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TriggerHappyDude

Acrylic? Is kinetics tank acrylic? I thought it was that nice starphire glass with polished edges?

1488784688_a25f9c1720_o.jpg

 

I just don't know if I could ever do acrylic...my personal opinion only of course. Some are amazing!

Edited by TriggerHappyDude
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kinetic, you're a good man, I'm doing volunteer photography just to gain experience and fun, and hopes of landing real gigs from my work. I too am in IT, web application and server support, but love the art of photography. That Canon lens you mention, the 85mm, wow thats an expensive but awesome lens huh!?

 

I was torn between going Nikon and Canon, the 5D Mark II swung my vote. But if I had my way and endless amounts of $, I would have both! Nikon has some awesome stuff...for sure.

 

Keep coming back kinetic, you're famous in my book.

 

Photography these days to me is a means to helping promote something good. Without a good story, photos are just images. I'm not saying a beautiful landscape or neat abstract light reflection isn't good, but I'm really going towards documentary style stuff. Instead of just showing someone a good looking photo, I want to show them, and tell the story. I want to be able to influence them and opening up peoples' minds to the world outside of their own, to bring awareness to things that aren't normally commonly exposed to the majority of the population. I have a couple projects I think I might pursue sometime in the future, but i can save that for a different discussion =)

 

The 5D Mark II is really nice! I've tried it before, it's quite the camera body!

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Kinetic - Awesome stuff. Your pictures are amazing on and off the reef ;)

 

Do you think you could snap some pictures of your corals now? I know your busy but it would be cool to see some eye candy. You should see if you can pick up some Glass Eyed cardinals for the tank, with the open look it would look awesome plus provide some sweet pictures.

 

I think you turned me... building a acrylic ELOS tank. Its go time!

 

-Dave

 

Hey Dave,

 

Nothing too interesting in terms of the corals at the moment, I've been documenting a few so I might do like a progression series of photos showing growth in a month or two.

 

Glass Eye Cardinals aka Apogon leptacanthus? Those are pretty cool fish, though I think I've maxed out for now on fish. The chromis, clowns, and anthias already poop like nobody's business ;)

 

I would suggest glass! I've had acrylic tanks completely until the ELOS. Huge difference. It just feels way more high quality. Being rimless, acrylic also has to be way thicker because Acrylic is a very soft material, to offset stretching etc. it has to come really thick when rimless. Think 1" - 1.5" minimum. Big problem there is vortechs and such won't attach to anything thicker than 3/4". Go glass!

 

My next tank will be a glass tank with PVC bottom and an overflow that is the entirety of the length of the back... unless it becomes a peninsula tank. PVC bottom because it's strong, takes a lot of abuse (falling rocks etc), and I'll probably have it come in white so it looks somewhat like a sandbed ;)

 

 

 

Acrylic? Is kinetics tank acrylic? I thought it was that nice starphire glass with polished edges?

 

I just don't know if I could ever do acrylic...my personal opinion only of course. Some are amazing!

 

no my elos is low-iron glass all the way around... I've had acrylic in the past, a lot, and even the best work has never even come close to nicely beveled edges of starfire / low-iron glass.

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Ordered a custom Trigger System sump! David over at Trigger is awesome. very nice, answers questions promptly, and was very helpful. Great customer service. I'm getting a slightly extended Trigger System Ruby ELITE 30, weighing in at 32 x 18 x 16". The only real custom part to it other than size is he's adding a bigger bulkhead for one return, and putting in a few 1/4" rigid tub holders for my dosing and continuous water changer. I hope this will solve the microbubbles issue I've been having, and will allow for more space for my bubble king 160 which has arrived at my LFS.

 

Next week my custom Giesemann Infinity should be arriving at the LFS as well. They called today and Giesemann had just shipped it. I'll probably pickup the lighting and Giesemann at the same time. I'll wait to setup the BBK until the Sump gets here.

 

I need to start planning how to get the sump out. I have pocket screws on the center brace on the stand, but I'm not entirely sure I can get to the bottom ones. I'll have to get creative. When replacing the center brace, I'll probably leave the bottom screws off, and hope the weight of it all keeps it in place.

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quick fts, the urchin, sea hare, and mexican turbos did a ridiculous job cleaning up the algae, check out the before and after:

 

Before:

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Today (less than a month later):

4081815773_e7c090cda3.jpg

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Wow...looks really fantastic. I really like how wide open the tank feels and all of the small nooks, crannies, and caves you have built with the scape. It's going to look amazing once that yellow/green Acro(?) on the left and the other corals take off.

 

Would love to see a video of the tank....I'm sure the movement is amazing with the two Vortechs on the back wall and the return.

 

-Adam

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Wow...looks really fantastic. I really like how wide open the tank feels and all of the small nooks, crannies, and caves you have built with the scape. It's going to look amazing once that yellow/green Acro(?) on the left and the other corals take off.

 

Would love to see a video of the tank....I'm sure the movement is amazing with the two Vortechs on the back wall and the return.

 

-Adam

Thanks Adam. That yellow/green acro is actually an ORA Borealis, sad it's completely browned out. Everything in my tank is browned. It used to be a blue green, dark blue green. Lots of PE and growth though. I think it's my lamps, they're a bit old.

 

If you look back a few pages, there's video of the tank ;)

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TriggerHappyDude
My next tank will be a glass tank with PVC bottom and an overflow that is the entirety of the length of the back... unless it becomes a peninsula tank. PVC bottom because it's strong, takes a lot of abuse (falling rocks etc), and I'll probably have it come in white so it looks somewhat like a sandbed

 

I only know of one company that does the PVC bottoms, that AGE out of Texas, is that who you might go with on your next tank? That is who I plan to use to build my next step up in the aquarium world, all for the very same reasons you mentioned, the PVC bottom is awesome and the starphire polished glass...why do you want the overflow to be the entire length of the back of your tank? (Just curious your thoughts and reasons)

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I only know of one company that does the PVC bottoms, that AGE out of Texas, is that who you might go with on your next tank? That is who I plan to use to build my next step up in the aquarium world, all for the very same reasons you mentioned, the PVC bottom is awesome and the starphire polished glass...why do you want the overflow to be the entire length of the back of your tank? (Just curious your thoughts and reasons)

 

Yeah I might go with A.G.E., but have to order it through an LFS since they don't deal directly with the public. I just talked to Jesse at ELOS, and there's a chance I'll just go with another ELOS setup. It'll just be the display, with a custom stand (basically same style, white, but 36" tall instead).

 

Just picked up my new Giesemann Infinity and Bubble King 160 from the LFS. Next week the Trigger Sys custom sump should arrive, so I'll put the light up first, then swap out the sump.

 

I'll take pictures when it all gets in =)

 

Coast-to-coast overflows are cool. I'll give an explanation a bit later, going out for dinner =)

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TriggerHappyDude
Coast-to-coast overflows are cool. I'll give an explanation a bit later, going out for dinner =)

 

Ok please do, I want to know what you're thinking...intrigued.

Also, I guess the coast-to-coast overflow would make it an external one?

Edited by TriggerHappyDude
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Ok please do, I want to know what you're thinking...intrigued.

Also, I guess the coast-to-coast overflow would make it an external one?

 

Here's a good link from the man himself: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic26693-13-1.aspx

 

It was an idea from Anthony Calfo, it basically helps create a super silent overflow, one that is not that deep, and gives you awesome surface skimming. I can't find any good articles, but read the above link.

 

 

So I finally got my new light working and hung:

 

4116503242_5e55fb5345.jpg

 

 

Here's the progress:

 

Coming out of the packaging:

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Time to start installing the lamps:

4110479751_957a236583.jpg

 

Halide installed:

4111231352_3a869c8e78.jpg

 

Wires had me totally confused, as the halides weren't firing. Took this shot to ask for help, ended up Giesemann didn't include two chords for me to power the halides from the ballast to the wall.

4114128370_2406649b13.jpg

 

Here's some of the ballasts, and notice only one plug coming out of each of the ballasts? That's the straight-through for the T5's, the halides needed another two power chords that weren't included. I troubleshooted for days! Who knew I needed to more that they forgot to include? Instructions were terribly lacking as well

4110501315_4119d9fb30.jpg

 

Here it is with only one pair of T5's on (excuse the horrible white balance, I'm too lazy to fix):

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Side view:

4115734399_39c1b16cd3.jpg

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TriggerHappyDude

Kinetic,

 

So do you plan to design the horizontal overflow the length of the tank, internal or external, I still haven't figure that out yet? Or I don't know which one makes sense and which doesn't. I can't tell from that thread what he did either...

 

PS, your white balance, or whatever settings you use for your pictures is very cool, wished you'd share those secrets, so I could play with mine and see if my pictures look as cool as yours!

Edited by TriggerHappyDude
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New light looks stunning...nothing like some finely made, polished lighting. I imagine that the tank looks fantastic under it.

 

Are you sure you're not in product photography? If not, you sure should be :)

 

PS, your white balance, or whatever settings you use for your pictures is very cool, wished you'd share those secrets, so I could play with mine and see if my pictures look as cool as yours!

 

I agree with this....love the shallow DOF in your product pics and the other cool, crisp feel to your pics. Do you shoot RAW and use a lower K rating for color balance? As a semi-pro portrait photographer, I tend to stray a little on the warmer side depending on the situation.

 

-Adam

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Hey guys, sorry I haven't checked back in awhile. NR sometimes stops sending me emails when I get replies, but I was on my way to post a few pictures and updates.

 

ohh wow awesome! haha pics! also i gotta ask you some things -pm

Didn't get any PM's =( Do you still live in NorCal?

 

So do you plan to design the horizontal overflow the length of the tank, internal or external, I still haven't figure that out yet? Or I don't know which one makes sense and which doesn't. I can't tell from that thread what he did either...

It's an external overflow, but super short and shallow. It's not that amazing other than it provides a ridiculous amount of surface skimming, provides a noiseless option for a drain, and also doesn't need huge overflow boxes. The thread kind of sucks, that's true. I can't find any good articles about it for some reason!

 

PS, your white balance, or whatever settings you use for your pictures is very cool, wished you'd share those secrets, so I could play with mine and see if my pictures look as cool as yours!

I take a stance in between b&w and color sometimes... just enough color to feed the mind what the colors should be, and not black and white so that your brain has to do all the work to imagine. it's like a hint ;) I desaturate to at least 70%. Then there's a ton of fiddling with vivid, clarity, blacks, highlights, brightness, and all that crazy stuff. It's usually just me moving the sliders in Photoshop RAW around all over the place until it looks good.

 

New light looks stunning...nothing like some finely made, polished lighting. I imagine that the tank looks fantastic under it.

Thanks, the lighting is a beautiful piece itself. All I need is to replace the stand with a nice color matched equivalent. =)

 

Are you sure you're not in product photography? If not, you sure should be :)

I'm not sure I'm into product photography. I tend to keep away from posed / studio like shots. If I can get the product in action, that's kind of neat =) ELOS products are easy to take pictures of, they look so awesome already. Giesemann as well.

 

Do you shoot RAW and use a lower K rating for color balance? As a semi-pro portrait photographer, I tend to stray a little on the warmer side depending on the situation.

I shoot RAW and just hit the auto white balance. For people I usually go b&w. Unless color adds to the composition, I remove it completely. I do the desaturated look sometimes if I do want a little hint of color here and there, but not enough so it doesn't fire off the imaginations of the viewers to come up with what the colors really should look like. Desaturation makes things look even more vivid because it guides your brain towards imagining what the colors really are, which are unexplainable and unrepresentable in a single photograph. Photographs in full color, in my opinion, cheat the viewer out of using their imaginations to determine what should be there. People want to see cool things, and in their minds they do. Desaturation helps the imagination make my photos better than they really are. Photography for me is less about representing exactly how a scene looks, but to incite the imagination to come up with it's own.

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Update: I fired up my Miter Saw and cut a 2x4 to support my stand. Had to wedge it in there by hammering it in, but it's holding up great. Why you ask? Because I'm removing the center brace on the stand to remove my sump. I'm replacing it with a newly delivered CUSTOM (of course custom) Trigger Systems Ruby ELITE. 32x18x16", with tons of goodies. I'll take pictures when it's done.

 

Also took delivery of two new Phoenix 14K 250watt DE lamps to replace the MegaChrome 13.3K. The MegaChrome aren't blue enough for my tastes =)

 

A few pictures I took:

 

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This one is super saturated, not sure why, flickr messes with my photos when I upload:

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My female Sanjay Black Photon:

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One of the barletts, super skinny still after a few months...

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Photography for me is less about representing exactly how a scene looks, but to incite the imagination to come up with it's own.

 

Couldn't agree more with you there ;)

 

 

4129817803_0bddfaba2c.jpg

 

SUPERB :wub:

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Adam - That photo was my favorite too! I PM'ed him earlier to send it to me to make it my desktop. One of my favorite photos I've seen.

 

Kinetic - Superb! PM replied :D

 

-Dave

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Adam - That photo was my favorite too! I PM'ed him earlier to send it to me to make it my desktop. One of my favorite photos I've seen.

 

Kinetic - Superb! PM replied :D

 

-Dave

Sorry guys, no time right now to get the photo out to you. Just replaced my sump, started cleaning the house, and now I have to cook a bunch of food before guests get in for thanksgiving. Quick update though: sump is in, skimmer is in, everything setup except for the topoff. I'll do that tomorrow.

 

Here's the return pump cleaned and "silenced" with neoprene. Got rid of the unreliable suction cups:

 

4136483427_026cf96402.jpg

 

 

 

Here's the sump with no equipment yet. I'll take more pictures with skimmer etc. later tonight:

 

4136483395_76e6a1b55f.jpg

 

 

Have a happy thanksgiving!

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