Blenwood's Reef - 1st attempts at focus stacking

[Reefkid88]

I'm assuming you are alive,you evacuated right ? 

[Cannedfish]

 

On 8/22/2020 at 8:34 PM, Reefkid88 said:

Are you properly prepared for the slurricanes coming bud ? 

Wasn't able to get a generator, but did have several deep cycle boat batteries (and a battery powered air pump)  eady with an inverter in case we lost power.  Luckily NOLA avoided both storms, however, I think it's time to go buy the tank it's own generator. Especially, since it appears two more storms are already cooking in the Atlantic. Anyways, that's enough depressing talk.... on to some pictures for your Thursday night enjoyment! 

 

.......

 

Trachy looking chonky. This thing goes from being 2.5" when shriveled up at night to a full 6" across and 4" tall during the day. Absolute unit. 

 

There has been a few side conversations about whether certain grafted caps are truly grafted (looking at you WWC), or just sort of fused together. Below is my ASD grafted cap, and you can see just how intricate the swirled patterns are, and how pigments will express themselves in the middle of other pigments. True graft. 

 

This was taken late night, so the color rendition isn't the best (you can only fix it so much in post processing), but you can see the two distinct varieties of sun corals: the yellow/yellow on the left and the yellow/pink on the right. 

 

Highlighter tenius. Hugely underrated beginner acro (highly suggested if you looking to tip your toes into the addition known as acros). All the fun fuzziness and growth pattern of a tenius, but also super hardy, fast growing, and it glows like "the dickens."

 

Possibly my favorite corals that I've owned (until i get a rhizo). Fat head dendro. It's hard to beat a happy fatty. 

[spectra]

Love my dendros.............. and stay safe man.................. and yes a genny is a must................

[Reefkid88]

Bud,I am just happy YOU are all good. That's all that matters. Yeah Marco was a bust thankfully and I did nothing but say some words to whomever was listening that you guys didn't get hit hard at all. 

 

 Yeah I am keeping an eye on it too,somehow FL has been lucky to not get hit by anything but like you said there is 2 more "storms" that could form,literally in the same area's,especially where Marco started out. 

[WV Reefer]

21 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

 

Wasn't able to get a generator, but did have several deep cycle boat batteries (and a battery powered air pump)  eady with an inverter in case we lost power.  Luckily NOLA avoided both storms, however, I think it's time to go buy the tank it's own generator. Especially, since it appears two more storms are already cooking in the Atlantic. Anyways, that's enough depressing talk.... on to some pictures for your Thursday night enjoyment! 

 

.......

 

Trachy looking chonky. This thing goes from being 2.5" when shriveled up at night to a full 6" across and 4" tall during the day. Absolute unit. 

 

There has been a few side conversations about whether certain grafted caps are truly grafted (looking at you WWC), or just sort of fused together. Below is my ASD grafted cap, and you can see just how intricate the swirled patterns are, and how pigments will express themselves in the middle of other pigments. True graft. 

 

This was taken late night, so the color rendition isn't the best (you can only fix it so much in post processing), but you can see the two distinct varieties of sun corals: the yellow/yellow on the left and the yellow/pink on the right. 

 

Highlighter tenius. Hugely underrated beginner acro (highly suggested if you looking to tip your toes into the addition known as acros). All the fun fuzziness and growth pattern of a tenius, but also super hardy, fast growing, and it glows like "the dickens."

 

Possibly my favorite corals that I've owned (until i get a rhizo). Fat head dendro. It's hard to beat a happy fatty. 

 It’s not clickbait when you can make with the goods. 

[ECLS Reefer]

You should be grateful- I’m evidently donating my electricity so you can have some. Entergy is THE WORST

[Cannedfish]

Some photos on a lazy Sunday...

A rare FTS:

 

Love these green tentacle black suns:

 

Worm powered duncan fat and happy:

 

Underpaid Dave:

 

Pure Silliness: 

 

 

[Cannedfish]

Boring Friday photos...

 

Waspfish:

Birds nest:

 

Orange pits:

 

Bumble boi:

 

 

 

[Reefkid88]

Your photography progression is astonishing my friend,seriously.  

[debbeach13]

Not boring at all.

[banasophia]

Bee yoo tee full 😍😍😍

 

I always fall for clickbait 😊

[Cannedfish]

On 9/4/2020 at 8:41 PM, Reefkid88 said:

Your photography progression is astonishing my friend,seriously.  

Thanks Man! Really appreciate it! I still feel like I'm trying to play poker with UNO cards... but some progress has been made!

 

On 9/5/2020 at 7:03 AM, debbeach13 said:

Not boring at all.

"Hold my beer I can fix that!" Next week I'm only posting pictures of Blenwood dirt biking (and/or figure rollerskating (that's a thing)).

 

On 9/5/2020 at 2:01 PM, banasophia said:

Bee yoo tee full 😍😍😍

 

I always fall for clickbait 😊

BTW I love your IG photo aesthetic! If anyone is reading this (unlikely) they they need to follow @banasophia on IG! If her IG account was a sitcom and needed a one-line description it would be: "come for the clown goby, stay for the memories..." or something cheesy like that...

 

 

 

..................

 

Photos that didn't make the monthly photo contest submission cut (subject 'Eyes'):

 

Shrimpy Shrimp

 

Other Shrimpy Shrimp

 

(this would have been cropped in to just show the eye:

 

Funk master Lorp

 

PPC:

[ECLS Reefer]

Everyone’s reaction to your masterful domination of the monthly (yearly and decade too) photo contest

 

[banasophia]

1 hour ago, Cannedfish said:

Thanks Man! Really appreciate it! I still feel like I'm trying to play poker with UNO cards... but some progress has been made!

 

"Hold my beer I can fix that!" Next week I'm only posting pictures of Blenwood dirt biking (and/or figure rollerskating (that's a thing)).

 

BTW I love your IG photo aesthetic! If anyone is reading this (unlikely) they they need to follow @banasophia on IG! If her IG account was a sitcom and needed a one-line description it would be: "come for the clown goby, stay for the memories..." or something cheesy like that...

 

 

 

..................

 

Photos that didn't make the monthly photo contest submission cut (subject 'Eyes'):

 

Shrimpy Shrimp

 

Other Shrimpy Shrimp

 

(this would have been cropped in to just show the eye:

 

Funk master Lorp

 

PPC:

Haha you crack me up. And thank you for the eye-deas for the photo contest submission! 👀😆😜
 

I need to post more on IG... been slacking overall, but especially on the tank photography. Hank says hi though!! 

[Cannedfish]

THREE YEAR UPDATE:

Welp, it’s that time again. Yep, you guessed it, time to put on your finest cut off jorts, throw on a camo tank top, and head out to the swamp to donate blood to Louisiana’s state bird… the mosquito… that’s right it’s officially duck season (part 1). It’s also the monthly tank of the union address time. You know, that moment every moon-ish cycle where everyone scrolls past of the excessive amounts of bad prose and terrible jokes down to the FTS progression photos, and like a snobby housewife at a waspy New England dinner party proceeds to fastidiously judge each and every one of my faults… Yup, it’s that time! Enjoy!  

First off, you will notice (or maybe not?) that the tank thread’s title has changed. It’s been almost exactly three years since I started the thread, and like any troubled relationship, it’s time to spice things up, however, in this case I’m not suggesting buying a love puppy… but a title change… sometimes you win other times you’re stuck alone with a yorkie you never wanted that still pees on the rug and chews holes in your underwear…

With that bit of administrative business out of the way, let’s move on to the tank. Largely, it been cruising along on auto-pilot. Besides the JF Fire Dragon that I got from mitten (which was nuked by the evil cyphastrea), everything is looking really good. Growth has been less than idea, but coloration, PE, and overall health have seemed really good, so I’m only complaining a little. Additionally, unlike most of my financial decisions, the tank’s stability has been really rock solid. I am still feeding a ton, and have actually cut my WC’s down to once a week, yet I have almost zero algae. My theory is that this is due to the TM All-for-Reef which is essentially a form of carbon dosing (in addition to the KZ supplements (more carbon dosing)), the result is that the tank is largely able to process and export the large nutrient load through the combination of the floss and skimmer. Like a Grimm’s fairy tale or an Ernst Lubitsch movie (deep cut alert!!), not everything is perfect, there is some trouble in paradise, I do have a few spots of cyano popping up, but I am battling this with a H202 and KZ Cyanostop. 

Livestock-wise, besides the two bumblebee shrimp I added, there were no new additions. The wild Pink Floyd and off-brand Bonsai continue to merge and I’m beginning to get my hopes up that they will eventually graft. I know, however, that like any quality acro story, at some point they will both instantly melt, and much like being dumped by a handwritten after lunch in sixth grade, I will be both emotionally and spiritually crushed; still like the love struck tween that I am, I drunkenly continue on. 

Lastly, being that it has been three years since I have started this thread, it might be useful to look back at what has happened, what I have learned, and ultimately, how my reefing philosophy and approaches have changed. Foremost, the last three years have been a roller coaster ride: from buying my first acro frag at MACNA, to stumbling into TOTM, to a devastating crash, to a year hiatus, to a laborious rebuild, to where I am now (I think the tank is as good as it’s ever been). During this time, I have upgraded lighting, learned  how to dose, experimented with various husbandry techniques, battled dinos and lost, battled dinos and won, survived several hurricane’s, went from taking pictures with an iPhone to having multiple macro lenses, and about everything in between. Importantly, I’ve met and connected with a bunch of great people from all over the world.  Husbandry-wise, I’ve gone from a crazy labor intensive hands-on approach when I won TOTM to a largely laissez fare attitude. Instead of daily water changes, I do them once or week or when the tank tells me I need to, I’ve reduced the number of dosing components, I traded chemical filtration (Chemipure and Purigen,) for a simple combination of floss and a UV filter, I got rid of the heater, and I’ve increased the size of my skimmer. Largely, I no longer feel like my tank is teetering on the precipice of failure, but instead I now feel comfortable leaving it for a few days. My tank is still acro dominated, but the color and structure philosophy has evolved. I no longer buy frags just because, but search out the pieces that complement the tank. The squad is still anchored by a comical blenny and a goofy possum wrasse, but they have a few new and cherished friends. I still want a bigger tank but overall I am happy with this silly little ten gallon… onward to three more years!

 

….

Progress Pics! 
 

Current FTS:

 

August 2020:

 

July 2020:

 

April 2020: start of the rebuild:

 

September 2017: first FTS

 

Where two acros meet:

[mitten_reef]

9 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

THREE YEAR UPDATE:

Welp, it’s that time again. Yep, you guessed it, time to put on your finest cut off jorts, throw on a camo tank top, and head out to the swamp to donate blood to Louisiana’s state bird… the mosquito… that’s right it’s officially duck season (part 1). It’s also the monthly tank of the union address time. You know, that moment every moon-ish cycle where everyone scrolls past of the excessive amounts of bad prose and terrible jokes down to the FTS progression photos, and like a snobby housewife at a waspy New England dinner party proceeds to fastidiously judge each and every one of my faults… Yup, it’s that time! Enjoy!  

First off, you will notice (or maybe not?) that the tank thread’s title has changed. It’s been almost exactly three years since I started the thread, and like any troubled relationship, it’s time to spice things up, however, in this case I’m not suggesting buying a love puppy… but a title change… sometimes you win other times you’re stuck alone with a yorkie you never wanted that still pees on the rug and chews holes in your underwear…

With that bit of administrative business out of the way, let’s move on to the tank. Largely, it been cruising along on auto-pilot. Besides the JF Fire Dragon that I got from mitten (which was nuked by the evil cyphastrea), everything is looking really good. Growth has been less than idea, but coloration, PE, and overall health have seemed really good, so I’m only complaining a little. Additionally, unlike most of my financial decisions, the tank’s stability has been really rock solid. I am still feeding a ton, and have actually cut my WC’s down to once a week, yet I have almost zero algae. My theory is that this is due to the TM All-for-Reef which is essentially a form of carbon dosing (in addition to the KZ supplements (more carbon dosing)), the result is that the tank is largely able to process and export the large nutrient load through the combination of the floss and skimmer. Like a Grimm’s fairy tale or an Ernst Lubitsch movie (deep cut alert!!), not everything is perfect, there is some trouble in paradise, I do have a few spots of cyano popping up, but I am battling this with a H202 and KZ Cyanostop. 

Livestock-wise, besides the two bumblebee shrimp I added, there were no new additions. The wild Pink Floyd and off-brand Bonsai continue to merge and I’m beginning to get my hopes up that they will eventually graft. I know, however, that like any quality acro story, at some point they will both instantly melt, and much like being dumped by a handwritten after lunch in sixth grade, I will be both emotionally and spiritually crushed; still like the love struck tween that I am, I drunkenly continue on. 

Lastly, being that it has been three years since I have started this thread, it might be useful to look back at what has happened, what I have learned, and ultimately, how my reefing philosophy and approaches have changed. Foremost, the last three years have been a roller coaster ride: from buying my first acro frag at MACNA, to stumbling into TOTM, to a devastating crash, to a year hiatus, to a laborious rebuild, to where I am now (I think the tank is as good as it’s ever been). During this time, I have upgraded lighting, learned  how to dose, experimented with various husbandry techniques, battled dinos and lost, battled dinos and won, survived several hurricane’s, went from taking pictures with an iPhone to having multiple macro lenses, and about everything in between. Importantly, I’ve met and connected with a bunch of great people from all over the world.  Husbandry-wise, I’ve gone from a crazy labor intensive hands-on approach when I won TOTM to a largely laissez fare attitude. Instead of daily water changes, I do them once or week or when the tank tells me I need to, I’ve reduced the number of dosing components, I traded chemical filtration (Chemipure and Purigen,) for a simple combination of floss and a UV filter, I got rid of the heater, and I’ve increased the size of my skimmer. Largely, I no longer feel like my tank is teetering on the precipice of failure, but instead I now feel comfortable leaving it for a few days. My tank is still acro dominated, but the color and structure philosophy has evolved. I no longer buy frags just because, but search out the pieces that complement the tank. The squad is still anchored by a comical blenny and a goofy possum wrasse, but they have a few new and cherished friends. I still want a bigger tank but overall I am happy with this silly little ten gallon… onward to three more years!

 

….

Progress Pics! 
 

Current FTS:

 

August 2020:

 

July 2020:

 

April 2020: start of the rebuild:

 

September 2017: first FTS

 

Where two acros meet:

CONGRATS on the THREE years!! 
 

tank is already looking better than ever, loves the photos and stories, just keep them coming. 

[Christopher Marks]

Congratulations on reaching three years @Cannedfish, it’s been an amazing and fun journey to follow along with. Thank you for sharing all your experiences, and your great sense of humor here with us!

 

It’s awesome to see such rapid new growth since you began the rebuild. Pivoting your filtration and maintenance is no small feat either, it takes time and patience. Ultimately we have to integrate our reefs into our lives and find some sustainable balance with the maintenance routine. You’ve done an incredible job, and it was worth the perseverance! 

[Pjanssen]

Great update! When I first saw it I thought "wait, I don't remember following this thread" and "How did I miss this". So when I first clicked on it and saw the long novella, I did exactly what you said and scrolled to the FTS 😜! And I thought "this looks really familiar, a lot like Les Bons Tank Rouler". Never realized you had 2 tanks. Then I read CM's response and decided I should go ahead and actually read your not so brief synopsis (since it's 3 a.m. and I can't sleep anyway) and realized, Alas, the tanks are one in the same. 😂.

[Cannedfish]

On 9/14/2020 at 8:38 PM, mitten_reef said:

CONGRATS on the THREE years!! 
 

tank is already looking better than ever, loves the photos and stories, just keep them coming. 

Thanks bud! By announcing it's been three years, I've probably jinxed it and the tank will probably melt down next week... Or maybe I'll do a water change with freshwater, or leave my pumps off all day, or rip of the entire colony of birdsnest... hold my beer. 

 

On 9/14/2020 at 10:00 PM, Christopher Marks said:

Congratulations on reaching three years @Cannedfish, it’s been an amazing and fun journey to follow along with. Thank you for sharing all your experiences, and your great sense of humor here with us!

 

It’s awesome to see such rapid new growth since you began the rebuild. Pivoting your filtration and maintenance is no small feat either, it takes time and patience. Ultimately we have to integrate our reefs into our lives and find some sustainable balance with the maintenance routine. You’ve done an incredible job, and it was worth the perseverance! 

Thanks Chris! It's definitely been a long and chaotic journey. One that would implore exactly zero people attempt to replicate. I'm ultimately thankful that I had the journal to document most of it, as it's always fun to look back and see what an idiot I was, and then to realize... nothing changed, which probably foretells the future of this thread: more bad decisions, terrible jokes, lackluster analogies, all infused with a distinct lack of proofreading. 

 

On 9/15/2020 at 2:43 AM, Pjanssen said:

Great update! When I first saw it I thought "wait, I don't remember following this thread" and "How did I miss this". So when I first clicked on it and saw the long novella, I did exactly what you said and scrolled to the FTS 😜! And I thought "this looks really familiar, a lot like Les Bons Tank Rouler". Never realized you had 2 tanks. Then I read CM's response and decided I should go ahead and actually read your not so brief synopsis (since it's 3 a.m. and I can't sleep anyway) and realized, Alas, the tanks are one in the same. 😂.

I know right?! Realllllly long post (I need an editor)! Being that I live in Louisiana it was a shock to most people (including myself) that I even knew that many words (I don't no how many words it was--math is illegal where I live-- but I bet it was more than I have fingers to count on). Regarding the title switch... looks like my dastardly plan worked like a charm! (insert evil laugh track)

 

.............

 

Terrible and poorly post-edited pictures for your humpday pleasure(s)!

 

After an unfortunate accident involving my stunning lack of coordination, a scraper, and what some have referred to as "Kentucky Devil Water..." this birdsnest colony pictured below is considerably... smaller. 

 

Supposedly this thing is a WD... but I have my doubts...

 

SCOP.... If you're looking to only have one acro, this should be on your shortlist....

 

Buttkissers... pure zoa hype dissappointment. 

[billygoat]

54 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

I'm ultimately thankful that I had the journal to document most of it, as it's always fun to look back and see what an idiot I was, and then to realize... nothing changed, which probably foretells the future of this thread: more bad decisions, terrible jokes, lackluster analogies, all infused with a distinct lack of proofreading. 

Just, please... for the sake of all of us who follow you, and for your own sake as well: keep doing what you're doing. What exactly that entails, I'm not sure. But keep doing it. Your aquarium is beautiful and your presence here on N-R is a source of joy for us all.

 

P.S. Your Trachyphllia singlehandedly makes my entire reef feel fake, duped, let-down, and generally inadequate. I've attempted to explain to my corals that they are just doing a different thing and that it's okay to not fit in because not everyone can be the coolest kid on the block, but they do not understand.

[Tired]

Oh wow, a waspfish! Those are pretty rare to see. I had one in my prior tank, a 30gal. Loved that fish. It did kill a rhino blenny, though- the blenny panicked about something and darted into a crevice that the waspfish was already in, and I guess stabbed itself on the waspfish's spines? Since the waspfish hunches down with its spines up when startled. Poor blenny. That being said, it was a freak accident, and I don't know that it would prevent me from getting a waspfish again in the future. Though I might not put one with a super skittish fish like a firefish, just in case. 

[Cannedfish]

On 9/16/2020 at 4:50 PM, billygoat said:

Just, please... for the sake of all of us who follow you, and for your own sake as well: keep doing what you're doing. What exactly that entails, I'm not sure. But keep doing it. Your aquarium is beautiful and your presence here on N-R is a source of joy for us all.

 

P.S. Your Trachyphllia singlehandedly makes my entire reef feel fake, duped, let-down, and generally inadequate. I've attempted to explain to my corals that they are just doing a different thing and that it's okay to not fit in because not everyone can be the coolest kid on the block, but they do not understand.

Basically it involves bourbon and bad decisions... hopefully, we’ll all get another six month out of the tank (and a TOTM... I’m looking at you @Christopher Marks...jk) before it all goes to hell and I have to take another year to mourn bourbon and bad decisions.  

Sooo... as much as I love the trachy, part of me also secretly hates it... because when I first saw it at the LFS (in part due to the price tag and in part due to my chronic inability to make a decision) I hemmed and hawed over buying it for like three weeks. During this time, the ladyfriend explicitly and continually told me I was an idiot and that I needed to buy it. After I finally bought it and it quickly became  the single most commented about coral I’ve ever owner... and believe you me she reminds me about that every day.
 

On 9/16/2020 at 4:58 PM, Tired said:

Oh wow, a waspfish! Those are pretty rare to see. I had one in my prior tank, a 30gal. Loved that fish. It did kill a rhino blenny, though- the blenny panicked about something and darted into a crevice that the waspfish was already in, and I guess stabbed itself on the waspfish's spines? Since the waspfish hunches down with its spines up when startled. Poor blenny. That being said, it was a freak accident, and I don't know that it would prevent me from getting a waspfish again in the future. Though I might not put one with a super skittish fish like a firefish, just in case. 

Love, love, love the waspfish.  Super goofy fish. I am looking to find a mate for mine if I can find one... I missed out last week on live aquaria.... but hopefully, they will be getting a few more in. I know several people that have pairs and they seem adorable. But we’ll see…
 

....

 

Mini update time! It’s truly been a wet hot American summer down yonder in the swamp. Louisiana summer 2020: where every weekend is a tropical storm and you can’t go to bars! Dreams!  

 

Anyways, forced to spend the weekend inside, I decided to clean out the return pump and skimmer. The KZ Sponge Power must be working wonders because when I pulled them out it was like a spring break sponge party (without the regrets and need for penicillin)... Apparently, much like me the morning after a quality karaoke night, the return pump has been functioning at about 20% capacity, and much like me at midnight during a quality karaoke night the skimmer has basically been checked out. However, after a vinegar bath and a rejuvenating toothbrush message they are back in order and ready to sing their hearts out to some Reba as soon as Blenwood gets off the machine. Long life sake!

 

.......

 

Anyway, here are some mediocre photos!

 

 

Wild Vietnamese Zoas:

 

JKR Brown Rainbow:

 

ASD Grafted Cap:

 

The Boss:

 

Blondies:

[pokerdobe]

Last zoa shot is money. 

[Christopher Marks]

2 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

Anyway, here are some mediocre photos!

 

 

3 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

😍👏

 

This thread delivers!

[ECLS Reefer]

3 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

Basically it involves bourbon and bad decisions... hopefully, we’ll all get another six month out of the tank (and a TOTM... I’m looking at you @Christopher Marks...jk) before it all goes to hell and I have to take another year to mourn bourbon and bad decisions.  

Sooo... as much as I love the trachy, part of me also secretly hates it... because when I first saw it at the LFS (in part due to the price tag and in part due to my chronic inability to make a decision) I hemmed and hawed over buying it for like three weeks. During this time, the ladyfriend explicitly and continually told me I was an idiot and that I needed to buy it. After I finally bought it and it quickly became  the single most commented about coral I’ve ever owner... and believe you me she reminds me about that every day.
 

Love, love, love the waspfish.  Super goofy fish. I am looking to find a mate for mine if I can find one... I missed out last week on live aquaria.... but hopefully, they will be getting a few more in. I know several people that have pairs and they seem adorable. But we’ll see…
 

....

 

Mini update time! It’s truly been a wet hot American summer down yonder in the swamp. Louisiana summer 2020: where every weekend is a tropical storm and you can’t go to bars! Dreams!  

 

Anyways, forced to spend the weekend inside, I decided to clean out the return pump and skimmer. The KZ Sponge Power must be working wonders because when I pulled them out it was like a spring break sponge party (without the regrets and need for penicillin)... Apparently, much like me the morning after a quality karaoke night, the return pump has been functioning at about 20% capacity, and much like me at midnight during a quality karaoke night the skimmer has basically been checked out. However, after a vinegar bath and a rejuvenating toothbrush message they are back in order and ready to sing their hearts out to some Reba as soon as Blenwood gets off the machine. Long life sake!

 

.......

 

Anyway, here are some mediocre photos!

 

 

 

 

 

Dammit @Cannedfish you and your mediocre clickbait pictures