Thanks Carmie. This morning when the lights came on my Starry Blenny was in this position. I grabbed the D70, screwed on the close-up lens and got off four quick shots before she moved. Here's the best one.
These are such great little fish.
Dick
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
Pinecone_Jeff, e-mailed me a photo shopped version of my Blenny lightened up. Thank you, Jeff. It shows the colors in truer fashion. The flash didn't go off in the real photo.
Dick
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
hey amp i started reading this thread when you started your tank. i've been away for a while and just caught up on how it is going. it looks really good. it's pretty neat to keep a journal so you can look back and see how everything matured during each phase. hopefully the algae will be just a short chapter in the process. i've had my butt kicked so many times and given up a couple times. i know what you mean about getting to a point where you lose interest. i don't know if i ever admitted it to anyone. that's pretty cool that you did and now have it under control. i wish i still had some of the tanks i gave up on. thanks for all that you have taught us by sharing this tanks journey. and keep those pics coming. you take pretty awesome (closeup) pics. mine never turn out that good. i need some of that wisdom in a future post.
Taking good aquarium pictures amounts to knowing a few tricks.
1. Go digital
2. Get as many pixels as you can afford. Generally, the higher mega pixel cost more.
3. Use a Macro lens.
4. Pay attention to the focal length of the lens. (Most amatuer photographers try to get close-up shots by getting too close to their subject, winding up with an out of focus picture.) All digitals tell you when you are in focus, pay attention to the camera.
5. Shooting through glass and Acrylic with flash will produce flash reflections (bounce). Be aware of the necessity to shoot at angles.
6. With digital it's easy to shoot multipal shots. Utilize that freedom.
7. Practise, practise, practise. I shoot hundreds of pictures you never see, just to come up with a few I post.
I will do an update in a few days. My PC fried it's self and it is in the Geek Squad shop right now. It's ugly!!! I got the dreaded Microsoft Blue Screen of death.
Luckily, I have my lap top to stay tuned to the pulse of TR and e-mail.
Dick
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
thanks for the great info amp. i've seen your posts on other forums quite a bit. im glad you feel more relaxed at TR and can teach us stuff like that. i do like the atmosphere here. no arguing and making everything a big competition. again thanks for the help and i will be looking forward to your new posts and pictures.
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
It does look awesome Dick! I keep going back looking at your set up. You'll be pleased to know that when I set up my nano about 1 1/2 years ago, I used your pvc idea to keep LR off of the DSB. Your theology made perfectly good sense to me and any tidbits of advise is always greedily consumed. I am at an age that I never look a gifted horse in the mouth twice. And you are definately gifted my friend!
Sorry bout the blue screen dick. i wish i lived closer maybe i could help you out. i build desktops for friends/businesses as a side hobby. though i never meant to. i built one for a friend and word got out. It snowballed from there. now most of my friends only call when they load them up with spyware and want tech support lol. but its fun in a way.
i agree on the pvc stands for the base rock. i have seen that done on several nice tanks. i will do mine like that in the future. it sure is a pain to try and clean around and under the rock when they are sitting directly on the sand bed. one thing that impresses me about your tank is how clean all the plumbing is. i really like the rock selection too. i have been trying to decide what is the best rock. Marshall Island? Tonga and Fiji? I like them all. I dont think in the past I have made very good choices in rock selection nor my aquascaping. Never porous enough and I have tried to stack them too fancy. I can believe that you are a rock collector dick because you chose some nice rocks. For me it's hard to picture the tank and rocks after the corals have grown out. I love the tanks where the corals are so grown out you cant even see the baserock. Then when you look at their tank pics from the beginning it's hard to believe that it started with some simple aquascaped rocks. Of course I like the Solaris as well. Dick do you have a I series yet and if so do you have any pics to compare the brightness? I'm intrigued by the led's. And I've read a lot of posts that were all just a silly argument to dubunk them. I'm glad they are working well for you.
It does look awesome Dick! I keep going back looking at your set up. You'll be pleased to know that when I set up my nano about 1 1/2 years ago, I used your pvc idea to keep LR off of the DSB. Your theology made perfectly good sense to me and any tidbits of advise is always greedily consumed. I am at an age that I never look a gifted horse in the mouth twice. And you are definately gifted my friend!
Thank you for your kind words, Skurvey! I'm glad you thought the raised LR was worth pursuing. It works for me and others that have implemented it. I'm not sure if I'm gifted or experienced, but either way, I'm happy to share what ever perceived knowledge I have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris
one thing that impresses me about your tank is how clean all the plumbing is. i really like the rock selection too. i have been trying to decide what is the best rock. Marshall Island? Tonga and Fiji? I like them all. I dont think in the past I have made very good choices in rock selection nor my aquascaping. Never porous enough and I have tried to stack them too fancy. I can believe that you are a rock collector dick because you chose some nice rocks. For me it's hard to picture the tank and rocks after the corals have grown out. I love the tanks where the corals are so grown out you cant even see the baserock. Then when you look at their tank pics from the beginning it's hard to believe that it started with some simple aquascaped rocks. Of course I like the Solaris as well. Dick do you have a I series yet and if so do you have any pics to compare the brightness? I'm intrigued by the led's. And I've read a lot of posts that were all just a silly argument to dubunk them. I'm glad they are working well for you.
Chris,
The clean plumbing job is due to 40 years as a pipefitter. You learn what "true and square" is in a hurry as an apprentice.
I am a true, died in the wool, rock and shell collector, BUT, I have to confess that when I bought LR I simply called Walt Smith's business and ordered a box of each, Fiji Premium, Tonga Show Branch and Pukani Show and received what they sent. I guess I got lucky because I was very pleased.
Yes, I do have the I4 series Solaris. I am of the belief that if I'm selling something I have to be using it or have passed experience with it. So, each time PFO has come out with a new series I bought one. In fact Pat told me that each time he announced a new series, I was the first to place an order. He was smiling and shaking my hand at the time. Neat!
I do have a picture of each series that should give an idea of the difference in light levels. However, I can't access them until my PC returns from the Geek Squad. I'll try to get them posted ASAP.
I am a firm believer in the Solaris as being the light of the future available now. There will be upgrades as we go into the future, I'm sure. Look at what PFO has done in 16 months. The G series was released in Sept '06, the H4 series came in June '07, the I4 series came in Sept '07 and the phenomenal thing of it all is each shipment sold out, most before they arrived at PFO's facility. The current I4 shipment, due the middle of this month, is sold out and the next shipment, due at the end of February, I have taken orders for already. That speaks volumes as to the success of LED lighting and the Solaris in particular.
For those 16 months my electric bill has been down about $100 per month. By using the Solaris lights, heat isn't transfered to the aquarium so, my chiller runs very little, I removed the room AC that I had bought to keep from running the whole house AC. All this less energy usage reduced my energy bill as stated above. Plus, I shouldn't have to replace bulbs each year at $80 per for MHs. This has been a win/win situation. You've got to look at the whole picture when choosing lights now days.
Dick
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
what type of pvc cement did you use on your pvc dick. I have always used aquarium silicone. i never had a major leak but i would rather have a better bond than the silicone gives. is regular pvc (purple) cement safe in aquariums. i was wondering if the pipe stands you made for the rocks are visible now that your tank has been up for a while. do you ever put any rock on the sandbed to mask or cover the pvc? i would imagine they get covered with corraline over time and are not as easily seen. as far as the led's i agree with everything you say about them. i'd love to see the different pics of each series to compare the output.
icon under their name to add to their reputation. 
I am at an age that I never look a gifted horse in the mouth twice. 
And you are definately gifted my friend!