SNG's 40b...new pics 2-6-18

[seabass]

You should be alright with a 5 gallon water change.  However, if you want to keep alkalinity at about 9, you might consider switching to a different salt mix with a lower alkalinity.  Then water changes won't cause alkalinity swings.  Maybe something like LA Pro Reef salt mix.

[slowngreen]

If I just try to raise it back up to the 12-13 range, then maintain it there, can that high hurt at all? 

[seabass]

Usually you'll see the acceptable alkalinity range to be 8 to 12 dKH (with natural seawater being 7 dKH, which can also be OK if kept from falling lower).  So 13 dKH seems a bit high (I certainly wouldn't dose it over 12 dKH).

 

According to the manufacturer, what level is your mix supposed to be?  It could have just been a testing aberration, or the salt mix may have settled (causing lower levels sometimes and higher levels at other times).  Then again, each batch of salt you buy can be a little different than another batch.

 

At alkalinity levels higher than natural seawater, you don't want to run an ultra low nutrient system or you will burn your SPS.  Other than that, you want to maintain a very stable alkalinity level.  Even bringing it back up to 12 dKH will be a problem if you do it too quickly.

[slowngreen]

I'm just going to go back to Kent. Always loved it on my old tank.

[Justind823]

17 hours ago, slowngreen said:

I always use it the same day I make it. This gallon I made just to test, I only waited like 30 minutes before testing it.

Ah got it. I was suggest that maybe it's precipitating because you're storing it too long giving you the low alk reading but if you're using it the same day then that is not the issue.

[slowngreen]

To answer your question @seabass the kh at 1.023 for this vibrant salt says 8-10. But of course I'm running 1.026. So the freshmix is pretty high. I ordered Kent so once it gets here I'll do 5g water changes every week to get it changed over. At 1.026 its 8.5. Which I'd prefer to stay around. 

[slowngreen]

On 12/22/2017 at 7:18 PM, cobra2326 said:

I’ve done a bunch of LED soldering to stars and it’s easy. Bought a skillet at Goodwill for $8 and some solder paste and it’s simple after that. Emitters I usually get from Digikey, except the UVs (SemiLEDs), which I think I got from Rapid LED.

What type of led chip is this though? They are smaller (footprint) than the ones I've used on black boxes and such.

 

[cobra2326]

36 minutes ago, slowngreen said:

What type of led chip is this though? They are smaller (footprint) than the ones I've used on black boxes and such.

 

The LED itself is that little green chip only. It looks about the same size as the CREE ones I used, but there are slight variances in the pitch of the pads on the back of the chip. You’ll have to try to find that out or desolder it to see the pads. 

[slowngreen]

Just a few pics. Messing around with my new camera.

 

 

[seabass]

Nice!  How do you like the Nikon P600?

[slowngreen]

So far so good. I will need to spend time going through the settings and change the stuff you taught about a few years ago like shutter speed, aperture, iso and so on...

[seabass]

I suggest you use the A (aperture) mode, and set it to f/8.  This should give you a reasonable depth of field.  If you still have problems focusing (especially on close ups), try going down to f/16 (but note that this will slow the shutter speed a little).

 

You can further control the shutter speed with the ISO setting.  The more movement you have, the higher you should set the ISO (like for fish).  When shooting coral, pick a lower ISO setting and turn off all your tank's pumps (to minimize movement).  Using a tripod will also allow you to use a lower ISO setting.

 

Edit: I just looked up the aperture settings.  It looks like f/6.5 is as small as you can go.  I'd probably set it to that in A mode, then just play with the ISO settings to control shutter speed (bumping up the ISO whenever you get motion blur).  There might be reasons to shoot in manual mode, but aperture mode will be the easiest until you get used to your camera.

Edited January 23, 2018 by seabass

[slowngreen]

Heres a current FTS. Had trouble getting it very clear. This was f6.5 with iso on 100. Which was the best of all I took.

 

 

 

 

[Indiana Reefin]

Wonderful tank! I love that neon green hammer! 

[seabass]

Looks good.  By clear, do you mean low noise or low blur?  If blur is your problem, then a higher ISO setting should help (as the shutter speed will be faster).  Also, do you have a tripod?  That will also help you take good pictures with slower shutter speeds.

[slowngreen]

I'm using a tripod. I'll try again with different iso. What about focus? Auto, manual or?

[seabass]

With a f/6.5 aperture, I would guess that autofocus would do (but if you were using a wider aperture, you might want to try manual focus because the depth of field would be smaller).  However, you might still get better results with manual focus.  Sometimes I set my camera to manual focus and instead of fine adjusting the focus, I move the camera closer or farther away from the subject (just be careful not to hit the glass with the lens).

 

The aperture will control the depth of field, but also the shutter speed.  So the smaller the aperture (larger number), more of the subject will be in focus.  However, it will slow down the shutter speed because there is less light hitting the sensor.  So by opening the aperture (lowering the number), you'll get faster shutter speeds and more shallow depths of field.  This might result in only portions of the subject being in focus (but some people really like this effect).  Play with wider apertures to get more light to the sensor.

 

Obviously any movement of the camera or the subject will cause motion blur with longer shutter speeds.  You're using a tripod, which is great.  Also, use the timer delay so that snapping the picture doesn't shake the camera.  This works well unless you are taking pictures of fish.  Also, turn off all flow in the tank.  The motion will blur the subject unless the shutter speeds are fairly fast.

 

You'd think that with our bright reef lights that getting enough light to the camera wouldn't be a problem.  But I find that I'm constantly battling low light (long shutter speeds).  Higher ISO settings (like 800 or higher) will shorten shutter speeds.  But it comes at the cost of more noise in the picture.  Pick the highest ISO setting that doesn't result in noisy pics.  That should help with motion blur.

 

Of course you can also use full manual mode, and you'll have full control of the shutter speed.  However, you will also have to manage exposure with aperture and ISO settings.  I just find it easier to let the camera pick the shutter speed for me (in A mode, so I don't have to worry about exposure).

 

For fish pictures, you might also try shutter priority mode.  However, you will lose control of the aperture (which I personally like to set myself).

[slowngreen]

[markalot]

Awesome.   I really like the scape, makes the tank look much bigger than a 40B.

[seabass]

The new pics look good.  Is it getting easier to get more useable shots?

 

That camera has a big zoom.  Have you tried taking any outdoor pics with it yet?  My camera doesn't permit me to get pics of things like air balloons, the moon, or really anything far away (just not enough zoom).  I wouldn't mind seeing if you could get a pic of a bird or something, to show off that zoom.

[slowngreen]

Hadn't even thought about that. Guess it can do things other than aquarium photos haha. I'll see what I can get.

[slowngreen]

@seabass was trying to use Manual mode where I can adjust aperture and shutter speed but all my pics come out almost all black, any idea why?

[seabass]

11 hours ago, slowngreen said:

@seabass was trying to use Manual mode where I can adjust aperture and shutter speed but all my pics come out almost all black, any idea why?

Manual mode doesn't automatically set the exposure like aperture and shutter speed modes.  Therefore you have full control over exposure.  It will also let you pick settings which are either greatly over or under exposed.

 

If the pics are too dark, you can make any of the following adjustments (or combination of adjustments):

• Increase the ISO setting
• Slow down the shutter speed
• Enlarge the aperture (by using a f-stop with a smaller number)

If the subject is moving (like an animal), you will likely want to maintain a relatively fast shutter speed to prevent motion blur.  This can greatly reduce your options (especially in lower light settings).

 

By enlarging the aperture, you are reducing the field of view (the distance of what can be in focus at any given time).  So for example, taking a close up with a wider aperture, of a fish (that's facing you) might allow you to focus on its eyes but its tail might be out of focus.

Not my picture.

 

In general, assuming the subject isn't moving (and you are using a tripod), you'd want to decrease the shutter speed in order to allow more light in.  Obviously taking pictures in bright daylight will help too.  You might need shutter speeds of 15 seconds to get nighttime pics.

 

Also set the ISO to 800 (or even 1600) in order to increase the exposure.  Setting it any higher will likely result in grainy pics.

 

I normally recommend one of the auto exposure modes (either S or A) to set the exposure for you.  S for moving subjects, and A for stationary subjects.  However, there are times when shooting in full manual mode can give you superior results.

 

Full auto mode greatly reduces your ability to control the shot.  Normally it doesn't let you choose things like white balance, shutter speed, or aperture.  If lighting is good (like outdoors in the sunlight), I might get lazy and use it; but I normally reserve full auto mode for taking pics with my phone.

 

Finally, don't forget about using a flash.  In general flash photography isn't normally recommended for tank shots; however, there are times when you just need more light (maybe like taking pics of friends in a dimly lit restaurant).  Keep in mind that the flash doesn't work for far away subjects.

[slowngreen]

So I have gotten my numbers watched in my tank with what my salt is. So last night at this time I was at 540 Cal and 8.5kh. Which is where I want to stay. Tonight, Im at 520 and about 8. So according to BRS I will need 90ml and 19ml. Sound about right? 

[seabass]

Calcium sounds high to me; 450 ppm sounds more typical.  I try to make things simple and just target the levels of a newly mixed batch of saltwater.  That way, water changes help to bring you closer towards targets, while helping to maintain stability.  Also, you mention calcium and alkalinity, what's your tank's alkalinity level?