Tonight's Top Down shots

[melev]

Mean Greens (zoanthids); other zoanthids & rare red mushrooms
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_meangreens.jpg

I love this LPS to SPS shot. The tips of the Crayola acro are bright blue. A tuft of Bryopsis needs to be pinched off.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_sps_lps.jpg

Mixed zoanthids - Red Rings, button polyps, Mean Greens, etc.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_zoas.jpg

Scripps acro (A. micropthalma)
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_scripps.jpg

Purple Milli (shot from above from the back of the tank, virtually upside down)
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_purple_milli.jpg

My MACNA Toadstool frag that has grown beautifully over the years.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_toadstool.jpg

Pink Branching Hammer coral
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_pink_hammer.jpg

Acropora nobilis frag that is happy and healthy
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_nobilis_frag.jpg

Maxima clam with some Jimmies (zoas) growing up the backside.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_maxima.jpg

Lots of Bytor Orange zoanthids
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_bytors.jpg

[melev]

Sunset Montipora - not as colorful as I'd hoped, but encrusting nicely.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_sunset_monti.jpg

Green tabling acropora
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_green_table.jpg

A cute Ocellaris hosting in Lavendar Frilly Mushrooms. Spock warped through the frame.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_clown.jpg

A. granulosa
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_granulosa.jpg

Blue A. millepora frags - I see some blue appearing.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_blue_milli1.jpg

http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_blue_milli2.jpg

The new pink tabling Acropora sp.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_pink_table.jpg

The parent colony of Acropora nobilis - tips aren't the only part dying back. *sigh*
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_nobilis.jpg

The main Acropora Crayola colony has spread in multiple layers or levels.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_crayola_parent.jpg

http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_crayola_oo.jpg

[melev]

My other Crayola colony in the back of the tank.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_crayola_2.jpg

Moon coral
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_moon.jpg

Looking down on the reef from the back toward the front sandbed.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_reefshot.jpg

The new Echinophyllia
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_echinophyllia.jpg

Another view from the back toward the front.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_reefshot2.jpg

A blue Echinophyllia that was stung by mushrooms and plagued with cyano.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_blue_echino.jpg

Neon star polyps
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_neon_starpolyps.jpg

Another nice view through the corals to the front corner of the tank. You can barely see the Green and the Pink Pocillopora corals.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/td_reefshot3.jpg

[StCraft]

Youre tank is in good health !

[bassettmd]

Beautiful tank... can i get a FTS?

[melev]

I have one from two weeks ago.

http://melevsreef.com/pics/07/06/fts_061807.jpg

[bassettmd]

Gorgeous Tank... Not bad for a professional stripper.

[melev]

Thanks. Gotta make a living (http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com) somehow. :D

[zenya]

Very nice, Marc. It sure took some doing and caring to have a tank looking this good. I do remember beginning, though... Great job! :thumbsup:

PS. I lost my cryola colony almost two years ago and am glad to see yours had done so well. :)

[melev]

Gene, will you be at MACNA this year?

[Jeff]

Looking good Marc :)

[zenya]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10229554#post10229554 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Gene, will you be at MACNA this year?

I plan to attend and hopefully all will be well for me to go away for a few days. ;)

[drummereef]

Wow, those top downs are unreal. The Scripps acro is crazy! :thumbsup:

[edwing206]

Gorgeous tank Marc. I love the huge mix of different corals that you have in there.

[melev]

Thanks. :)

[this is me]

Nice Top Down.

[RHagemann]

Nice pics Marc,
I'm not brave enough to do top downs yet although after seeing these, I started cutting the acrylic for mine this afternoon.

Question: Do you physically get behind the camera to adjust focus, etc with top down shots? I've never seen it done so pardon the newb question.

[melev]

Yes, I'm shooting pictures through the top down box just like I would through the side of the tank. Focus, zooming, choosing what is the best angle...

[ataylo13]

awesome shots!!! awesome tank. I have not mastered the top down shots yet. I can't stay still enough, but I am sure it will come with practice.

[ckuhndog77]

Hi Marc,

Great photos and tank looks awesome. My Q is which MACNA did you get this at My MACNA Toadstool frag that has grown beautifully over the years
Coral is big, want to know how many years it took to get that size.

[melev]

I got it at MACNA XV in 2003.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/macna15/prop_fragged.jpg

http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/macna15/prop_newfrag2.jpg

A LFS owner stopped by and asked why was it so small if it was that old. I thought he was nuts; it looks pretty darn big to me. If the pumps are off, it spreads out like crazy. One day I'll have to see if I can get a measurement of it. The trunk is super thick.