Jump to content
Premium Aquatics Aquarium Supplies

Blenwood's Reef - 1st attempts at focus stacking


Cannedfish

Recommended Posts

19 hours ago, WV Reefer said:

My Montipora Capricornis fought my Green Aussie Acro “passive aggressive style” by just growing around it and then covering it up!  

No muss no fuss. The poor dude is still under there. :lol:

Dirty move monti, but I like your style! Like watching a car wreck, I'm sickly interested to see what happens!

 

 

IMG_0418.JPG

IMG_0419.JPG

  • Like 5
Link to comment

Happy Friday y'all! We're acting all hoity toity like this weekend, pretending we have mostly all our teeth, and visiting the much more civilized state of Georgia; where we hope to shoot some quail while not Dick Cheney-ing each other. That means Blenwood has been left (largely) unsupervised till Sunday. I fully expect to come back home to a tank littered with crusty pizza boxes, unfinished games of beer pong, and his friend 'Chad' passed out on the Blen-couch. Anyways here a picture of one of the button scolys and Blen-Daddy. 

 

 

IMG_0420.JPG

  • Like 6
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
HippieSquirrel

A wonderful read thus far, a nice way to spend the better part of an afternoon at work! 

I’m greatful for the reminder that this new adventure (which I’ve already spent way to much on without any water in a glass box to look at) will come with its share of misfortune, mistakes and unexplained losses.  

Hopefully with a little luck and patience I can power through and have a first tank half as successful as yours!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
24 minutes ago, HippieSquirrel said:

A wonderful read thus far, a nice way to spend the better part of an afternoon at work! 

I’m greatful for the reminder that this new adventure (which I’ve already spent way to much on without any water in a glass box to look at) will come with its share of misfortune, mistakes and unexplained losses.  

Hopefully with a little luck and patience I can power through and have a first tank half as successful as yours!

that's the perfect attitude to have

 

now get some water in there!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
On 1/19/2018 at 3:37 PM, HippieSquirrel said:

A wonderful read thus far, a nice way to spend the better part of an afternoon at work! 

I’m greatful for the reminder that this new adventure (which I’ve already spent way to much on without any water in a glass box to look at) will come with its share of misfortune, mistakes and unexplained losses.  

Hopefully with a little luck and patience I can power through and have a first tank half as successful as yours!

Thanks! Strangely and coincidentally,  Misfortune, Mistakes and Unexplained Losses is the name of Blenwood's crappy indie band. They aren't very good, but it makes him happy and thus I bite my knuckle and tell them I like their music. I even shelled out a few nickles and bought their 'album' which i promptly threw away.

 

Two additional things. First, I don't believe either my therapist nor parole officer think I'm qualified to be a life coach (just kidding, I don't have a therapist), however, I think you should set your reefing goal a bit higher than the ole Blen-Dome, which, much like Charlie Sheen, is always about two shots of tequila and a porn star away from complete disaster. Second, I would add one extra component to your ingredient list for a successful tank. To quote the legendary wide receiver, current NFL analyst, and all around crazy-person, Randy Moss, in addition you luck and patience a successful reef is built with "straight cash, homie." Yep, that's it: 1) Money, 2) Luck, 3) Patience. Pretty much in the order. Anyway, I can't wait for you to start up your tank! Misery loves company... and tequila. 

 

On 1/21/2018 at 6:52 PM, Pinner Reef said:

Hope you survived the weekend... Sounds like a good time to me.

Quail hunting was a success; leaving the tank for four days, less so. Nothing died, but I do have some pissed off acros.

 

On 1/21/2018 at 7:17 PM, pappadumplingz said:

Our button scolys have certainly taken off in the U.S huh, and your photos are definitely anything but mediocre

I'm still kinda confused about what a button scoly is. Are they just small scolys? How big do they get? Do they like to be attached to rocks or left in the sand? Do they refer to ladies as "Sheila's"? I have so many questions, and so few answers... Mine seem to be growing and happy, but who knows. I don't speak Australian.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyways, here's a picture of the chalice that the lady-friend refers to as the "Wad O' Chewed Gum." Since it doesn't do much, and I really can't prove that it's not, in fact, an old wad of Fruit Stripe, the name is kinda fitting (side-note: when was the last time you heard a reference to Fruit Stripe? You're welcome). 

 

 

Chalice.thumb.jpg.e39531acbbdf9a5ab12e6ab0bc96d077.jpg

 

  • Like 5
Link to comment

I'm just glad you survived the wknd, started to get worried when there was no update to help get me through Monday.  But then again, back when I used to have fun, I was never good for anything on Monday. 

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

Thanks! Strangely and coincidentally,  Misfortune, Mistakes and Unexplained Losses is the name of Blenwood's crappy indie band. They aren't very good, but it makes him happy and thus I bite my knuckle and tell them I like their music. I even shelled out a few nickles and bought their 'album' which i promptly threw away.

 

Two additional things. First, I don't believe either my therapist nor parole officer think I'm qualified to be a life coach (just kidding, I don't have a therapist), however, I think you should set your reefing goal a bit higher than the ole Blen-Dome, which, much like Charlie Sheen, is always about two shots of tequila and a porn star away from complete disaster. Second, I would add one extra component to your ingredient list for a successful tank. To quote the legendary wide receiver, current NFL analyst, and all around crazy-person, Randy Moss, in addition you luck and patience a successful reef is built with "straight cash, homie." Yep, that's it: 1) Money, 2) Luck, 3) Patience. Pretty much in the order. Anyway, I can't wait for you to start up your tank! Misery loves company... and tequila. 

 

Quail hunting was a success; leaving the tank for four days, less so. Nothing died, but I do have some pissed off acros.

 

I'm still kinda confused about what a button scoly is. Are they just small scolys? How big do they get? Do they like to be attached to rocks or left in the sand? Do they refer to ladies as "Sheila's"? I have so many questions, and so few answers... Mine seem to be growing and happy, but who knows. I don't speak Australian.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyways, here's a picture of the chalice that the lady-friend refers to as the "Wad O' Chewed Gum." Since it doesn't do much, and I really can't prove that it's not, in fact, an old wad of Fruit Stripe, the name is kinda fitting (side-note: when was the last time you heard a reference to Fruit Stripe? You're welcome). 

 

 

Chalice.thumb.jpg.e39531acbbdf9a5ab12e6ab0bc96d077.jpg

 

Is Fruit Stripe the gum with the zebra on it? I found it at a store a couple years ago and may or may not have squeed with joy...

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
24 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Is Fruit Stripe the gum with the zebra on it? I found it at a store a couple years ago and may or may not have squeed with joy...

Yes!  Fruit Stripe gum is amazing for like two minutes..... then it turns to yuck. 

 

Hopefully Fruit Stripe the coral fares better. :)  

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
pappadumplingz
9 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

I'm still kinda confused about what a button scoly is. Are they just small scolys? How big do they get? Do they like to be attached to rocks or left in the sand? Do they refer to ladies as "Sheila's"? I have so many questions, and so few answers... Mine seem to be growing and happy, but who knows. I don't speak Australian.

Not sure if the scoly’s speak Aussie but they do prefer to be attached to rocks as far as I know. The reason all scolys come with little rock bases is because they are chiseled out of the rock by collectors.The button scolys tend to stay small, and are a different species I think to the regular ones, they also come from Western Australia as opposed to the gbr.

 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
9 hours ago, WV Reefer said:

Yes!  Fruit Stripe gum is amazing for like two minutes..... then it turns to yuck. 

 

Hopefully Fruit Stripe the coral fares better. :)  

Well, when I was seven my standards weren't very high so I remember it with nostalgic glee. :lol:

  • Haha 3
Link to comment
On 1/23/2018 at 10:40 AM, micoastreefing said:

I'm just glad you survived the wknd, started to get worried when there was no update to help get me through Monday.  But then again, back when I used to have fun, I was never good for anything on Monday. 

Thanks man! I know it's the popular opinion to go all Garfield about Mondays, but I have a different view; I see Mondays less as a chore and more as a sort of weekly day of rehab. Not real rehab, but like reality-TV-star-after-getting-arrested-for-drunkenly-punching-a-photographer-in-need-of-some-good-PR-rehab, which is to say it's basically preparation for the next bender. On the other hand I do have an irrational hatred of Tuesdays, and for that matter Ruby Tuesday's. 

 

On 1/23/2018 at 10:55 AM, Lula_Mae said:

Is Fruit Stripe the gum with the zebra on it? I found it at a store a couple years ago and may or may not have squeed with joy...

"Squeed," that's all. 

 

On 1/23/2018 at 11:20 AM, WV Reefer said:

Yes!  Fruit Stripe gum is amazing for like two minutes..... then it turns to yuck. 

 

Hopefully Fruit Stripe the coral fares better. :)  

Scientifically, Fruit stripe definitely has the shortest half life of all gums that don't cost less then a peso and that aren't bought in a Mexico City open air food market. I'm pretty sure, however, that that the short favor span is 95% of their business model. In fact, I imagine when they were having initial product development meeting there were a bunch of fat-cat corporate-types sitting around a mahogany table in a dimly-lit board smoking cigars and speaking in an old timey Chicago gangster accent being like "yeah, you see, we'll sell more packs to the kiddos if the favor only lasts 10 seconds, you see!"

 

 

On 1/23/2018 at 7:51 PM, pappadumplingz said:

Not sure if the scoly’s speak Aussie but they do prefer to be attached to rocks as far as I know. The reason all scolys come with little rock bases is because they are chiseled out of the rock by collectors.The button scolys tend to stay small, and are a different species I think to the regular ones, they also come from Western Australia as opposed to the gbr.

 

Solid info, I'm exicited to see how they develop. 

 

 

Anyways, here's a pic of the hairy acro. 

IMG_0424.JPG

  • Like 7
Link to comment

An Entirely-Too-Long Quick Update:

 

Went to Arkansas for the weekend in order to attempt to close duck season with a bang (pun fully intended). According to the guides, however, and inline with the rest of my experience this season, last Friday was the worst day of the year, and to summarize we shot less ducks then hours driven. I know they say life is about the journey not the destination, however, when the journey involves driving the entire length of Mississippi, a little destination wouldn't hurt. With that being said, the number one item on next duck season's to-do list is an appointment with Sallie Ann Glassman, the Voodoo Priestess. I need to get this bad juju out of my system, like whoa. Either that, or find a new hobby. 

 

On the tank front, I have been lambasting about my chronically low alkalinity. I think in part it is due to the premixed saltwater from the LFS. I don't know if it sits for awhile or what, but the alk is reading significantly lower than freshly mixed saltwater and there is always a bunch of brown flaky deposits on the bottom of the jugs (with seems unacceptable at $1.50/gallon). As a result, I will be attempting (failing) to mix my own. I haven't sprung for a RODI machine yet, so I have been using the fill your own DI water Whole Foods (which is always a great place if your also looking to lower costs (If anyone has any opinion on this water, please share)). The only issue I have had is nailing down the correct salinity. I don't know if my bad duck juju extends to mixing salt, or whether you have to be an effing wizard to do it quickly and correctly, but the struggle is real. Thus, the tank's salinity has been swinging a bit (1.26-1.29 (yikes!!)) the last few days.  

 

Additionally, since the only thing I can't resist is temptation, on my way home from not-shooting-ducks, I picked up some pale SPS clipping (1. strawberry shortcake, 2. unknown Aussie milli, 3. pink birdsnest) . I definitely don't have room for them, but when has that ever gotten in the way of a bad decision. I will take some pictures when they don't look like they just finished watching the next Adam Sandler movie. 

 

That was more bad writing then anyone should should be expected to read so here are some pictures of coral (& more bad writing!). The first is the tip of the sunset milli that broke off when being glued to the LR. Being the half the size of a grain of rice I didn't expect it to survive, but it's thriving, and may be the fastest growing coral in the tank. Similarly, the second picture is a chuck of red setosa that broke off being glued to the LR, and was unceremoniously stuck to the back glass. Apparently, in addition to having unenviable juju I am blessed with ham hands.

 

 

Milli clipping.jpg

setosa.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to comment

The cat butts look great! 

 

I went through a long period of too much green in all the acros in my 40g tank. More lighting helped, but I think the real key was letting the frags grow out. All the new growth ended up being the right colors. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
20 hours ago, teenyreef said:

The cat butts look great! 

 

I went through a long period of too much green in all the acros in my 40g tank. More lighting helped, but I think the real key was letting the frags grow out. All the new growth ended up being the right colors. 

Thanks! Hopefully, like my dendros I can train them to stay out during banking hours (and poop in the litter box).

 

I definitely appreciate the advice, I have been been slowly ramping up the lights, and figure I'm about 2 weeks out from getting to the AI Prime's BRSTV suggested max. And while all the acros continue to encrust in a manner not dissimilar to your average DMV experience, I have yet to get the color pop that American Express supposedly paid for. In all seriousness though, if I got to half of the Timothy Leary day-glo explosion that best describes your tanks, I would probably do something rash, like take off my pants and dance in the streets. 

  • Haha 6
Link to comment
fishfreak0114

I love walking dendros!!!!!  It’s great to see another person with one. Be prepared to either make sure there is nothing to sting it if it wanders, or make it a pen. I made a pen out of epoxy. 

  • Like 2
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...