Jump to content
Top Shelf Aquatics

Blenwood's Reef - 1st attempts at focus stacking


Cannedfish

Recommended Posts

The White Zombies seem like one of those zoas that are pretty enough, just not worth the hype price. I want to get some once the hype is over and the price chills out some, or if I can get a good deal on them from someone with spares. Have they at least grown well?

 

Tank is gorgeous, as usual. Love the top-down. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Welp it’s that time of the month again. That’s right, the time you finally admit defeat and take a shower. Also… monthly update time.

 

The last month for the tank has been a bit of rollercoaster ride. Not a fun and most safe rollercoaster at a large, well-funded, and likely OSHA inspected theme park, but more along the lines of a sketchy traveling carnival “rollercoaster” where you’re pretty sure the tilt-o-wheel is being held together with budget brand duct tape and cheap cigarettes… basically all the wrong types of terror. Anyways, the problems started around Christmas where I decided after “a few” glasses of mulled wine that I would install the new Kamoer Dosing pump. While the install went alright, dialing in the new doser has been a nightmare. I’m not sure whether it’s because the old dosing pump had drifted in its dosing amount or whether the new doser is having difficulty dosing small qualities, or it’s something else entirely (see… incompetence), either way I have been have difficulty stabilizing my alkalinity. More specifically, the last couple weeks my alk has dropped to around 4.8 dhk. Over that period, I have doubled the amount I dose daily, from 9ml of Tropic Marin All-For-Reefs to over 22ml. And while I have slowly got the tank back up to about 6.0dkh, what’s strange is that the coral etc. hasn’t seemed to suffer any ill effects, PE and color has been great throughout this period. Another perplexing development is that despite cutting back my water changes to once a week and increasing my daily feeding amount to over a cube of frozen a day, my nutrients have been super low (po4 around 0.03). I don’t know if the sheer amount of carbon dosing from the AFR is causing the tank to process nutrients at an incredible rate or what, but strange things are afoot.

 

Additionally, despite being a scoundrel for most of the year, I did receive some tank goodies from jolly ol’ Papa Noel. Specifically, a new Aqamai KPS pump and a Laowa macro lens (which I have mentioned in previous posts). While the KPS has been wildly unreliable for me (this is my third one) the size and form factor of the pump (especially the degree in which you can angle the head) still make it my favorite. I’d be willing to give the Nero 3 a try if someone can 3d print me a magnetic corner bracket for it. But until then I guess I just keep buying more KPS.

 

Anyways, progression photo time!

 

January 2021:

ATR_2027.thumb.jpeg.fde090e039b8f7e00d6ad26b6b9ea8a8.jpeg

 

December 2020

ATR_1353.thumb.jpeg.19c5aa2ed68459f7e28a1ee232c7938a.jpeg

 

November 2020

ATR_0859.thumb.jpeg.d9dbf21cb46c5d6237ce8a3efbc29611.jpeg

October 2020

ATR_0638.thumb.jpeg.8d0d0b6d4c2c1d95dbde0e9b3846d58e.jpeg

  • Like 8
  • Wow 1
Link to comment

Tank is still looking great! The alkalinity thing is funny. I've had mine drop to the high 5's a couple of times and have never seen any ill effects from the corals either, but on the other end of the spectrum with alk spikes it's never been good, not horrible, but things were just off a bit from usual. I love the white banded possum wrasse. I've been searching for one for two months now with no luck. Not sure if they're a seasonal thing or not, but I keep coming up empty when trying to find one. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
15 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

ATR_1581.thumb.jpeg.de3db51e3fd237fd7207fff0cee1474c.jpeg

 

I recall you once gave my light fixture a nickname "Death Star"......  so, what shall we call your little contraption here?  🤔

If we're sticking to a SW theme, clearly Starkiller base. 

  • Haha 3
Link to comment
16 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

Some Tuesday night photos:


imageproxy.php?img=&key=a72cef6f73776f2bForest Fire Digi:

F40CE03B-D17D-4AD0-AA62-514EF172D3A6.thumb.jpeg.9465fbf0a474763ce852cc6d3a2c220f.jpeg

 

Acro Polyps:

42C97A02-D097-4DA1-87E2-3F485143C807.thumb.jpeg.2e9eb54e0b39f44a74651f043266164e.jpeg

 

Nite Crew:

764BDF5B-E2CA-4D9F-B2EF-7ACBFDABE03A.thumb.jpeg.fdf81551ee12c028f16ed8f93e6452fe.jpeg

 

Top Down:

D30B2DA2-79F0-4731-8B58-1B04C34AE2D0.thumb.jpeg.96990f0bcfccf542b93dd9bb89848dee.jpeg

 

Sun:

E3A72BA7-6087-4F22-A408-BE81D0D109CA.thumb.jpeg.497ba107ae5c42f319d04329cdcb2f78.jpeg 

 

You’re liking that lens aren’t you?

 

”Night Crew” reminds me of “Night Nurse”

 

 

Link to comment

The top down of those Acro's is plain stupid amazing. Fishy,you have gotten GOOD with that camera. Hats off to you bud. 

 

 Looks like the 4 Primes is working out good for you. 

Link to comment
2 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

The top down of those Acro's is plain stupid amazing. Fishy,you have gotten GOOD with that camera. Hats off to you bud. 

 

 Looks like the 4 Primes is working out good for you. 

If 4 of them didn't work I'd expect dinner, a refund, and a written apology to my whole family.

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
1 minute ago, A.m.P said:

If 4 of them didn't work I'd expect dinner, a refund, and a written apology to my whole family.

No joke hahaha. Its so funny because its 4 Prime's its too much light but 99.95% don't realize they are controllable like dummies lol. 

Link to comment

I’m so far behind responding to comments it’s nearly crippling... like I tell my probation officer, “I’ll do it, I promise!” Works 60% of the tank time... every time...

 

Anyways... fotos!!

 

Macro photo setup

3ADA97DA-4EB2-47FF-83AC-36526D79EFC3.thumb.jpeg.084d14cfa09da6ed7eb4a267b00526b1.jpeg
 

The devils dander aka CF Booger Sugar

AB93FF0E-3C75-42DE-86CE-C79E1DF31E23.thumb.jpeg.55b6162f44a45eef227ceeade78e5e87.jpeg
 

Always looks happy never grows...

3C7E4914-D791-4B2B-800C-73B48393AAB1.thumb.jpeg.eceb79fd6a0dac454c381d50764507fd.jpeg

If you are going to buy one acro this is it... SCOP. 

7222C857-35DE-4A75-AA44-992FD33B240C.thumb.jpeg.03f8d8ad6dd362ca438a14b7e51ba9b3.jpeg

 

This thing better start coloring up...

ECE6E41F-EC63-454F-9328-CCA0D68B4102.thumb.jpeg.766b35394082b7349b544ada7e99375a.jpeg

  • Like 6
  • Wow 2
Link to comment
28 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

I’m so far behind responding to comments it’s nearly crippling... like I tell my probation officer, “I’ll do it, I promise!” Works 60% of the tank time... every time...

 

Anyways... fotos!!

 

Macro photo setup

3ADA97DA-4EB2-47FF-83AC-36526D79EFC3.thumb.jpeg.084d14cfa09da6ed7eb4a267b00526b1.jpeg
 

The devils dander aka CF Booger Sugar

AB93FF0E-3C75-42DE-86CE-C79E1DF31E23.thumb.jpeg.55b6162f44a45eef227ceeade78e5e87.jpeg
 

Always looks happy never grows...

3C7E4914-D791-4B2B-800C-73B48393AAB1.thumb.jpeg.eceb79fd6a0dac454c381d50764507fd.jpeg

If you are going to buy one acro this is it... SCOP. 

7222C857-35DE-4A75-AA44-992FD33B240C.thumb.jpeg.03f8d8ad6dd362ca438a14b7e51ba9b3.jpeg

 

This thing better start coloring up...

ECE6E41F-EC63-454F-9328-CCA0D68B4102.thumb.jpeg.766b35394082b7349b544ada7e99375a.jpeg

So explain to me how you have your mega lights mounted so you can move them out of the way like that? It’s almost like our surgical light on a telescoping, articulating arm on a hydraulic boom. Please explain this wizardry

  • Like 2
Link to comment
On 1/26/2021 at 9:53 PM, ECLS Reefer said:

So explain to me how you have your mega lights mounted so you can move them out of the way like that? It’s almost like our surgical light on a telescoping, articulating arm on a hydraulic boom. Please explain this wizardry

So... unlike many of my bad ideas, and many more of my attempts to turn suspect ideas into reality, the AI Prime mount is a real bright spot (pun intended!). While it ain't gots no fancy hydraulic actuators or telescoping doohickies or no flux capacitor, each light is mounted to a flash rail by a ball swivel and the flash rail is attached to the mounting arm with nuts and nylon washers and the mounting arm is attached to the wall with friction fittings. Therefore, just about every aspect of the mount can be moved and adjusted, which is great! It allows me to pivot the lights out of the way when doing maintenance and furthermore, allows each light to be individual positioned for maximum shadow reduction. 

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, Cannedfish said:

So... unlike many of my bad ideas, and many more of my attempts to turn suspect ideas into reality, the AI Prime mount is a real bright spot (pun intended!). While it ain't gots no fancy hydraulic actuators or telescoping doohickies or no flux capacitor, each light is mounted to a flash rail by a ball swivel and the flash rail is attached to the mounting arm with nuts and nylon washers and the mounting arm is attached to the wall with friction fittings. Therefore, just about every aspect of the mount can be moved and adjusted, which is great! It allows me to pivot the lights out of the way when doing maintenance and furthermore, allows each light to be individual positioned for maximum shadow reduction. 

You lost me at flash rail

 

But I like the flux capacitor part

  • Like 1
Link to comment
tankfullofderps

Alright, time to post in my favorite tank thread. Been lurkin for awhile and one thing has been stumping me - your lighting! I have the same tank with an a360x mounted 6" over, also with a blend of SPS/LPS, but have turned the intensity waaaaay down (33 watts). I feel like I am constantly fighting STN & lackluster growth with my SPS. You have 4 AI Primes...how are you not cooking your stock? I have seen your previous posts on light settings in regards to spectrum, but any lighting tips/reading for us nano sps tank plebs? I have been focusing on PAR too much, would love to hear your input as you have one of the most successful nano tanks I have ever seen. 

 

Would also love to hear your top bourbon pics...it's a shared addiction hobby while reefing. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
19 hours ago, mitten_reef said:

let's show something with a little more oomph...where's that new stick?  

Ask and you shall receive! So for those not in the degenerate acro chat group appropriately named "Lame Torch Bros", I decided that my tank wasn't full enough and went out and picked up two new frags. Miraculously, despite Blendom being a complete goat rodeo at the moment ,neither frags have made like a library and... died... yet (knock on... err... everything). So here they are:

 

Pink Diamonds:

ATR_2236.thumb.jpeg.8c15ec9e66d84eab8f22ce3f2e56476b.jpeg

 

The new stick:

ATR_2283.thumb.jpeg.c6f4daacd175f155481ca313f0594a0a.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 5
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
21 hours ago, tankfullofderps said:

Alright, time to post in my favorite tank thread. Been lurkin for awhile and one thing has been stumping me - your lighting! I have the same tank with an a360x mounted 6" over, also with a blend of SPS/LPS, but have turned the intensity waaaaay down (33 watts). I feel like I am constantly fighting STN & lackluster growth with my SPS. You have 4 AI Primes...how are you not cooking your stock? I have seen your previous posts on light settings in regards to spectrum, but any lighting tips/reading for us nano sps tank plebs? I have been focusing on PAR too much, would love to hear your input as you have one of the most successful nano tanks I have ever seen. 

 

Would also love to hear your top bourbon pics...it's a shared addiction hobby while reefing. 

 

I don't know what to say or how I feel. On one hand, I'm honored that this is your favorite thread; on the other hand, I can't help but think that you may have set your standards entirely too low. I know Blenwood is a pretty handsome fish, but outside of that... this thread is basically a slow motion train wreck of terrible grammatical mistake ridden prose, bad and often overused jokes, and obtuse and usually suspect analogies. Even worse, the tank itself is usually yo-yo-ing between post-Nickelodeon Amanda Bynes and the hypothetical Charlie Sheen-Lindsey Lohan love-child. But I'm getting off track.... you asked about lighting!
 

So to get this immediately out of the way... Yes, I am completely blasting my tank. I have posted this before, but for prosperity's sake, here is my tanks PAR diagram using a new-fangled Apogee PAR meter. 
 

47EB62B7-056B-4668-AB1E-1CF231FBF455.thumb.jpeg.d76a128192f6e7b561cfebebaab77f65.jpeg

 

Oh man, this is a deep topic. After some thought, and several poorly written and deleted paragraphs, I think my success is dependent on several factors. First, I think flow is probably the most important factor for a nano reef tank. It oxygenates the water, it removes waste, it does other things... Since I’ve started keeping SPS I have always pushed flow as much as possible. Currently, I am running a Mightyjet and Aqamai KPS both on 100%, which is something north of 100x tank turnover. Second, I feed super heavy. I have a lot of NPS, which require nearly daily feedings. Through the combination of dumb luck, carbon dosing and frozen food, I’m able to keep nutrients relatively low while providing a lot of food (I also am a strong believer in amino acids). Lastly, light. I think more is better. I’ve made this joke before... but the last time I went to the beach I didn’t want to put on sunscreen and my partner was like “WTF, do you think you’re tougher than the sun?! The MF’ing sun?!” No but really, coral like light. And say what you will, print me fancy graph, tell me your numbers and figures, but I’ve been to the equator and 120 watts of AI Prime ain’t no midday equator sun. Shoooot, it ain’t even no Louisiana midday July sun (can’t wait for the hate messages). To piggyback on this, what’s weird, I have never had an issue (besides with Acan Lords (or whatever they are calling them these days)), with a coral negatively reacting to too much light. I mentioned above (in the first poorly written paragraph) that I recently added a new (and relatively sensitive) acro frag. It came from a tank running about 200 PAR, and I immediately mounted in the middle of my tank at about 450+ PAR with out any acclimation or ill-effects. 
 

To sum this up, don’t take my advice unless you have a good lawyer. But I would say, up your flow and up your light, and do more water changes. If that doesn’t work... there is always bourbon (Buffalo Trace can’t be beat for an old fashion). 

  • Like 5
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...