SkullV
New member
It creates a tiny bit of flow, but I'm mostly using it for "cleaning" of the gyre itself. It will blow out the cages and help prevent calcium build up in the bushings. That's the reason it's only on for 5min/hr in that mode.
SkullV's Aquarium Adventures
- Thread starter SkullV
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SkullV
New member
Ever wanted to see what 15,000 gallons worth of Instant Ocean "sludge" looks like (left side is pre-cleaning)?
Got this sweet saltwater mixing station from the local PetCo that was closing. They had made approximately 100g of saltwater a week, using plain Instant Ocean salt, every week for the last 3 years. They NEVER cleaned it (way to go Iwaki pump!):
Also got their stainless steel bagging station with built in sinks. Can't wait to move into a house where I can built this all into a fish room. Until then the bagging station sits in the garage and the mixer will get plumbed into my current mixing station.
Got this sweet saltwater mixing station from the local PetCo that was closing. They had made approximately 100g of saltwater a week, using plain Instant Ocean salt, every week for the last 3 years. They NEVER cleaned it (way to go Iwaki pump!):
Also got their stainless steel bagging station with built in sinks. Can't wait to move into a house where I can built this all into a fish room. Until then the bagging station sits in the garage and the mixer will get plumbed into my current mixing station.
SkullV
New member
Out with the old...
In with the new!
got rid the reefkeeper lite and went with an Apex. I also picked up the Icecap module to control my Gyre. This module is exactly what the gyre needed. I can now mix up the flow between pulse and constant as well as reduce flow automatically during feed mode. I have to admit, I should have gone with an Apex from the start.
In with the new!
got rid the reefkeeper lite and went with an Apex. I also picked up the Icecap module to control my Gyre. This module is exactly what the gyre needed. I can now mix up the flow between pulse and constant as well as reduce flow automatically during feed mode. I have to admit, I should have gone with an Apex from the start.
SkullV
New member
Unless you are getting it in a straight trade, I don't know that I would have done it. A friend of mine out here simply could not figure out Apex coding and really refused to learn, so I jokingly offered the trade. When he accepted I couldn't pass it up! Well actually he got my RKL with ALC module and a JBwave controller.
New angled FTS:
SkullV
New member
That is without the T5s, but even with everything running it hasn't gone over 4.
anarchy
Active member
Joe5688
Active member
tank looks awesome, tips on taking pix w/ LEDs? lolMessing with the cages has helped a bit, I have the cage closer to the front pointed more upwards and the cage closer to the back pointed so the flow passes right over the top of the rockwork. It's starting to get a little bit better but will have to play around some more. Everything seems pretty happy with the one pump other than the gorgonian right below it. Hopefully it'll get used to it. Right now I have it set like this:
Starting to get the hang of taking photos with the LEDs on too:
ultimatemj
Active member
Wait, like full on "checked luggage" into the belly of the plane?
Curious how much water and how wrapped for temp...
Curious how much water and how wrapped for temp...
SkullV
New member
Yup, right in the "belly of the beast", but I'm assuming that is no different then an open cargo plane like UPS/FedEx. It was packed in a full sandwich bag (multi bagged) which went into a styro. Inside the styro there was the bagged coral, with additional padding, inside another sealed bag. After that there was padding all around the sealed bag and a heat pack. Then the styro went in a box, that all went in my luggage. The frag is glued in and looks AMAZING today. I won't hesitate to go this route again in the future but check with your individual airlines, some don't allow it. Southwest allows live seafood so I just told them it was live seafood.
I've been saving a spot for pink lemonade since day one. It is all the way at the top just to the right (and in front) of the stupid ORA Miami Orchid. Hopefully when the Lemonade grows out it can block that ugly Miami!Hope can fine some real-estate to put it on
SkullV
New member
I've started to find that the best way to deal with LED's is to use a two step white balance procedure and let the camera do all the processing. Shooting in RAW works great but unless you are very well versed in your processing software, the camera will always do a better job. My process is (specific to the Cannon T3i but should be similar on most cameras):
- Start by taking a photo with the "Tungston Light" white balance setting on my camera and take a baseline photo. This photo will look VERY purple, because the tungsten setting dealt primarily with the white and red spectrums within it's pre-set algorythm.
- Set white balance on your camera to a custom white balance using the this very purple photo you just took.
- Take another photo using this custom white balance. This photo will look pretty greenish because the photo you used for white balance pulled out a lot of the red in your photo.
- Set your custom white balance using the green photo you just took.
- Now, using Custom White Balance you should have a very balanced photo that looks similar or identical to what your eyes see.
For example, this photo I just took now is 16RB LEDs and 2CW LEDs at equal intensity (pretty dim 15% as it happens at this time of day so being overtaken by the AZ sunlight) doing nothing but the process i described above. I wouldn't normally post this photo as the tank lighting is so dim (being overpowered by glare and ultra yellow sunlight) and would have gone through the process several more times to find a white balance setting that looked more correct to me, but you can see how improved the color balance is over some of the overly red photos you see from people taking tank photos in RAW and processing themselves.
The process and end result:
Good luck, and text me if you are interested and want more help.
ThePorkchopExpress
New member
Thanks for the tips! My wife has a T4i so these tips should work on hers as well.
I've found that when you have LEDs it really accentuates your blues and the blues drown out everything else. I love my LEDs but hate taking pics because I can never get them to look right except under 12k (which to my eyes look extremely yellow but in pics look "normal").
I've found that when you have LEDs it really accentuates your blues and the blues drown out everything else. I love my LEDs but hate taking pics because I can never get them to look right except under 12k (which to my eyes look extremely yellow but in pics look "normal").
ultimatemj
Active member
Huge is right! Nice! And happy already!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk