Overhead Pics

phender · #1 12/30/2007, 10:59 PM

I just bought an acrylic viewing box at OC Aquatic. I was able to get the bigger flat box at a discount.(Thanks guys)

Out of the 18 pics I took, these are the only ones that are half decent. I need to work on holding things still.

I am also working on getting the pics I post to be as bright as the actual pics. The process of making them web friendly seems to dull them down a bit.

Turquoise and pink echino

Pink and Lime Favia

Strawberry and green echino

Zoanthid combo

*Edit* -OK that worked. Just have to increase the saturation level in Photoshop before I make them web ready.

SteveOhh · #2 12/30/2007, 11:01 PM

Beautiful!!!!

If you ever decide to grag that favia, I want a piece...

asia102485 · #3 12/31/2007, 12:00 AM

NICE!!!

reef_doug · #4 12/31/2007, 12:06 AM

Awesome pictures!

wishntoboutside · #5 12/31/2007, 12:18 AM

nice pictures. 2nd in line for Favia frag

. what version of photshop are you using. i have been using picasso and works good for a free download.
Richard

dc_909 · #6 12/31/2007, 01:55 AM

Great top downs

scram2 · #7 12/31/2007, 03:08 AM

those are really nice looking zoos!!! i really like the look of them

phender · #8 12/31/2007, 07:33 PM

Thanks for the compliments.

That favia is one of the few unique corals that I have. It is not awe inspiring, but I does make you go hmmmm.
When it gets a little bigger I will have to have one of you guys tell me how to frag it. It looks a little more complicated than fragging sps.

SteveOhh · #9 12/31/2007, 07:35 PM

I'll teach you how to frag it.....................................for a frag....lol

photobret · #10 12/31/2007, 08:42 PM

Nice echino's! Got to get me a viewing box!

PasadenaReefer · #11 01/01/2008, 03:15 PM

Yea i want a frag of the echinos!!!!! great pictures love the colors.

PasadenaReefer · #12 01/02/2008, 11:48 AM

i want to see more pics!!! take them!! what kind of light are you using?

scram2 · #13 01/02/2008, 09:48 PM

where did you get your zoanthids from??

phender · #14 01/03/2008, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PasadenaReefer
i want to see more pics!!! take them!! what kind of light are you using?

Jeez! OK, but realize that I am not very good at this. To get a couple good pics I have to take about 20. Plus, I have a net over my tank that I don't want to take completely off and a brace in the middle of the tank that limits where I can use the box.
This also feels a little self indulgent, but I guess no one has to look if they don't want to.

Quote:

Originally posted by scram2
where did you get your zoanthids from??

Everywhere. Most of the zoanthid wall started out as small pieces from different LFSs and have just grown together.

More pics.

Rainbow Monti - don't know why I can never get the blue background to show up

Small pink(almost fushia) stylo

Maricultured efflo (I think) - Was at an angle, just laid it flat this week

Purple velvet monti - Don't know what it is actually called, but it looks like velvet. Just got the frag a couple weeks ago from a fellow RCer and it has already grown back over the glue and filled in the gaps between it and the rock.

PasadenaReefer · #15 01/03/2008, 12:13 AM

i love them all, and refer to my first post i want frags of those echinos! when available and if ever available! are they a rare type?

scram2 · #16 01/03/2008, 03:00 AM

ya man everything looks awesome in your tank!

phender · #17 01/03/2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PasadenaReefer
i love them all, and refer to my first post i want frags of those echinos! when available and if ever available! are they a rare type?

No, they are not any rare type that I am aware of. Echinos are fun because you never really know what you are going to end up with. None of mine are the colors that I started with. Many times you can get a $20 - $30 frag with just a little color and 3 months later it is beautiful, but maybe completely different than what you thought it would be.

BTW, I just upgraded to a 4 bulb Sunlight Supply TEK light and my tank has taken off as far as growth, color and what I can keep. I used to have 4-65 watt PCs over the 55 gal tank (48") and I was able to keep montis, pocillopora, LPS and anemones, but now I feel like I can keep anything.

Example:

Just bought. Brownish red with yellow eyes

3 months later. Maybe becoming a watermelon sort of thing!

2 years later after going through some tough times and almost dying, It is a bluish green with yellow eyes and shows a green growth edge sometimes.

Siapin · #18 01/03/2008, 12:08 PM

AMAZING...So if you buy one of those giant enchinos for $100 at a lfs and it looks kinda dull, it may morph its colors?

phender · #19 01/03/2008, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Siapin
AMAZING...So if you buy one of those giant enchinos for $100 at a lfs and it looks kinda dull, it may morph its colors?

It would be nice if you could see some hint of color and it is not an absolute, but yes, it has happened for me several times.

There are a few LFS around here that have nice, reasonable priced echino frags. Both Aquariums in Motion(Fullerton and Riverside) and Eye Candy (Stanton) come to mind.

Lagger · #20 01/04/2008, 11:37 AM

Nice pics phender! Love the top downs

Siapin · #21 01/04/2008, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by phender
It would be nice if you could see some hint of color and it is not an absolute, but yes, it has happened for me several times.

There are a few LFS around here that have nice, reasonable priced echino frags. Both Aquariums in Motion(Fullerton and Riverside) and Eye Candy (Stanton) come to mind.

I had a 6" enchino - looked exactly like a watermelon, similar to yours, and, at the time, my water quality was very bad. Yet it thrived. In order for the enchino to morph, does it need to have any specific conditions? Basically, what does it take for them to morph?

phender · #22 01/04/2008, 09:27 PM

I made three changes all at once and they all started growing and looking brighter.

I upgraded to T5 lights.
I started paying better attention to my Ca and KH levels.
I upgraded my powerheads to create more turbulence.

I don't know which one/s helped, but things are better all around for everything in my tank.

I was talking to Ali at Amazing Aquariums & Reefs today and he felt that while you have to fight with acros and montis to keep them from browning out once they get into some people's tanks, echinos just keep getting better the longer you have them.

PasadenaReefer · #23 01/04/2008, 10:58 PM

man i love those echinos you first posted... i can't get over that strawberry one its intense! how much do frags of that kind run for usually? just interested

phender · #24 01/05/2008, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PasadenaReefer
man i love those echinos you first posted... i can't get over that strawberry one its intense! how much do frags of that kind run for usually? just interested

I have no idea what someone would pay for a piece of them now, but they didn't look like this when I bought them. The strawberry one you like started off sort of a dull green with a few veins of red.
I don't think I paid more than $30 for a 2"x1" piece. I think the turquoise one was $10. They don't have to be somebody's Limited Editions to be nice. I have seen several salad plate sized specimens that had great potential this past week in the $50 -$60 range. I just don't have the room for something that big.

Find a piece that is like, "Gee, if I look really close at this, its kind of pretty". Very often they will turn into gems in your tank. If the piece is too big, ask if they will break a piece off for you. Some places will be more than happy to make any kind of sale.

PasadenaReefer · #25 01/05/2008, 01:00 AM

Yea, ive seen some monsterous Echino ones, im going to ask to get some frags soon. Thanks for the tip can't believe they have had that much change in your tank! i have 150watt with 2x18 watt actinics over my 28gal, and my corals have been growing nicely now, i have 2 chalic'es or echinos what ever they are and they are my favorite. I dont know why... but they are the best. 1 i have had for a couple months that is purple with bright pink mouths and dots, and on is a readdish one with green and yellow that i juts got a frag of. Hope they color up under a 150 wat...