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Chris' Elos 160 (1 Viewer)
BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
Amazing pictures, love the one that looks like the anthias are hugging lol
Great photos Chris! Put the dagger in me to reach 20,000.
I remember you saying you had a full frame camera, is it the 5d mark2,3? What framerate, iso, and aperture are you using to freeze the fish shots and still retain so much detail and brightness. Are you using a 2x extender? Im on the hunt for a full frame as well but don't want to spend 2-3k for the mark 3. Would the mark2 or 6d suffice to still provide excellent full frame shots with similar settings?
I remember you saying you had a full frame camera, is it the 5d mark2,3? What framerate, iso, and aperture are you using to freeze the fish shots and still retain so much detail and brightness. Are you using a 2x extender? Im on the hunt for a full frame as well but don't want to spend 2-3k for the mark 3. Would the mark2 or 6d suffice to still provide excellent full frame shots with similar settings?
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acharpenter
Pitas' Pita
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This is fun - loving this
Our TCMAS Nano King and our TCMAS Elo's King - sparring - and they both have photography skills- can you say winning?
Our TCMAS Nano King and our TCMAS Elo's King - sparring - and they both have photography skills- can you say winning?
jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
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When are we able to pre-order the ChistopherKrien's Elos 160 2015 calendar? :fistcash:
Or can we expect to pick one up next month at the Expo?
And it needs to be a weekly calendar; 12 photos just isn't enough!
And Eva needs to be featured the week of June 7th to 13th; for Eric.
Or can we expect to pick one up next month at the Expo?
And it needs to be a weekly calendar; 12 photos just isn't enough!
And Eva needs to be featured the week of June 7th to 13th; for Eric.
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Great photos Chris! Put the dagger in me to reach 20,000.
I remember you saying you had a full frame camera, is it the 5d mark2,3? What framerate, iso, and aperture are you using to freeze the fish shots and still retain so much detail and brightness. Are you using a 2x extender? Im on the hunt for a full frame as well but don't want to spend 2-3k for the mark 3. Would the mark2 or 6d suffice to still provide excellent full frame shots with similar settings?
I still have the 5D MkII. The Mark III release price was like $1k more than the Mark II and I didn't think it was worth it so I never upgraded. For fish I've been shooting at ISO1600-2000 and f/4-5.6, which is giving me 1/200sec or faster on the shutter. I start to see a little too much grain at ISO 2500 on the 5DMk II, which ruins the creamy creamy bokeh. I'm sure the III would perform better up into 3200. I've used the 7D which is just "ok", but never tried the 6D.
I used my 24-70mm 2.8L with an extension tube for a long time, but these recent shots were mostly the 100mm 2.8L Macro. Shooting from farther away is less distracting to the fish and they behave more normally, but I get more glare from the lights so I have to use the lens hood. The image stabilizer is nice too since you kind of have to shoot fish handheld.
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Actually, that would be fun to have an annual club reef calendar. Though a 52 page calendar would be pretty intense, make sure you hit a stud when you're hanging that bad boy!
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Current ICP Results:
Notes:
– The elevated levels of Aluminum really surprised me since I don't use any aluminum-based filter media. This one is a baddie, but the levels are well below toxic. Something to watch for sure, no idea what the source is.
– Calcium is interesting as well since I'm measuring ~430ppm with my test kit.
– Potassium is actually something that I dose regularly, looks like it's being used at a similar rate.
– Lithium is an element I don't know much about, but it sounds like it's commonly elevated in some synthetic salt mixes.
– Iodine is a little low; never dosed it but I might start.
– Phosphates are a little lower than normal because I've been playing with LaCl3 (Marty's fault), but the Hanna checker indicates I'm at about 0.02-0.03ppm so it might be reading a little high.
Notes:
– The elevated levels of Aluminum really surprised me since I don't use any aluminum-based filter media. This one is a baddie, but the levels are well below toxic. Something to watch for sure, no idea what the source is.
– Calcium is interesting as well since I'm measuring ~430ppm with my test kit.
– Potassium is actually something that I dose regularly, looks like it's being used at a similar rate.
– Lithium is an element I don't know much about, but it sounds like it's commonly elevated in some synthetic salt mixes.
– Iodine is a little low; never dosed it but I might start.
– Phosphates are a little lower than normal because I've been playing with LaCl3 (Marty's fault), but the Hanna checker indicates I'm at about 0.02-0.03ppm so it might be reading a little high.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-03/rs/feature/
Table 4
Im sure you saw this or similar articles if you searched aluminum and lithium in regards to salt mixes. It seems there is quite a bit of metal in synthetic salt mixes. I've been using Red Sea since I started and I believe I converted you to it as well. I'd have to dig to see how much is in that mix. The Corallife stuff has really close to toxic levels of lithium and lots of reefers said they had trouble with starfish and other sensitive invertebrates when using that salt.
Red Sea Salt data at the bottom. A little old based off the pictures of the mix, but since its harvested from the ocean rather than synthetic it probably hasn't changed much.
http://fishkeeper.co.uk/downloads/redsea/TechmanualSalt.pdf
Table 4
Im sure you saw this or similar articles if you searched aluminum and lithium in regards to salt mixes. It seems there is quite a bit of metal in synthetic salt mixes. I've been using Red Sea since I started and I believe I converted you to it as well. I'd have to dig to see how much is in that mix. The Corallife stuff has really close to toxic levels of lithium and lots of reefers said they had trouble with starfish and other sensitive invertebrates when using that salt.
Red Sea Salt data at the bottom. A little old based off the pictures of the mix, but since its harvested from the ocean rather than synthetic it probably hasn't changed much.
http://fishkeeper.co.uk/downloads/redsea/TechmanualSalt.pdf
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Making some changes in the flow department. I’m trying to solve three problems:
I’ve added one of the new 50w Maxspect Gyre pumps to the mix. Because my aquascape is tall, the typical mounting position (horizontally near the top) won’t work for me. Luckily, the aquascape has allowed me to mount the pump vertically in a completely obscured location behind the left rock structure.
The only way I could think to solve all of my problems was to direct the new pump’s flow opposite the Vortech’s, but this doesn’t help moving the entire body of water since the pumps are somewhat fighting each other. To solve, I had to create two separate flow modes to switch between throughout the day:
Flow Mode A
This is the current flow situation I have now. Both Vortechs are run in a high flow mode and the water body is moved counterclockwise. The Gyre pump will be turned off completely by the Apex during this mode. The Gyre does have a reverse mode, but the flow is very weak.
Flow Mode B
This mode will switch it up and move the water body in a clockwise direction. The Vortechs will switch to a low powered pulse mode which I hope will create some eddies and random flow to pass through the area between the two rock structures, but not prevent the mass water movement. I'm able to run the Gyre on a pretty aggressive flow mode because the more intense flow directly in front of the unit doesn't encounter any coral until it reaches the right side of the aquarium.
- Diminishing overall flow as coral grows.
- A few areas with low flow– in particular in between the two rock structures.
- A lot of coral experience flow from only a single direction.
I’ve added one of the new 50w Maxspect Gyre pumps to the mix. Because my aquascape is tall, the typical mounting position (horizontally near the top) won’t work for me. Luckily, the aquascape has allowed me to mount the pump vertically in a completely obscured location behind the left rock structure.
The only way I could think to solve all of my problems was to direct the new pump’s flow opposite the Vortech’s, but this doesn’t help moving the entire body of water since the pumps are somewhat fighting each other. To solve, I had to create two separate flow modes to switch between throughout the day:
Flow Mode A
This is the current flow situation I have now. Both Vortechs are run in a high flow mode and the water body is moved counterclockwise. The Gyre pump will be turned off completely by the Apex during this mode. The Gyre does have a reverse mode, but the flow is very weak.
Flow Mode B
This mode will switch it up and move the water body in a clockwise direction. The Vortechs will switch to a low powered pulse mode which I hope will create some eddies and random flow to pass through the area between the two rock structures, but not prevent the mass water movement. I'm able to run the Gyre on a pretty aggressive flow mode because the more intense flow directly in front of the unit doesn't encounter any coral until it reaches the right side of the aquarium.
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
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Sell your other pumps before the market gets flooded
Ooo... Does this translate to cheaper used VorTechs?
I haven't looked into these pumps in much depth, but I'm assuming there's a power cord that runs into the display. Essentially a deal breaker with me.
Sell your other pumps before the market gets flooded
Sounds like you are impressed. I have been watching videos and following along on the RC threads and people seem to really like the flow. They seem pretty good noise level wise too. I guess the only ? will be how long they last and how much cleaning those paddles will require. I was using 4 Tunze 6055's on my peninsula and then switched to Jabeo wp-40's to get more flow. Still is not quite right. Peninsulas are tough to get good flow when you are limited to the short back wall. Hopefully this is the ticket. Glad it is working for you.
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Vortechs will get more affordable for sure in the short term. Although I hear there will be some big changes to the MP lineup in the Spring.. The motor for the pump on the Gyre is underwater, unfortunately. I think I have a solution to keep the cord hidden but it involves dremeling the Elos :bawling:
The Gyre doesn't exactly have a small footprint either. Jebao showed that flow per dollar is the highest priority for a lot of reefers and this thing fits right in without being a POS and with some good customer service. It's not perfect and the Vortechs definitely retain an edge in some departments, but people will be more than willing to forgive the few drawbacks.
The noise level on my unit is a little louder than other underwater pumps I've tried and has a noticeable hum at higher speeds. One thing I've been having trouble with is that when it's mounted vertically, the water doesn't round the 90º corners of the aquarium very smoothly and throws the sand around a little in those locations, but there is a lot of adjustability that I haven't explored. My glass is too thick as the pump proceeds to detach itself and go for a stroll at 80% or higher. 40%-50% is where I want to be so this isn't an issue in practice. All this aside, in regards to flow it raises the bar significantly.
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Wow this tank is outstanding, it must truely feel great to sit back in front of it I was just wondering what your rock work is and where did you find those stunning pieces from, I'm trying to source some pieces like the ones you have, im sure im not the only reefer out there trying to emulate your tank
I was just wondering what your rock work is and where did you find those stunning pieces from, I'm trying to source some pieces like the ones you have, im sure im not the only reefer out there trying to emulate your tank
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Wow this tank is outstanding, it must truely feel great to sit back in front of it
Thanks, all of the rock is Pukani dry rock. The pieces that I used were quite large– I think the whole aquascape is just 6 rocks. It's light, easy to work with, and has a lot of habitat if you've got small fish. I got the large pieces from Bulk Reef Supply and a couple of the fillers from Saltwater Empire (local store). I imagine Pukani is available worldwide to some extent
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Male and female Bimaculatus almost the exact same size... Taking bets on how many males I pull out of quarantine.
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Good actually, they've been in the display for about a week and have sorted out their issue. They were eating the gamut of food after about 5 days, but still definitely have a preference for dim light and cover. They're a little big for my taste (a very similar build to the more common Squarespots if you've seen those in stores) but they're growing on me. They do stand up for themselves. An underrated anthias for sure, here's the male under good lighting:
