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Nice shots matty! And keep posting pics

Some of them have simple camera'shake blur caused by unsetady hands. Mount that sucker on a tripod and shut off the IS. Difference in shutter speed is already evident.

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Back in the saddle!

Thanks guys,

I'll try and get a full tank shot up of this too nowher.

Thanks for the comment on the rocks wings, I really wish I had more room fron to back to work with, it would help create a look of depth.

Nowher- even if I got a tripod(which I don't have yet ), why would I turn the IS off? Does that have an effect on shutter speed and what not?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Matt, I may not respond, but I check this thread out pretty regularly looking for new photos. You're getting really good a shooting and your new camera helps a lot, too.

Keep it up!

"Shut off the IS" ... this one puzzles me. IS???

One aspect of digital cameras that I know has a bad effect on aquarium photography is autofocus. Unless your camera's autofocus mechanism is a sophisticated one (and has a fast response time), what can happen is this. You fire the shutter, the camera then sets about 'hunting' for the correct focus, and by the time it's decided to lock on to a target, your fish has moved. Stick it on manual focus and the shutter fires the instant you press the button. In the case of my Fuji, the autofocus mechanism can take two seconds to lock on, by which time a fish was well and truly shot out of the frame.

Of course this matters less with sessile invertebrates, but even so, your corals might decide to open their polyps spectacularly whily you're peeking through the viewfinder, and you might want to capture that ... which if the autofocus mechanism 'hunts' as mine does, ruins the shot.

If your camnera supports the requisite features, I'd use them:

[1] Manual focus (along with a focus locking button to preset the focus beforehand, along with fine adjustment by turning the lens barrel);

[2] Fully manual selection of shutter speed and aperture;

[3] Ability to use an external flashgun.

Select manual focus, full manual operation, and dial in the requisite shutter speed and aperture values. With an external flashgun, you will be able to have the best of both worlds - a narrow aperture (which increases depth of field) AND a high shutter speed to avoid camera shake. Mine will let me take shots at 1/500 sec at an aperture setting of f11 with an external flash bolted on, because the flash I use carpet bombs the target with enough light for the resulting image to be exposed properly. If you can buy (or borrow) a flashgun with a guide number of 20 or upwards, then this will give you the same luxury - the narrowest aperture setting PLUS a fast shutter speed so that camera shake isn't a problem. If you're shooting at 1/500 sec, then you'll be able to capture even the fastest moving of your aquarium occupants strutting their stuff and be confident that the result will be in focus and properly exposed. Of course, the beauty of digital cameras is that you can test out the settings beforehand - run with something like 1/250 second at f5.6 to start with, and if that is massively overexposed, start shrinking the aperture first, THEN bump up the shutter speed. Sometimes, if I'm using the macro setting, I can shoot at 1/1000 sec at f11 and still come away with a properly exposed image.

It'll take some practise, but wait until you see the end results. You'll be discarding fewer 'bad' shots and keeping a LOT more top quality ones that show off your corals and your fishes the way they look to your eyes - which is what you want after all!

Oh, and congratulations on some fine corals and fishes, by the way.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks for the comments nate it's good to know people actually do read the posts I put up here. I was starting to think I should keep the pictures of my salt stuff to myself.

Cali - Thanks for the nice comments, and camera advice. BTW, how come we don't see more shots of your panda cories in action? My new camera is a canon A710 IS. The IS stands for Image Stabilizer. It's basically a cool dealie built into the lens that reduces the hand shake noise in the picture.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Just lately I've been holding back on Panda frolics, for several reasons ...

[1] Recent trips to hospital to sort out the kidney stone issue;

[2] My Fuji has one BIG disadvantage, being that it eats battery power at a rate of knots (use the built in flash and my battery lasts about 25 minutes);

[3] I've already littered the web with enough Panda spawning shots to last for some time to come

I'm hoping to have something else to point the camera at soon - a litle Christmas present to myself of some Anomalochromis thomasi Cichlids.

Ah, image stabilisation. Not sure how it works, but I suspect it could have an effect upon shutter speed. I'll have to look this up.

The basic rule of thumb I was taught way back in the days of manual SLRs is that 1/60 second is the slowest shutter speed you can use that eliminates camera shake. Which is why many manual SLRs of old are designed to synchronise with a flashgun at that speed if they have focal plane shutters such as my old Olympus OM30. (It's one of the less happy aspects of the focal plane shutter that flash synchronisation takes place at lower speeds than with a leaf shutter, which can synchronise at any speed you like).

As to how digital cameras mimic the 'shutter' function, this is something I'm going to have to look up. Should prove interesting.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

[3] I've already littered the web with enough Panda spawning shots to last for some time to come

Any links? I'd like to see

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

First, go here. Then, select "next picture" to see the follow on shots (there's about 10 of them there).

Then go here for some fry shots. You'll have to squint hard to see some of them though, they're next to invisible next to the gravel when they're small! There's 6-7 pics in that set.

Three more fry pics can be found here.

More fry pics here - again, click on "next picture" to see the others, there's 4 in that series ...

Eggs

Baby Panda!

Teensy weensy fry!

That should keep you busy for a while ...

Oh, there's also a brace of Panda Cory pics on my website. Go to the Pets section and hunt them down. Yo'll also find, if you browse my Webshots album and my big website, that I've a few marine fish pics in circulation too.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Hey Matty

great pics with the new camera. Everything looks very nice. BTW, your clowns are so nice - lovely bright colouring.

Cheers
TW

Cali those were some great shots of panda breeding. That's outstanding. No wonder you call it the panda fun place (tm thingy).

Thanks Robyn for the comments. Yep I love those clowns, I didn't think I wanted clowns when I first was thinking about setting up the tank, but I sure don't regret getting them. They are easy to take care of, colorful, and entertaining. You can't ask for much more.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Just took another peek at the pics. The one with labelled Clown goby and monty cap. That yellow clown goby looks like he has a very cheeky grin pointed straight at the camera. Very cute.

I agree clowns are entertaining. Ours play all day in a coral they have adopted as a substitute anenome.

Cheers
TW

Finally got finished looking through all the pages of this thread! WOW! Now this is something for me to aspire to do with my 46 bowfront. So far, I've got 4 green chromis, not nearly enough live rock, a skunk cleaner shrimp and some snails. Had a small LFS damsel in there but had to get rid of it as it was killing the chromis.

Awsome job and definitely Thanks for putting up the pics

Well I snapped some shots of the sump/fuge life tonight after the lights came on. Not too much to say here, except I need a new bulb, and this is the nutrient dump, so you see a lot of algae and whatnot, but there's also some cool stuff worth lookin' at IMO. So here's some pics:

Obligatory Yellowhead jawfish shots:




Multiple Xenia shots:




A couple shots of the gsp:
From above:

From the front:
gsp.jpg" border="0">

Mushroom leather:


Finger leathers:


Ricordia:

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

wow you have soo much life in your fuge. Most fuges i see have a lot of rock and serious algea, you have fish and corals (on par with some main tanks i've seen). I love the finger leather.

_________________________________________
I'm the classic newb. I went out and bought the smallest tank and a fish at the same time. Now I'm kicking myself wondering how could I have been so stupid. But I'm hooked.

Thanks rican boy, I decided it's a waste of space to just use that for a DSB, rock, and algae. It's more fun this way.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Well I did a bit of fragging over thanksgiving break and have some pictures of the results. I also got a new little sps frag. I'm not sure exactly what it is, cause I'm more of a lps guy, but it's kinda fuzzy and purple, so I like it. I'll slowly be moving it upwards in the tank. I've decided to get some sps to fill the upper portions of the tank that seem a bit too bright for the lps I have now. I'll just be going for the easy stuff. I recognised the name of this bugger at the store and knew it for one of the easier types, but the name escapes me right now.

On to the pics.

New frag:


Frags and mother echino:


Frag of (what used to be) a blue oxypora:


From whence it came:


What the oxy looked like when I bought it and before I switched lights. BTW things are still slowly coloring up, so I think they are getting used to it now. Still might be months before I see the old colors.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Nice Jawfish, they have to be one of my favorite SW fish. I also really like the Long Nose Hawkfish.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks for dropping in wings. I'm partial to the jawfish as well. They are one of the more entertaining fish to watch. Another entertaining pair I've been looking into getting is actually a fish and a shrimp. Some type of prawn goby and a pistol shrimp pair would be entirely too much fun to have. I'm well understocked for what my system can handle at this point. (shh don't tell anyone) I haven't done a water change in months and I have no NH4 NO2 NO3 PO4...My calcium is at 430pm pH 8.3 or 4, and KH is at 3.5 meq/l. I'm probably going to do several over break to replace the trace minerals and whatnot to help coral growth.

Oh yeah, and I remembered the new coral's name....pocillopora.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Could the lack of trace minerals be why some of your corals are not coloring up? I am not by any standars a coral person but don't they need that stuff to do well.

It is kind of nice being understocked with a tank. I think thats why I get away with so much with my tank. 17 small fish, light feedings and a few shrimp = no problems.

Are the Xenia shots the pulsating xenia? I put a small frag in our 9G salt tank at work and its huge now. I guess it likes the tank. Probably one of my favorite coarls along with star polops and mushrooms.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Could the lack of trace minerals be why some of your corals are not coloring up? I am not by any standars a coral person but don't they need that stuff to do well.

I s'pose it could be why they are coloring up slowly. Light and major stuff (calcium, KH, strontium, magnesium) play the largest part with light being most important. I'm sure that the trace minerals do have an effect though. So maybe they'll color up more after I get around to a water change.

It is kind of nice being understocked with a tank

Yeah, and that's kinda why I'm tossing the idea of getting/not getting another fish for the tank. More fish =more work.

Are the Xenia shots the pulsating xenia? I put a small frag in our 9G salt tank at work and its huge now. I guess it likes the tank. Probably one of my favorite coarls along with star polops and mushrooms.

Yep, red sea pulsing xenia. Fun, fast growing coral. I've fragged that stuff numerous times.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Yep, red sea pulsing xenia. Fun, fast growing coral. I've fragged that stuff numerous times.

I guess I probably know more about Reef than some of our other plant friends! I am still not very good with it. I normaly hand off questions about that stuff to my bosses or other coworkers. For some reason the plan questions tend to come to me....

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

You definitely seem to know more than LF at least . I'm sure tetratech has been reading up as he is soon to join me on the dark side...muwahaha.

You should start handling those questions. That's how I learned a lot of what I know. I'd get questions about specific fish/invert and I'd say "hey let's find out" and I'd go grab a book and figure it out with them. That's only if it's not too busy though.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

You should start handling those questions.

Yeah I know I should. It is not like I pass it off everytime. It really depends on how much info the customer is looking for. I often talk to people about their SW tanks but I would way rather be talking FW plants.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

update?

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

Matty, i feel like you've earned yourself the title of the official FP SW guru...

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

only because you and DRO don't post anymore. I surely don't have the experience to be called a guru, But thanks. You guys sure helped me out in the beginning. I just try to pass it along.

As for update...the frags all did well, and I still have them. I dunno why though, I just haven't had time to try to get rid of them. I also have some news on my lights. I suppose the T5's were a bit too bright . I talked to the T5 guru on RC and he said with the three I had on there it would be like a 400w halide. So I took another bulb off and only have 2 bulbs up there. His specific advice for the setup was to get a ballast that wouldn't overdrive the bulbs like the icecap does and run all 4 bulbs. I didn't much feel like going through the hassle and $$ to get a couple new ballasts though.

And beside that, I'm thinking of downgrading to a 20G long. I'd use the light in my sump (2X65w pc) and the return pump for a closed loop. I've been really pressed to get a water change on this one every once in a while and things are starting to show it. I figured that It would be tons easier on me with a smaller tank. I'm also going to have to move again, and a small tank will be a lot easier to move than the two 30's were. Still tossing it around in my head though.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Corals don't seem to be adjusting to the 2 bulb routine. I may have to buy those ballasts and use them. I've decided against downgrading for the time being, and instead I'm going to be doing a little makeover. I'm probably going to take out most of the sand and a couple peices of live rock and give it a new scape. I have new plans for the sump as well. I'm going to remove the DSB, keep a small layer of sand and rubble, keep the cheato and add some frag racks. Dunno when I'll have time for it though. I'll work on that later .

So I also took some shots of my clown dancing around. Here ya go:

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

How in the world I could have lost contact with this thread, I have no idea! I kept up with the first couple pages, then forgot about it till now when I saw it again. Boy did I see it! I went through all 15 pages! That is amazing what you have done!! I know nothing about SW, so not sure what I was seeing....... plants I assume. Those were beautiful pictures! And you have some beautiful fish too! You have obviously been doing things right to achieve all that! I'm truly impressed! /:'

Thanks fish patty!

I know nothing about SW, so not sure what I was seeing....... plants I assume.

Corals mostly, they're actually animals with a symbiotic relationship with algae....so they're kinda like plants in that they get most of their energy from photosynthate.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Interested in seeing this makeover matty.

I would be afraid to move around that live rock and sand, it just seems like one is disturbing so much more than one would when remaking a planted tank. All the relationships between coral and algae, and all the critters known and unknown lurking around, I dunno, I'd be afraid of killing everything good luck with it!

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Back in the saddle!

I'm not much afraid of killing everything nowher, but I am afraid of upsetting things. I think I'm going to start with the sump, give it a week or so and do the display. I'm mixing up about 10g of saltwater right now, started last night, so tonight I should be able to go play around in the sump a little. Getting rid of all the crazy growing macro algae for good is going to be a problem I think.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Took some more pics. Mostly corals this time. Enjoy

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Nice shots Matty!

Let me try my luck at this stuff.

Feather duster
Frog Spawn
?????
Candy Cane
Sun P.
Zoo
Zoo

How did I do?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Feather duster
torch coral
blasto merletti
Acan. Lords
turbinaria "scroll coral" just a little frag...I can't blame you for missing that
and 2 zoas.

Not bad for a freshy. At least the ones you got wrong looked similar (especially the torch coral, sometimes I call it a torchspawn because it forms extra tips). Thanks for stopping in.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Yeah, I tend to mix up the Torch and Frog spawn. Life goes on. I didn't do too bad though. I like your zoo's though.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I received my refractometer in the mail today:



My coralife hydrometer reads 1.0023 and the refractometer reads 1.0030. I guess it was worth the $30 I paid to find out I need to lower the salinity ALOT.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Well last night doing a 15G water change I got the salinity down to about 34-35ppt, which translates to about 1.0025 sg. I had been steadily lowering it all week by just taking out a pitcher of SW and letting the ATO fill the tank with RO/DI. Everything is looking good, and corals keep on coloring up since the most recent lighting change.

I took some pics of the tank and some corals today and thought I'd share:


All pics are of Acanthastrea sp. which are definitely one of my fav coral classes:






Somehow they just don't look as good in the pics. I still need to work on the white balance a bit.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Just read the whole log Pretty inspiring stuff, makes me wish I had the $$$ for a nice salty tank and the knowhow to do it. So to you. Couple questions, whats the crusty stuff on the back of the tank? is it some kind of algae? How is the first fish that you added to the main tank. We haven't seen pictures of that one in a while...rainford's goby I think.

whats the latin name of that last acans, looks a stunner!

keep up the good work matty!

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

whats the crusty stuff on the back of the tank? is it some kind of algae? How is the first fish that you added to the main tank.

That is coralline algae on the the back glass. It's generally considered good for the tank, though a nuisance to keep from growing on the glass.

The first fish I got was the yellowhead jawfish, he's doing very well. The rainfordi I lost quite a while back, it was killed by a rock crab.

whats the latin name of that last acans, looks a stunner!

That's an xmas acan lordhowensis. I love the new growth on it, must be doing something right I guess.

Thanks for the comments guys

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

The rainfordi I lost quite a while back, it was killed by a rock crab.

Sorry to hear that, it was a very nice looking fish. You tell that crab to mind its own business and leave the fishies alone.

Hate to sound cruel, but I killed the crab, not in a real quick way. It wouldn't come out of its hole, so I made real sure it stayed in there permanently. I know it was just doing what comes natural, but then again I guess me killing it for disposing of a beautiful $20 fish is quite natural as well.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Now I think I remember reading that earlier in your log. I probably would've done something mean to that crab to...and likely fed it to the other fishies when I was done.

I got some more pictures for everybody. A couple of my little helper...a florida cucumber. He's the reason my sand is staying clean lately. Here he is:





And these are some of the blastos I have. A couple merlettis and a wellsi:

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Lookin good Matty!

Thanks DRO

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

How long have you had your florida cucumber? I looked at one but I was afraid he might dig up under my rock and cause an avalanche

-Josh

Been well over a month now Josh, maybe two. It doesn't excavate or dig holes really. It's an equal opportunity sand grazer in my experience so far. I don't think I'd worry about your rock work collapsing unless you did a poor job stacking up the rocks.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I might have to invest in one...

-Josh

how do you have so much money to put out on all these corals and fish?!?!?!?

I work at my LFS, and get 1/3 off salt stuff and 1/2 of hardgoods. Plus I'm always on the lookout for good deals on frags, and trade things in for credit and what not. The discount is THE big factor though. That and researching A LOT to minimize mistakes so you don't have to pay for things twice. I haven't messed up much, thankfully.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Made a purchase today and did a water change last night, so things were lookin' good enough to take some pics. Here Ya go:

FTS:


Sump....can't tell I did a water change :


Couple of the jawfish:




Coral growth pics; monti, acan, and blasto:






And three shots of my new addition, a wheelers goby:






Enjoy!

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Very cool shots. All the colors are fantastic. If I ever start keeping salty tanks I will most likely also have those jawfish. They look like they have soo much personality.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0636.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0304.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/000_0252.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0303.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0302.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0169.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0144.jpg

Thanks Ryan....and errm...Mike I guess. Nice pics Mike.

Jawfish definitely have the personality. I highly recommend them. Good and sturdy too.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I know you have already seen my pics Matt. They are some great pics you have there also.

I know you have already seen my pics Matt. They are some great pics you have there also.

Thanks, just trying to one-up me with your shweet 125, huh?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I've been wanting to update this log a little more frequently instead of letting it slide for a month. Everything is doing well. Still have a bit of red slime algae. Not sure what it's from, PO4 and NO3 are 0. Thinking my RO/DI was the cause, I got to change out some prefilters and put in new resin today. Was making 3-4 tds water, now making 0-1 tds water. The resin was old too. Guess it still works. I've been making water for about 12 hrs. and have about 30 gallons to show for it. That's reasonable considering the water pressure is only about 40psi. Hopefully the water change with better source water will help. Gotta keep on top of that a little better I guess.


To the pics for those who don't like to read

Monster-sized green zoa colony:


Purple with orange ring echinata:


Purple and green blasto merletti, compare growth to 3 months ago....sloooooow:

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

A couple more....

Another of my wheeler getting a little more comfy, more yellow in the bands this time. He's starting to eat anything that sinks....frozen mysis, brine, spirulina pellets, and regular old pellets. Here he is:



And one of my hammer coral hosting my occ clown. The hammer is still a bit bleached, but starting to make a comeback, a little pink and green can be seen.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients