My (poor) attempt at top down photography

[Aquattro]

So after the 1 year post, someone kept nagging me for more pics. You know who you are :razz:

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/1.jpg

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/2.jpg

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/3.jpg

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/4.jpg

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/5.jpg

[Aquattro]

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/6.jpg

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/7.jpg

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/8.jpg

[Aquattro]

The last one (blue milli) was out of focus, so I had to unsharp mask it. Color is accurate though :rolleyes:

[christyf5]

Looks awesome Brad! Man that blue milli was tiny when I saw it in Feb. No wonder you're having real estate issues!! :eek:

[Aquattro]

Thaks Christy. The milliporas are fast growers (except for my green one). They take over pretty quick :eek: .

[Jason McK]

Your tank is just incredible.

J

[Mak]

Looks very nice Brad. Keep up the good work!!! :biggrin: .

[Andy]

Brad

Great pics. I love sps. Where did you get most of your sps. I love the millis. Have any of your sps grown to water level. Several of mine have and I'm not quite sure how to deal with it. If I haad fellow reefers living close by that are in to sps, I'd be fraggin.

Andy

[Aquattro]

Thanks all. Glad you like.

Andy, I've had a few colonies outgrow my tank. I've given everyone locally as many frags as I could, but sometimes they end up on the picnic table. I took a couple of frags to start over with and the colony just goes into the sun. I tried selling them, but nobody was interested. :sad:

[Acro]

Ah now thats what I'm talken about. Saweet!!! Just to bad all the water spills out if we tilt the tank so the top is our veiwing area. You can't beat top down views weither in person our on camera. well the light blue milli in the third pic is killer. Is that the same as I got from Steve? If so it'll only take ah 2 more years to grow the size of yours. How bout the pink milli is that from me? Also is the 5th pic is it one you gave me a piece of some time ago? Anyways don't stop with the top downs I truley beleive its the best and only way to view the true colors of these wickedly colored corals. Brad your tank is kicken some serious ass. Nice too see we Canadian's don't take second place to no one :razz:

[Aquattro]

Jamie, compliments from the master are always welcome!! :biggrin:
The first one is the stag I gave you a piece of. The light blue milli is a different one than Steve has, although very similar.
And yes, the pink milli started as a frag from you from Victor's meeting 2 winters ago. Starting to take off, eh? :razz:
Number 5 came from Marc or Wendell, so I'm sure you have some of it. When I come over, I'll bring a piece of the dark blue milli for ya!

[Acro]

Brad, well I don't happen to have a peice of #5 it was one I wanted but just never grabbed a peice before we sold the fragging systems. As for the deep blue milli. By chance could it be A.prostrata ? Also where did you pick it up from? I'll have you know I have a piece of the tort sitting on epoxy as of yesterday.

[Aquattro]

Jamie, yes, A. prostrata is likely. It doesn't extend polyps quite like millipora. Want some? As for #5, I'll snap a branch for ya tomorrow and mount it.
The deep blue one has red highlights that don't show up in the pic.

[Acro]

I think I have the prostrata. I know not many peices were sent out from mine but a few did make it out there. Were did you get your's from ? Yeah I'd like a peice of #5 though Thanks

[Aquattro]

Mine came from Tim last time I was out there. He didn't have much and I may have got the last/only frag...

[Acro]

Yeah sounds like thats the one. I know I got mine like 4 years ago when Marc had his first fragging set up. At that time Marc got his corals from Tim. It is certainly a sweet peice that many people have asked for frags of over the years. For what it's worth it's help me get some sweet trades over the years as well.You are right as well on the red pigment though it'll only show when it's good and happy :lol: For someone that used to complain about color you sure seem to be pulling them now. Would you say that now with the 10k's back on colors have improved or have things been improving prior to the change?

By the way if you look at Steve Tyree's .http://www.reeffarmers.comsite you'll see he's got A.prostrata that he's marketing as a limited edition thats a dead ringer to the one you/we have.I'm refering to the 3rd one down. Well your there look at the sky blue milli look familiar?

[Aquattro]

Jamie, I'd say overall, lighting makes little difference. All the blues and greens stayed the same (for the most part) but putting 10k back on sure brought back the pinks. I have a pocillipora that is a deep pink and the radiums wiped it really bad. My pink bird's nest also turned brown under the radiums.
I think now I get the intensity I need to penetrate the branches AND the radium in the center gives me a nice blue hue to the tank. Running three bulbs bumbed the heat a bit, but I'll have a chiller next year.
The stag in the first pic was a bit deeper purple before, but it heading back that way now.
I'm going to work on some better pics from the top over the next few days, so maybe I can get some sharper details.

[Acro]

Brad, Darn you guys always get me playing with the camera after posting pictures. Ah sure is a fun part of the hobby :cool: . Anyways here are a couple pics first is of the skyblue milli from Stircrazy that appears very similiar to the one you posted and second is a close up showing the pink/red color(what would almost appear as fluorescing pigments) that shows up from the A.prostrata.
http://members.shaw.ca/jcross1/playingaqua_013_copy.JPG
http://members.shaw.ca/jcross1/playingaqua_020_copy.JPG

[Aquattro]

Nice. Not as nice as the blue cross posted on RC, but still very nice :razz:

[Silverfish]

Wow, I'm gonna have to stop by for a visit sometime!! :biggrin:

[Acro]

Well Brad in all honesty I don't think the "Blue Cross" can be beat. I truly love that piece and as far as Acro's go it's a killer piece. That matchs if not serpass's the many infamous peices out there. When I got that piece I had know idea is would turn out like it has. I picked that piece up from Animal House after many failed attempt at convincing Mike to hand it over to me. Finally he gave in and Dale snapped me off a branch a good 2 plus years ago. In there tank it was a very light blue with deeper blue polyps and it was killer then but in my system has changed a more purple. If you get a chance to look at Paletta's Ultimate Marine Aquariums you'll see it as a much younger/smaller piece. Anyways enough about my corals get that camera out and take some more shots :razz:

[Aquattro]

Wow, I'm gonna have to stop by for a visit sometime!! :biggrin:

You sound familiar.....do we know you? :razz:

[sumpfinfishe]

Wow Brad those pictures really suck! :razz: :razz: :razz:

The color is not that good and the growth rates appear slow as well-better luck next time :exclaim: :mrgreen: :razz: :razz: :mrgreen:

So if you want to mount me a frag of that plain old orange monti cap :razz: - money talks right :mrgreen:

When are you planning on coming over :question:
Maybe you could drop in for coffee, and give me some advice on my skimmer or help me setup my new one :wink: :wink: :wink: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

cheers, Rich

[Jack]

Holy smilies, batman!