New crappy pics.

[Samper]

Here are a few more recent pics, I apologize for the crappy camera.

[Samper]

And some more.

[Michelle]

Don't look crappy to me Samper, I give you a Thumbs up, looks great!!

[Samper]

Here I go on another long runon paragraph so please bear with me. I need help ID'ing the acropora, the small white anemone and the coral above my blue sponge. It's hard with this camera but you can see the new growth a little on the acropora. I just washed that foam off on the MJ behind it a few days ago. I guess this is the reason for the diatom bloom on it. It isn't anywhere else in my tank. My anemone has definately colored up more, this I'm proud of. The blue sponge is one of my favorites. The tube above it has a blue worm of some sorts living in it. I thought it was beautiful the blue worm with the blue sponge so I had to have it. WIll try to get a pic of the worm when it comes back out. That hair algae by the sponge is starting to worry me a little, it isn't spreading but it isn't going away either. That's all for now

[Samper]

Thanks Michelle I appreciate it.

[Samper]

Oh and I forgot to add, if you compare some older pics of my Sinularia to the more recent ones since the halide you can see way more polyps and some major growth going on.

[zhenya]

Don't be so negative about your pics, Samper. I thought they were real nice.

I can't help you with ID on that Acropora but I can help you with that diatoms on your sponge on MJ. Get rid of that sponge! ;) I don't think you need it there at all, your anemone looks to be settled so why you still have that sponge on the powerhead?

[Samper]

The sponge is for the air intake on that seaclone. If I take it off it doesn't feed the air in right. It's working great right now I actually have no complaints. Oh and the only reason I say my pics are crappy is cause they don't really compare to all the high speed pics you guys take.

Thanks for the compliment though!

[Leddy]

Hey Samper, when I had my seaclone I ditched the sponge, as long as you have that small plastic venturi adapter on the intake. I thought it improved the skimmer, and no sponge to keep cleaning. Also, you can see the airline to make sure its not clogged with calcium deposit. Dont need to worry about that if you turn it off during feeding since it floods the venturi and any deposit in there disolves. Just my 2 cents.

Oh yeah, nice pictures.

[Poseidon]

I think you are off to a good start. Here are a couple of things I do to help make it easier to get good pictures.

First- Make sure the camera's sensor is parallel to the front glass, or another way to say this is make sure the lens is PERPENDICULAR to the glass. If you try to take a picture at an angle through the glass the refractive properties of the water will make the images look out of focus!

Second- It is ALMOST impossible for most people to hold the camera still enough to NOT get camera shake at anything less then 1/60 of a second shutter speed. This also makes the pictures look out of focus. If your camera says 1/30 or 1/15 then you NEED a tripod or book or SOMETHING to rest the camera on!

Third- Use a faster ISO (used to be called the FILM SPEED) sometimes I go all the way up to 800. This does create some noise (grainy looks) but usually that can be removed in post processing.

And finally TAKE LOTS AND LOTS of pictures, you will get better with practice! Just like reef keeping there is a learning curve, and sooner or later it will all come together.

[scubadude]

Hey Samper
I like the pics! Especially the hawkfish! I have no idea what the acro is but looks like it could be a tricolor? Will be very nice to see that coral grow.

[Elmo18]

HI Samper. Love that hawkfish photo as well. Good facial impression hehe..

Nice candy cane coral, too

- Elmo

[Samper]

Leddy, I tried to remove the sponge before and half the bubbles didn't get sucked into the powerhead. This weekend I'll give it another try cause I really don't like that sponge anyway.

Elmo and Scubadude, thanks for the thumbs up on the hawk. I wanted to get rid of it a while back since it limited me to what I can keep but then again his personality is worth not having a few other things. The Acropora is supposed to be an ORA frag but I can't find on their site where they offer the tricolor for sale. Is this something they used to sell but don't anymore?

Poseidon, Thanks for the tips. If I had my own camera I'd be able to get tons of practice but borrowing a different one every time I need to snap some makes it difficult. The one I just used cost about 100 bucks and has no features or options including a zoom. I'll finance me a camera when I pay off a few things.

[Samper]

Oh and Zhenya, does my anemone look healthier to you also? Definately more pigment. The bulbs that it developed the first few days I had my halide are gone for the most part but about once a week they come back.

[scubadude]

This look like the same coral as what you have Samper? This is an ORA frag as well

[zhenya]

Oh and Zhenya, does my anemone look healthier to you also? Definately more pigment. The bulbs that it developed the first few days I had my halide are gone for the most part but about once a week they come back.

I think it does look a bit better,color wise at least. I would continue feeding it well and the color will return, I am sure.
Also, I wouldn't worry overly about the bulbs on the tentacles. Enjoy while they are present but other than that, I don't think it signifies good health or bad.

I don't know if you remember or not, we talked about it before in one of the threads and I posted a picture of newly divided clone that had bulbs on the tentacles. It lasted only a few hours and than they were gone.
I still don't know why it happens( in captivity only), it seems that geneticaly they are predisposed to have them and I think that I have enough light for them in my tank. But.., all I see is those 6-8 inches long tentacles waving about in the tank. Maybe it's more than just light intensity, who knows?

[Samper]

Scubadude, that looks close but not exact The main body is much lighter than mine. I don't know enough about sps and their anatomy to tell you for sure though. Elmo just posted a pic of the exact coral in the new pics thread. It's the second pic he posted right in the middle, brown with purple tips. That for sure is exactly what I have.

Zhenya, I remember chatting with you about the bulbs. I get so interested in anything that we can't explain, until I find an answer I'm sure the topic will keep coming up. I've been feeding it twice a week and will continue to do so. I worry though that this is the reason for the Hair algae not going away on that sponge rock. My skimmer has definately been pulling more gunk out since I started the increased feedings.

[zhenya]

I worry though that this is the reason for the Hair algae not going away on that sponge rock. My skimmer has definately been pulling more gunk out since I started the increased feedings.

What exactly are you feeding it? I really can't see the connection unless the food floats away and rots somewhere. I place food on the tentacles and it's been immediately pulled towards mouth and consumed. Although, with increased feedings there would be more waste products, of course, but surely your skimmer is handling it. Yes?

[Samper]

Well I'm feeding it small pieces of uncooked shrimp, half of a silverside and alternating between those two food choices every 3-4 days. It always immediately pulls the food towards its mouth. I always see it spit pieces of the silverside back out a day or two after feeding it but I never see it release pieces of the shrimp. My skimmer is trying but the poor thing just isn't up to par. I might get an overflow, small mag pump and rubbermaid tomorrow and setup the Euro Reef to run for a few days.

[Samper]

Leddy I just wanted to thank ya. Today I removed the sponge and cleaned the powerhead and skimmer out. Pieced it all back together without the sponge and tadaa it works perfectly now. It was leaking air before but is working like a charm now..........well as good as a seaclone can work. Thanks for the tip.