Solar dos Frades Reef v2 - 265g from Portugal!

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

The FTS

and one of my favorite corals ... Sahin Red Planet

AND THIS BRINGS US TO YESTERDAY !!!!!

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

So here we go. Yesterday I was in London for work and as I came back in the airport I could not resist a promotion in a electronics shop!

100€ less of what I have seen as the cheapest price and so it came with me inside by backpack to Portugal

Canon 100mm Macro IS USM 2.8

As soon as the lights went on this morning I took so test shots.

Canon 400D, aperture priority (8), ISO400 and AF with central point measurement.

Didn't stopped the circulation pumps, haven't cleaned the glasses and only edited in Adobe Lightroom to correct the whitebalance to 14000k

Here are the results. I am very happy

Nesta foto estou no fundo do meu escritório a 6m de distância do aquário e mesmo assim não o consigo apanhar todo ... LOL!

Now imagine what I can do with circulation pumps off, clean glasses, manual focus and time to edit the photo ...

Hope you like it!
Rui

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Meanwhile some comparisons ...


Redplanet with iPhone

Redplanet with iPhone Camera Plus e WB correction to 7000k

Redplanet with Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Redplanet with Samsung S7 Edge

Redplanet with Canon 400D + 50mm 1.8 II

Redplanet with Canon 400D + 100mm 2.8 IS USM Macro

What a difference .... HEIN????

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

So finally ... state of the nation!

I am not happy with the glass ... my aquarium seems to be opening. As I suffer from some kind of OCD I will never take rest while I don't change it.
The overflows don't work properly because the glasses are not glued at the same level.
The Tunze boxes are completely useless as they remove a lot of flow

With this all the objective of hiding pumps and cables went off as I now have the pumps inside.

So I will be replacing glass by the end of this month / beginning next one.

From
230x80x60 with 30cm wide overflows and 12mm glass with euro and central braces
To
220x80x60 with Coast to Coast overflow (2m) and 15mm glass with euro bracing only.

Also the SUMP will be redesigned a bit to prevent so much evaporation and try to retain heat.

Wish me luck ... but expect for me to document the whole procedure.

 

[luke33]

Great build thread! You have went to war with about everything in the hobby in a short period of time. Glad to see you stick around. Corals are coloring and growing up nicely. I think you made a wise decision on the T5's and I love the blue pop's as well. AEFW is much more prevalent than everyone thinks and is really getting common here. I find AEFW on quite a few maricultured pieces continuously. Keep up the good work.

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Great work! No disappointment here, it is all about living and learning. I am working on the design process of an in-wall tank as well.

Thank you! I hope at least I can pass along all my mistakes so no one have to go thru the same!

You sir, are a trooper. Enjoyed reading this and great job!

Thank you Big B!

All the best,
Rui

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Great build thread! You have went to war with about everything in the hobby in a short period of time. Glad to see you stick around. Corals are coloring and growing up nicely. I think you made a wise decision on the T5's and I love the blue pop's as well. AEFW is much more prevalent than everyone thinks and is really getting common here. I find AEFW on quite a few maricultured pieces continuously. Keep up the good work.

Thank you Luke33 ... No more AEFW in my tank ... everyhing gets a bath before going inside!

I Love leds .. don't take me wrong. And I really love Radions. I was so sad I had to sell mine. But from what I could learn with leds over the past 4 years is that it's all about coverage so I would need 10 Radion to cover my aquarium. Also Leds for me are great for aquariums you see from top to bottom as the colors of corals are really nice. But for an aquarium that you only see from the sides I see lots of shadows and dull colors.

But again ... this is just MY experience with LEDS and MY opinion!

Still a lot more to go thru ... changing the tank without risking anything is going to be a huge challenge. If I was able to change 7000l in NSW Water Changes in 3 months ... I can certainly do it again to get a hold of the tank while he cycles again!

All the best,
Rui

 

[Betty1964]

Love the tank...but I'm still laughing. I am an older woman (think grandma)...when a young bride says "honey, we need to do something with that room" she is not usually thinking fish.

My daughter says she has nightmares about meeting "the guy" only to find out he is as obsessed with reef tanks as her parents.

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Love the tank...but I'm still laughing. I am an older woman (think grandma)...when a young bride says "honey, we need to do something with that room" she is not usually thinking fish.

My daughter says she has nightmares about meeting "the guy" only to find out he is as obsessed with reef tanks as her parents.

ahahahaah.

This room is my home office as I work from home most of my time (at least when I am not traveling outside the country) and it was a mess with tools and aquarium pieces all over the place. So I really think she was thinking fish ... not as radical as it turned out ... but fish!

Also when I met the love of my life and we decided to live together I immediately sold my tank (the best I have ever had) to gather money for us to move together so she know that the day her or our sons priorities come before I will drop the tank in a heartbeat. I think this gives her piece of mind!

You never got her to get obsessed? I am trying to seed that into my 4y son and 6y daugther as my 19y boy has no hope anymore ... and I am finding it hard. LOL!

All the best,
Rui

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Hello again,

Last two of the day I promise !!!!

green tenuis! - I definitely need to push this coral up as it needs more light! I saw the mother colony and it's very much like the Walt Disney! And was way above taking light.

red mille!

All the best,
Rui

 

[reef_ranch]

So finally ... state of the nation!

I am not happy with the glass ... my aquarium seems to be opening. As I suffer from some kind of OCD I will never take rest while I don't change it.
The overflows don't work properly because the glasses are not glued at the same level.
The Tunze boxes are completely useless as they remove a lot of flow

With this all the objective of hiding pumps and cables went off as I now have the pumps inside.

So I will be replacing glass by the end of this month / beginning next one.

From
230x80x60 with 30cm wide overflows and 12mm glass with euro and central braces
To
220x80x60 with Coast to Coast overflow (2m) and 15mm glass with euro bracing only.

Also the SUMP will be redesigned a bit to prevent so much evaporation and try to retain heat.

Wish me luck ... but expect for me to document the whole procedure.

After all that you are going to change the tank!! You are my kind of crazy!

Great job with all of the issues and good luck with all of the new ones! I'll be following.

 

[joseserrano]

Very cool build, glad to see that you did not let the set backs stop you. What do you think of your ATI skimmer in comparison to other skimmers you have had. I think its a real underrated skimmer.

 

[Dave Cureton]

Great write up. Thank you for sharing!

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

After all that you are going to change the tank!! You are my kind of crazy!

Great job with all of the issues and good luck with all of the new ones! I'll be following.

Thanks acesq.
Well it has been recurrent. I should have done it before but I got convinced otherwise and every month I get back to the same thought.

It has to be done! For my own piece of mind. And I will leverage to put clear glass on the front panel.

All the best,
Rui

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Very cool build, glad to see that you did not let the set backs stop you. What do you think of your ATI skimmer in comparison to other skimmers you have had. I think its a real underrated skimmer.

Thank you joseserrano,

The help of friends and our local community is my support to keep pushing forward. Along side with OCD I am the most stubborn person I know!

To be honest??? I love my skimmer and I am not planning to change it. The impeller bubble breaker ATI designed for me is light year ahead ...

It's reliable, efective and super cheap compared to the vertex, royal or deltec equivalents.

All the best,
Rui

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Great write up. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you Dave.
Thank you for reading!

All the best,
Rui

 

[revhtree]

Beautiful reef! Thank you for sharing it here!

 

[w00dman]

Hi Rui,

I know you from Recife.pt. I'm Vitor Pedroso there
So, finally the bad luck went away Great tank. Another jewel from Portugal powered by NSW Pt.
You should put a 56K warning on the title

R2R community, this man is one of the Guru's of PT Reef community I've learned many things, the to do and not to do, reading many post's from this Sir.

Just to know, I've married on 5/Sep/15

Keep rocking

 

[rui.manuel.gaspar]

Beautiful reef! Thank you for sharing it here!

Thank you revhtree ... My pleasure. Thanks for having me here.

Hi Rui,

I know you from Recife.pt. I'm Vitor Pedroso there
So, finally the bad luck went away Great tank. Another jewel from Portugal powered by NSW Pt.
You should put a 56K warning on the title

R2R community, this man is one of the Guru's of PT Reef community I've learned many things, the to do and not to do, reading many post's from this Sir.

Just to know, I've married on 5/Sep/15

Keep rocking

Hello Vitor ...
You are setting the bar to high ... I am no Guru. Far far away from that. I learn a lot everyday and hope to keep learning.

I think finally I understood what the bad luck was with all the things that happened. It's an aquarium BUG existing between the floor and the water ... You might now him as "owner"
Some friend brought the attention to me ... and if you look the bad lucks were actually accidents or bad planning. Once the cause identified (for floods for instance) the bad lucks were actually easy to solve!

a 56K warning? don't understand.

It was a good year for marriage

All the best,
Rui

 

[Paulooliveira]

hi my friend ...

its really nice to know and see that things go on the right direction now ...
great pictures and amazing corals ...

best regards ...