SuncrestReef

I never knew my pistol shrimp had hairy claws:

Here are a few more:

(Note:  These are scaled down.  Click each photo to zoom in to 100%.  It's amazing detail!)

I'm super excited about the new macro lens I just received.  It's a Nikon AF Micro 200mm f/4D IF-ED.  Previously I had been using a 60mm macro which was OK, but you had to get super close to the subject in order to get really fine details.  This new 200mm produces way better detail even from longer distances.  Here's the new lens on my Nikon D610, with the old 60mm lens next to it.  Nearly half of the lens barrel is the focus ring, and it's amazingly smooth to operate.

Here's just one example after playing with the lens for only a couple of minutes:

Since macro lenses have a very shallow depth of field, it's impossible to get the whole coral into focus.  I'm going to start trying a technique called focus stacking where you take multiple photos at different focus points, and then stitch the photos together in software to produce an image that's 100% in focus.  Stay tuned and I'll post more shots as I get the hang of this new lens!

Update:  I ended up  moving the torch a few inches to where the flow was slightly lower.  It seems to be thriving with much better extension and looks great!

Looking forward to attending my first meeting!  Thanks for the update.

I picked up a couple more beautiful frags today at @CuttleFishandCoral.  I love the colors on this ORA purple stylophora:

Can anyone help ID this next one?

It's been just over a month since I added my first corals to the tank and I'm finally starting to notice some growth:

Here are some photos with my Nikon 60mm macro lens.  I'll have a new 200mm macro arriving next week, so I'll do some comparison photos once it arrives.

I just use a damp sponge.  If you squeeze the sponge and it doesn’t drip, then it’s just right.  If it’s too wet it leaves a lot of streaks.

I'd like to add a calcium reactor to my Reefer XL 425 (112 gallon system), but my sump space is pretty cramped with existing equipment. I'm looking for a reactor plus CO2 canister that can fit within a 6" wide x 14" deep x 24" tall space in the dry equipment side of the cabinet. Any recommendations?

Question:  Since this is my first time submitting a photo and don't know all the rules, are contestants allowed to vote?  (to be honest, I like a couple of the other entries better than my own!)

Sure, I could be sleeping, but instead I'm looking at my coral after the lights go off.  It's amazing to see how some corals change at night.  Look at the difference between my lobo during the day and when the tentacles extend at night:

I've only been on this forum for about a month, so I don't know the whole routine yet.  Are group meetings normally held each month, or do you take summers off?  Just curious when the next meeting will be held.

Can anyone confirm if these are feather duster worms, or something else?  The first photo shows one that's about 1/2" diameter, and the 2nd photo has several small ones about 1/8" diameter.

Yes, if the energy bars don’t get a reply from the Apex brain, each outlet will revert to the Fallback settings.  If your heaters don’t have a built in thermostat, it’s best to set the heater outlets to Fallback Off, otherwise you will cook your tank pretty quickly.

With the summer heat wave, I was struggling to keep my water temp from spiking during the day unless I really cranked up the house air conditioning to the point where I needed to wear a sweater indoors. I looked into getting a chiller, but I don't really have room in my cabinet and don't want it external. Instead I picked up a basic 18" fan from Home Depot for $32 and attached it to an unused outlet on my Apex. I was amazed at how quickly it can cool the tank, with the Apex running the fan only about 10 minutes per hour based on the temperature probe reading.

Here's the Apex code I used and found the temperature stays between 78.0 - 78.3:

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Tmp > 78.1 Then ON
If Tmp < 78.1 Then OFF
Defer 000:30 Then ON
Defer 000:30 Then OFF

I use mesh filter bags on the output pipes of my GFO and carbon reactors to catch any stray pellets.  My sump used to be littered with shards until I added the filter bags.

Yes, your OSC command will run it for 20 minutes on then 10 minutes off and repeat.

Question:  Do you have the Gyre power plugged directly into an EnergyBar outlet, or is the Gyre being controlled by an IceCap module attached to your Apex?  If you're using the IceCap module, then you'd be able to control the Gyre speed in addition to on/off, and could avoid using the OSC command.  I have mine connected via IceCap and just use several profiles throughout the day to ramp up, pulse, and ramp down at night.

Here's a full tank time-lapse video showing my cleanup crew hard at work. (except for that one hermit crab that hitchhikes a ride on 3 different conchs...😂)

How can I shop there now without bursting into laughter?  Awesome narration! 😂

@CuttleFishandCoral had a beautiful chalice that I couldn't resist:

Here's my latest full tank shot.  The new chalice fit in perfectly below my rock arch:

1 hour ago, CuttleFishandCoral said:

I really love how this tank is coming together. Everything looks so healthy. love the time lapse. 

Thanks!  You guys have been very helpful.

Today I added a new goniopora from @CuttleFishandCoral to my tank.  Here are photos when I first added it and one hour later as it started to open up:

I also made a time lapse video as it opened up, but there was also a lot of other activity taking place around it:

7 minutes ago, River City Corals said:

Not a dumb question at all. The prob is the pump is so tall, if I lower much it creates a vortex in return section and starts sucking air 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that your original question asks why the sump chambers are at the same level even when the pump is running at full speed.  If your plumbing is set up so the pump can overload the drain, then I would expect the sump return pump chamber to empty and your display tank water level would increase beyond what the drain could accommodate.  This seems like a dangerous situation as it could either cause the pump to run semi-dry, or cause the display tank to flood over the top depending on the overflow height.  Most tanks are set up so the primary drain plus the emergency drain combined could handle the full rate of flow produced by your pump, so the water level in the sump chambers will never actually change when the pump is running, even at full speed.

This might be a dumb question, but could the water level in the sump chambers being at the same level be due to you filling the tank with more water than necessary?  If you drained a gallon or two out, then the return pump chamber would be noticeably lower than the other chambers.  The rate that water is pumped out of the sump should match the rate of the water draining back into the sump, so in my opinion the turnover rate should have no impact on the water level in the sump chambers.