Through the Looking Glass - Page 14

watchguy123 · 10/18/2013, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acronic

Nice! Goldflakes are really cool

Quote:

Originally Posted by dowtish

Agreed! Very nice addition. Congratz and good luck!

Thank you guys. Have hesitated for a long time about angels in my reef tank but they add so much color and interest. Plus their habits are somewhat different from tangs. The angels seem to wander in and around caves and through out the tank while the tangs tend to stay on the the "lit" side of the tank much more. Time will tell how reef compatible they turn out to be. In the meantime, I am loving them.

dowtish · 11/02/2013, 06:41 AM

I just added a potters angel to my reef. It likes to pick at things. I knew that going in. I had it in my frag/holding tank for over 8 months. It only picked at acans but nothing else. But for the same reasons as you I wanted to see its behavior in a real reef and it definitely does its own thing and 98% of the time its foraging on just rock. I love it and think its worth the risk.

trueblackpercula · 11/02/2013, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dowtish

I just added a potters angel to my reef. It likes to pick at things. I knew that going in. I had it in my frag/holding tank for over 8 months. It only picked at acans but nothing else. But for the same reasons as you I wanted to see its behavior in a real reef and it definitely does its own thing and 98% of the time its foraging on just rock. I love it and think its worth the risk.

I think that was a bad move I made the same mistake. In time the acquire taste for Sps.
Keep a close eye on her in large tanks they are ok but in small tanks they pick.

reefmutt · 11/02/2013, 09:31 AM

Tricky fish but one of my favorites.

MrineLfRlz · 11/04/2013, 08:22 AM

Absolute fantastic tank!
But please can i see whats under the hood the goods keeping this beauty running is something i would like to see" it all"

please

MBMAX · 11/04/2013, 03:37 PM

just beautifull, love the colors and ......everything else.

watchguy123 · 01/27/2014, 12:00 AM

I have not taken any pictures in a while, just got so busy. Trying to get my photo eye back and starting with some LPS

watchguy123 · 01/27/2014, 02:15 PM

A couple more LPS before I switch to photos of SPS

sahin · 01/27/2014, 02:56 PM

Nice LPS corals. Good to see they are nice sizes. Look forward to your SPS shots. Always enjoyed your photos so flood the thread with photo's if you like...I will enjoy them.

watchguy123 · 01/27/2014, 10:29 PM

Gonna keep sharing some chalices and other stuff, until I get the photo skill back again. These are some of the easiest shots for me to take. I will get myself recalibrated for the sps shots soon enough.

sahin · 01/28/2014, 07:22 AM

Nice! Even though I prefer SPS (Acropora mainly), that Leptoseris looks VERY cool!

watchguy123 · 01/29/2014, 06:14 PM

A couple of SPS, through the front of my bow front tank. Hard to achieve sharp focus through the curved bow front glass. I prefer top downs so I can get sharper focus but did not feel like getting the ladder out to take pictures today. (Yes, I have to stand on top of a ladder to get the top down photos)

The red dragon came out a little purpler (is that a word) than it really is but I tried to get it as realistic as possible

cFloor · 01/29/2014, 06:31 PM

that red dragon is awesome!!

tdb320reef · 01/29/2014, 06:38 PM

Looking good. Do you have the RD in higher flow?

Quote:

Originally Posted by watchguy123

A couple of SPS, through the front of my bow front tank. Hard to achieve sharp focus through the curved bow front glass. I prefer top downs so I can get sharper focus but did not feel like getting the ladder out to take pictures today. (Yes, I have to stand on top of a ladder to get the top down photos)

The red dragon came out a little purpler (is that a word) than it really is but I tried to get it as realistic as possible

sahin · 01/29/2014, 06:39 PM

Very nice shots regardless. I used to have a bow front tank and know just how hard photography is with those tanks. Appreciate the posting of the photos.

watchguy123 · 01/29/2014, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sahin

Very nice shots regardless. I used to have a bow front tank and know just how hard photography is with those tanks. Appreciate the posting of the photos.

Isn't it the middle of the night in the UK now. A couple more pictures for the guy who stays up way too late wherever you may be.

watchguy123 · 01/29/2014, 07:02 PM

here is a picture of the three of the four SPS colonies from above

sahin · 01/29/2014, 07:49 PM

It is almost 2am here in the UK.

Beautiful! I admire the large colonies you are keeping. A lot of people just frag frag frag away. Even your Chalices are very large. Its quite nice seeing a grown up tank.

watchguy123 · 01/29/2014, 07:51 PM

I had a mini-crash that I started appreciating in October of last year. Parameters were as ideal as I could test and I tested repeatedly and had LFS retest with similar results.

I first noticed a lack of polyp extension on my meteor cyphastrea. I was baffled and traveling but a slow downward trend really set in. I lost about four or five 2 year old colonies. Polyps retracted, then STN primarily at base but sometimes from tips. I also had receding tips on multiple colonies and loss of color--thats why no pictures for such a long time. Way too depressing.

I decided to do relatively large water changes but slowly. I have a 180 gallon tank with sump and refugium and lots of rock. So I did a series of twenty gallon water changes every day for 5 days consecutively. Waited a week and repeated and then repeated again. So over about a 5 or 6 weeks, I changed out about 300 gallons of water. (For those really clever mathematicians, it is not really 300 gallons because it was being diluted, etc. etc--but I manually lugged those 5 gallons containers in and out till I accomplished the task so in my mind, it really is 300 gallons). Wish I had a more elaborate system designed for water changes but it is just me and a bunch of jugs.

Anyway, I am finally seeing a turn around in both coloration and polyp extension. It seems like months for the positive change to become noticeable but probably more like just a couple months or so. Long way to go, not all colonies have recovered although most are showing improvements. Polyp extension on most is returning and color is starting to improve.

All of us can read our coral to some extent and I was seeing a slow decrease in vitality that I did not really believe until it became really really obvious. And yes, I was concerned about a giant tank crash.

I am hopeful that the improvement that I am seeing is a long term positive turn around. I don't know if I had not completed large enough water changes in the past and my water was deficient or polluted in some way that I could not measure.

So I am starting to take pictures once again. I am doing some redecorating of colonies. Since I lost a few colonies, I plan on moving some mature colonies to new locales--yes I understand that is a risky venture as well but its hard not to want to improve the esthetics when one has both the opportunity (real estate) and time simultaneously.

watchguy123 · 01/29/2014, 11:22 PM

From this afternoon, I'm a photo taking junkie. I can't help it

sahin · 01/30/2014, 07:26 AM

At least things are on the mend. One of the best things for our systems when things are going wrong is water changes (thoroughly mixed, temp etc etc). Glad it's working out for you.

Go ahead and spam this thread with photos. I wont be complaining.

watchguy123 · 01/30/2014, 10:50 PM

I got the ladder out today, removed the canopy, climbed up the ladder, burned the top of my head under some very hot metal halide and t5 lights, and took a bunch of top down photos. I did manage to get some pretty pictures and I like to share:

Oldude · 01/30/2014, 11:47 PM

Great stuff!!! Thanks for sharing your passion.

sahin · 01/31/2014, 06:01 AM

Those arent pretty good shots...

They are awesome shots!

Love the shot of the Sarmentosa particularly.

PS Just dont burn your hair/head next time, but keep the photos coming.

reefmutt · 01/31/2014, 07:24 AM

Nice!
I always enjoy your shots, watchguy!
Right up there any of the great shooting in this forum!

11/02/2013, 06:41 AM	#327
dowtish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 886	I just added a potters angel to my reef. It likes to pick at things. I knew that going in. I had it in my frag/holding tank for over 8 months. It only picked at acans but nothing else. But for the same reasons as you I wanted to see its behavior in a real reef and it definitely does its own thing and 98% of the time its foraging on just rock. I love it and think its worth the risk. __________________ Sexy Sticks consume my thoughts. Build Thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2339384

11/02/2013, 09:31 AM	#329
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	Tricky fish but one of my favorites. __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

11/04/2013, 08:22 AM	#330
MrineLfRlz Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: eldon M.O. Posts: 1,167	Absolute fantastic tank! But please can i see whats under the hood the goods keeping this beauty running is something i would like to see" it all" please __________________ Jim its not a obsession its a way of life!--75g DT/125g sump/40g growout/30g frag/ATI sun power x8/t5 on DT/X2 D120 leds 40g/Sun blaze x4/t5 30g Current Tank Info: BubbleMagus(calc.,alk/Clearwater CW-300 Scrubber//56wAQUA UV/Reef Oct.SRO6000SSS Protein sk./1/10HP Chiller/GENESIS AWC

01/30/2014, 11:47 PM	#348
Oldude Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 4,479	Great stuff!!! Thanks for sharing your passion. __________________ ______________________ Greg ~ June 2015 TOTM ~ ~ April 2010 TOTM ~

01/31/2014, 07:24 AM	#350
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	Nice! I always enjoy your shots, watchguy! Right up there any of the great shooting in this forum! __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

11/04/2013, 03:37 PM	#331
MBMAX Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: watchung nj Posts: 192	just beautifull, love the colors and ......everything else.

01/27/2014, 12:00 AM	#332
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	I have not taken any pictures in a while, just got so busy. Trying to get my photo eye back and starting with some LPS

01/27/2014, 02:15 PM	#333
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	A couple more LPS before I switch to photos of SPS

01/27/2014, 02:56 PM	#334
sahin Ultimate Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,540	Nice LPS corals. Good to see they are nice sizes. Look forward to your SPS shots. Always enjoyed your photos so flood the thread with photo's if you like...I will enjoy them.

01/27/2014, 10:29 PM	#335
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	Gonna keep sharing some chalices and other stuff, until I get the photo skill back again. These are some of the easiest shots for me to take. I will get myself recalibrated for the sps shots soon enough.

01/28/2014, 07:22 AM	#336
sahin Ultimate Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,540	Nice! Even though I prefer SPS (Acropora mainly), that Leptoseris looks VERY cool!

01/29/2014, 06:14 PM	#337
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	A couple of SPS, through the front of my bow front tank. Hard to achieve sharp focus through the curved bow front glass. I prefer top downs so I can get sharper focus but did not feel like getting the ladder out to take pictures today. (Yes, I have to stand on top of a ladder to get the top down photos) The red dragon came out a little purpler (is that a word) than it really is but I tried to get it as realistic as possible

01/29/2014, 06:31 PM	#338
cFloor Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,552	that red dragon is awesome!!

01/29/2014, 06:39 PM	#340
sahin Ultimate Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,540	Very nice shots regardless. I used to have a bow front tank and know just how hard photography is with those tanks. Appreciate the posting of the photos.

01/29/2014, 07:02 PM	#342
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	here is a picture of the three of the four SPS colonies from above

01/29/2014, 07:49 PM	#343
sahin Ultimate Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,540	It is almost 2am here in the UK. Beautiful! I admire the large colonies you are keeping. A lot of people just frag frag frag away. Even your Chalices are very large. Its quite nice seeing a grown up tank.

01/29/2014, 07:51 PM	#344
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	I had a mini-crash that I started appreciating in October of last year. Parameters were as ideal as I could test and I tested repeatedly and had LFS retest with similar results. I first noticed a lack of polyp extension on my meteor cyphastrea. I was baffled and traveling but a slow downward trend really set in. I lost about four or five 2 year old colonies. Polyps retracted, then STN primarily at base but sometimes from tips. I also had receding tips on multiple colonies and loss of color--thats why no pictures for such a long time. Way too depressing. I decided to do relatively large water changes but slowly. I have a 180 gallon tank with sump and refugium and lots of rock. So I did a series of twenty gallon water changes every day for 5 days consecutively. Waited a week and repeated and then repeated again. So over about a 5 or 6 weeks, I changed out about 300 gallons of water. (For those really clever mathematicians, it is not really 300 gallons because it was being diluted, etc. etc--but I manually lugged those 5 gallons containers in and out till I accomplished the task so in my mind, it really is 300 gallons). Wish I had a more elaborate system designed for water changes but it is just me and a bunch of jugs. Anyway, I am finally seeing a turn around in both coloration and polyp extension. It seems like months for the positive change to become noticeable but probably more like just a couple months or so. Long way to go, not all colonies have recovered although most are showing improvements. Polyp extension on most is returning and color is starting to improve. All of us can read our coral to some extent and I was seeing a slow decrease in vitality that I did not really believe until it became really really obvious. And yes, I was concerned about a giant tank crash. I am hopeful that the improvement that I am seeing is a long term positive turn around. I don't know if I had not completed large enough water changes in the past and my water was deficient or polluted in some way that I could not measure. So I am starting to take pictures once again. I am doing some redecorating of colonies. Since I lost a few colonies, I plan on moving some mature colonies to new locales--yes I understand that is a risky venture as well but its hard not to want to improve the esthetics when one has both the opportunity (real estate) and time simultaneously.

01/29/2014, 11:22 PM	#345
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	From this afternoon, I'm a photo taking junkie. I can't help it

01/30/2014, 07:26 AM	#346
sahin Ultimate Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,540	At least things are on the mend. One of the best things for our systems when things are going wrong is water changes (thoroughly mixed, temp etc etc). Glad it's working out for you. Go ahead and spam this thread with photos. I wont be complaining.

01/30/2014, 10:50 PM	#347
watchguy123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,074	I got the ladder out today, removed the canopy, climbed up the ladder, burned the top of my head under some very hot metal halide and t5 lights, and took a bunch of top down photos. I did manage to get some pretty pictures and I like to share:

01/31/2014, 06:01 AM	#349
sahin Ultimate Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,540	Those arent pretty good shots... They are awesome shots! Love the shot of the Sarmentosa particularly. PS Just dont burn your hair/head next time, but keep the photos coming.