cswan19 Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 Any tips on getting pictures of fish? I am getting the hang of photographing still objects but everytime I try to get a shot of my sixline it comes out blurry.... even if he is being pretty still. Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 Hey guys, Quick question... is it possible to add extra LED's to my current USA Orbit fixture? I really like the look of the extra colors (pink/red and greenish) in with the blue and white. It gives the tank a nice look. I was hoping to be able to add these colors somehow. Doesn't necessarily have to be something that will grow corals, just simply for aesthetic as my light already has enough light to sustain my corals as is. Just looking to add more corals. Any ideas? Link to comment
cmccorkle2005 Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Any tips on getting pictures of fish? I am getting the hang of photographing still objects but everytime I try to get a shot of my sixline it comes out blurry.... even if he is being pretty still. If you have a camera or a phone with manual control what you want is a faster shutter speed. If you are using your phone or a point and shoot try turning up the ISO and it usually will automatically make the shutter speed faster. If you have an SLR try putting the camera in Program mode and dialing the shutter speed to 1/100 second or faster... (Turning up the ISO will also make the pics grainier) Link to comment
Kijho Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Any tips on getting pictures of fish? I am getting the hang of photographing still objects but everytime I try to get a shot of my sixline it comes out blurry.... even if he is being pretty still. Do you have an SLR or just iphone? My tip would be FAST shutter speed. You may need to compensate for the faster shutter with higher ISO, but it's worth it. (Most DSLR's can handle higher ISO's pretty good nowadays too). My biggest thing is this: You shoot a picture of your fish - fish more very fast - if your camera takes that photo at 1/80th and the fish is moving, you get blur! Instead - shoot high, 1/150 to 1/200th of a second for your shutter speed. Fish moves but the faster your camera shoots you can "freeze" and not get blur!! But you need higher ISO to compensate.. This is kinda a very simple outline to how I shoot.. it really depends on the camera! Edit/ Just notice this is pretty much what cmccorkle said. Instead of 'Program' Mood I'd suggest shooting is 'TV' mode. You choose the shutter speed, it chooses the rest. Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 If you have a camera or a phone with manual control what you want is a faster shutter speed. If you are using your phone or a point and shoot try turning up the ISO and it usually will automatically make the shutter speed faster. If you have an SLR try putting the camera in Program mode and dialing the shutter speed to 1/100 second or faster... (Turning up the ISO will also make the pics grainier) Do you have an SLR or just iphone? My tip would be FAST shutter speed. You may need to compensate for the faster shutter with higher ISO, but it's worth it. (Most DSLR's can handle higher ISO's pretty good nowadays too). My biggest thing is this: You shoot a picture of your fish - fish more very fast - if your camera takes that photo at 1/80th and the fish is moving, you get blur! Instead - shoot high, 1/150 to 1/200th of a second for your shutter speed. Fish moves but the faster your camera shoots you can "freeze" and not get blur!! But you need higher ISO to compensate.. This is kinda a very simple outline to how I shoot.. it really depends on the camera! Edit/ Just notice this is pretty much what cmccorkle said. Instead of 'Program' Mood I'd suggest shooting is 'TV' mode. You choose the shutter speed, it chooses the rest. I am using a Nikon p90 which is basically a higher end point and shoot. I will have to play around with the settings and see if I am able to figure out what ISO and shutter speed works well for me. Thanks for the tips guys. On another note... I have yet to put the tigger pods I got from Reef Nutrition into my tank. Has anyone used these? Do I pipette the pods out and disperse them down on the rocks? Or do I just pour the whole bottle in, water and all? Also, has anyone used any products or good methods of removing built up detritus? I feel as though this is having a big effect on my algae growth. I tried using a turkey baster but some of it just won't come off. I have used a toothbrush but there are some areas I am just not able to get good enough. One more question.... How long is it safe to leave the phosguard in the tank? I had divided it up into smaller bags because it would have been too much for my tank. Should I switch it out and put some clean phosguard in there? Other than the algae and detritus and quite frankly my tank looking ugly, everything seems to be healthy and happy. Just want this damn algae out of my tank!! Link to comment
cmccorkle2005 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I am using a Nikon p90 which is basically a higher end point and shoot. I will have to play around with the settings and see if I am able to figure out what ISO and shutter speed works well for me. Thanks for the tips guys. On another note... I have yet to put the tigger pods I got from Reef Nutrition into my tank. Has anyone used these? Do I pipette the pods out and disperse them down on the rocks? Or do I just pour the whole bottle in, water and all? Also, has anyone used any products or good methods of removing built up detritus? I feel as though this is having a big effect on my algae growth. I tried using a turkey baster but some of it just won't come off. I have used a toothbrush but there are some areas I am just not able to get good enough. One more question.... How long is it safe to leave the phosguard in the tank? I had divided it up into smaller bags because it would have been too much for my tank. Should I switch it out and put some clean phosguard in there? Other than the algae and detritus and quite frankly my tank looking ugly, everything seems to be healthy and happy. Just want this damn algae out of my tank!! I'm not sure about Phosguard but I have used the kent marine phosphate sponge and I think they are similar. The kent stuff tells you to remove it from the tank after 48 hours or you run the risk of it leaking the phosphates back into the tank. Most of the people i see on here seem to like the GFO (Granular Ferrous Oxide?) better. i think it is slower acting but you don't have to worry about it leaching stuff back into the water if it stays in too long... Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 Only one more week of Spring classes and then more regular updates to come!!! But as of now I will not be on NR as its finals week and I am a biology major... I will have my face buried in books. So close to a class free summer, but yet I still have so much to do haha Link to comment
Cencalfishguy56 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Only one more week of Spring classes and then more regular updates to come!!! But as of now I will not be on NR as its finals week and I am a biology major... I will have my face buried in books. So close to a class free summer, but yet I still have so much to do haha Where do you go to college? I still have a damn month and I'm already stressing lol Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 Where do you go to college? I still have a damn month and I'm already stressing lol Im currently an undergrad at University of South Florida. aspiring marine biologist so have Mote Marine Laboratories nearby that I am able to spend time at and do research with is awesome. Why can't I focus?!... must. stay. off. NR. Link to comment
ninjamyst Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 good luck on your finals! Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Im currently an undergrad at University of South Florida. aspiring marine biologist so have Mote Marine Laboratories nearby that I am able to spend time at and do research with is awesome. Why can't I focus?!... must. stay. off. NR. Just file the time spent on this website as research since you are studying marine biology. Link to comment
Cencalfishguy56 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Im currently an undergrad at University of South Florida. aspiring marine biologist so have Mote Marine Laboratories nearby that I am able to spend time at and do research with is awesome. Why can't I focus?!... must. stay. off. NR. Awesome! I was going to major in biology and do marine biologist at UC Santa Cruz here in California right on the coast line, they have a nice facility, but ended up doing registered dietician at CSU Fresno or Fresno state lol trying to finish my undergrad studies as well, things have been hectic with all my science classes Link to comment
cmccorkle2005 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Im currently an undergrad at University of South Florida. aspiring marine biologist so have Mote Marine Laboratories nearby that I am able to spend time at and do research with is awesome. Why can't I focus?!... must. stay. off. NR. Good luck on finals! Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 Thank you for all the good luck wishes!! I am officially done with school this semester and have started summer vacation as of today. Now i need to work on the tank. I am still have awful luck with my tank. It is still completely covered in algae. I am at a loss and getting very discouraged... I don't know what else to do. Testing is as follows. pH: 8.0 Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 0 ppm Have not tested calcium, mag or alk yet. I ran phosguard for about a week and a half putting small portions in for 24 hours at a time and then changing it in order to keep it from leaching the phosphates back out. This did absolutely nothing. I honestly do not know what to do... It seems like my tank will not come back from this. I am losing corals and everything is closed up and unhappy. Here is a video showing what the algae all over looks like. As you can see the ricordea is all but dead. Any tips? Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 idk if someone has asked this or if maybe I asked but don't recall but what do you have your light set at? Right now I have mine at 70% whites and blues but I'm not really sure where to put it. Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 idk if someone has asked this or if maybe I asked but don't recall but what do you have your light set at? Right now I have mine at 70% whites and blues but I'm not really sure where to put it. mine are at 90% white 75% blue Link to comment
NanoClown Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I would set the whites lower than the blues Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I feel like the percentage of whites vs blues is more of a personal taste. Some people enjoy the blue while some prefer a more white visual. Link to comment
cmccorkle2005 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Just from the times in the past I've had a tank overwhelmed with hair algae this is what I have learned for what its worth: - The fact that your tests show good on ammonia, nitrates etc doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a problem with them since the algae is consuming these nutrients. - Cutting lights back helps but if you just shut them off for days the algae will die off and start to pollute the water. You want to manage whatever is fueling it while your CUC eats it. - Make sure you have CUC members that will actually eat hair algae - I think turbos like it - Doing frequent water changes helps while you are trying to get the water quality issue identified and resolved. Like twice a week... Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Is there anything else that eats the brown hair algae other than turbo snails? I've been looking for something but have been hesitant about turbo snails due to their large size. Link to comment
cmccorkle2005 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Is there anything else that eats the brown hair algae other than turbo snails? I've been looking for something but have been hesitant about turbo snails due to their large size. I'd actually like to know too - I read the horror stories about turbos too but finally broke down and got one because there were some things in my tank the rest of the cuc just wouldn't clean up... Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Yea, right now my clean up crew has the rockscape all clean but the glass gets left untouched. Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Alright guys... heres a bit of an update. I really do appreciate all the help from everybody I went to the LFS with some pictures and videos of my tank to show them the algae. They said they think it is a little bit of hair algae, diatoms, cyano and possibly some brown slime... I trust these guys as I rely on them for alot of my research on other things and so far have not let me down. This is what I am now doing per their suggestions: 1. Turn the whites down on my lights and leave them on for a reduced amount of time during the day. 2. Frequent water changes (2x a week on Wednesdays and Fridays) 3. Manual removal of algae when doing WC's 4. Adding more to my CUC (just added 20 blue leg hermits and already they are chowing down, I already have some turbo snails) 5. Feed less but still enough for my wrasse and shrimp. (No feeding for corals for a bit of time) Let me know what you think. I just cleaned and did a WC to the tank, turned my light to 10%whites and 75% blue and added the hermit crabs. Will keep you updated on the results and progress. Hopefully it doesn't claim anymore victims... I already lost 4 corals to this stuff. :/ Link to comment
cmccorkle2005 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Sounds pretty spot on to me... I hope there are no more casulaties :-/ Link to comment
cswan19 Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Maybe it is just in my mind.. but the tank is already looking better... After all this algae is gone, I was wanting to try my and at another yellow watchman goby for my shrimp. What are your opinions on this? Do you think it is too late to add anything else to the tank? Do you think my shrimp would not pair with him? I just don't want to kill anymore fish as I lost the first two I tried to keep. But I really want the goby and shrimp pair. It is what I had in mind for my tank from the beginning. Thoughts? Link to comment
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