd think their staff could take better care of stuff. Though, I imagine they're probably strapped for cash if marine biologists are funded anything like most scientists I know. You probably wouldn't be out of line asking to volunteer. They might take you up on your offer.

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Thanks Albert! Yeah, I miss all the suggested donation museums in Manhattan. 'Could go spend a day at the Met for $5 and not have to worry about parking.

 

Hee hee! :) Thanks Opaque! Most of the public aquariums that I've been to are put to shame by hobbyist reefs out there. Honestly, even a lot of the tanks at the Shedd made me go <_< . What's the deal with fake coral and lame plastic crap?! I'd rather just see a bunch of live rock than a fake aquascape.

 

Thanks neu! Eep! You'd think their staff could take better care of stuff. Though, I imagine they're probably strapped for cash if marine biologists are funded anything like most scientists I know. You probably wouldn't be out of line asking to volunteer. They might take you up on your offer.

 

Yes indeed and so do I ... here in Atlanta the fees for the Aquarium and other attractions are quite high as well nowadays

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Hee hee! :) Thanks Opaque! Most of the public aquariums that I've been to are put to shame by hobbyist reefs out there. Honestly, even a lot of the tanks at the Shedd made me go <_< . What's the deal with fake coral and lame plastic crap?! I'd rather just see a bunch of live rock than a fake aquascape.

Normally I love the Aquarium of the Americas but their reef tank has me wanting to tap the volunteers on the shoulder and whisper to them "you're doing that wrong." Like, why don't they have LEDs? Why is the light so yellow? You can't have that much frogspawn in there and expect anything else to live within a 6 inch space of the mouths. Seriously. The tank is overcome with frogspawn. Looks like a pest coral lol. There was a dead seahorse there last time we went too. Made me want to cry. It was one of those big pot belly ones. Idk the name. Their jawfish tank is awesome though. It's a big half orb so that you can see all around and some of them have their burrows right up against the glass.

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Mr. Microscope

Their jawfish tank is awesome though. It's a big half orb so that you can see all around and some of them have their burrows right up against the glass.

Sounds really neat! I'd love to see a big garden eel tank like that.
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jedimasterben

Normally I love the Aquarium of the Americas but their reef tank has me wanting to tap the volunteers on the shoulder and whisper to them "you're doing that wrong." Like, why don't they have LEDs?

Cost. Large tanks become frighteningly cost prohibitive to retrofit with LEDs - even with DIY.

 

Why is the light so yellow?

Probably using 6500K metal halides. Iwasaki makes the best.

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Mr. Microscope

Cost. Large tanks become frighteningly cost prohibitive to retrofit with LEDs - even with DIY.

I thought the Canon's were doable. Haven't some aquariums started utilizing those?

Wow, your little frag is no longer a frag! Looks like a fun day!

LOL!!!! Yeah, he's becomming a mini-colony day by day. :tears: :tears: :lol: :lol: :lol: Haha!

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Awesome pics! Your little guy is adorable...I love the overalls :).

 

Doesn't the Shedd have a Beluga Whale? My son was really into them a few years ago and I remember reading they had one.

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Mr. Microscope

Awesome pics! Your little guy is adorable...I love the overalls :).

 

Doesn't the Shedd have a Beluga Whale? My son was really into them a few years ago and I remember reading they had one.

Thanks Gena!

Supposedly, yes. But, we didn't see it. We saw the sign and the tank, but it wasn't around. Perhaps, it was lunch time.

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I thought the Canon's were doable. Haven't some aquariums started utilizing those?

 

Still a hefty initial investment on something that size I'm sure, heck I'm sure maintenance alone isn't cheap by any standards.... and you already said it was pretty pricey to go spend the day there ;)

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