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ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (month 5)

Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

The Eheim does look particularly well made.

I'd love to go open top again. It's not just evaporation putting me off. 120cm tanks aren't cheap but Jez from posiedon looks like a good bet. I'm waiting to hear about a cabinet now. That is a big enough expense in it's own right.

Auto topups look like a good idea, although I'm not sure I would trust it!

I must do some more reading up.

This tank is going to be work related to, so I need to keep that in mind.
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

A while back I promised I'd share my experience with the MagFox. Well work got the better of me but here is my first go with it.

The Magfox is a filter hose cleaner that works like a magnetic tank scraper. It's a pretty hefty magnet that goes on the outside of the hose:

7420464084_9b1c636e99.jpg

and a tiny magnetic brush to keep in the hose:

7420463468_c1e588504b.jpg

I removed my lily pipe on the inlet side and you can see that, although it could be worse, there is a bit of build up which would eventually effect the flow.

7420463042_2a75f4dac4.jpg

So in goes the brush part with the handle/magnet on the outside (obvious I know):

7420462632_560c112c39.jpg

Lily pipe back on and filter started up again ( I also gave it a good clean) then just start running the fox up and down. Good strength magnet and I don't think there's much risk of the brush dropping down the hose into the filter head.

7420462270_58d13944ef.jpg

Less than a minute and the hose is good as new.

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My thoughts are that they should come in pairs. I'd have to dismantle everything and remove to then do the other hose, which I'd rather not do every time I want to clean. I think I will buy another though. Once installed you just give it a once over every now and then and good to go.

On the outflow hose I think, at least for the first clean I'd remove the hose. I'll turn off the filter, do the cleaning and then turn it on again but emptying into a bucket at water change time. Otherwise the whole hose-full of crap will get blasted round the tank!

I'm impressed anyway. Good price and delivered pretty swiftly from two little fishes in the USA.
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

Really enjoying this Journal. Going for something similar only in a 12 year old 120x46x46 lidded tank. Was going to put a sand strip in, but seeing your tank without the sand made my mind up not to. Have spent over a year looking at journals & tip/tricks so thought it was abut time I put into practice what is on here.

Keep posting as I am following this scape

Mel
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

Hi all,

tank is still going strong. It's quite mature now (for a 3 month old scape anyway) and I'm basically just keeping on top of things, trimming here and there and doing maintenance. Fish are all good and all seems stable.

I've just added a new set of bio media to the filter, which will be used to seed the filter on my new 300L tank which is due to arrive soon. Hoping it will help the cycle happen nice and quickly.

Oh yes and if anybody wants some nice floating amazon frog bit please let me know. I grow this stuff by the bucketload.
What you see in the photo is what is available. I have more I like to keep some, as the black widows love it for cover:

7521898694_f915f9cbce.jpg

If you want it please PM here and I'll get back to you.
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

Hi there pariahrob, I am local and also use Acres supply!
Love the tank, very crisp!

A quick question about your photos if I may? What editing programs do you use and what settings on the cannon do you take the pictures with??

Thanks!
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

Hi, thanks! Glad you like it.

I use photoshop for any post work, if I do any. As for settings it depends on the shot but I either shoot at f4 for full tank shots, with the focus on the front of the glass. Or I shoot at f1.8 on a 50mm prime for closeups of specific areas or fish.
The shutter speed will depend on wether I use just the tank light or if I can be bothered to add a softbox or two.

If you use aperture priority mode you can set the f stop and let the camera do the rest.

Cheers
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

Rob how do you focus on the front glass ? Are you focussing manually ? At f/4 focussed on the front glass don't you get some blurring of the rear plants ? (I guess not as your images are not blurred :rolleyes: ). How far from the tank are you when you take your "close up" shots ? With my f/1.4 50mm I just don't seem to be able to get as close as I would like without losing focus. Again, do you think I would be able to overcome that problem focussing manually? Cheers :)
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

I always focus manually when shooting my tank. There is too much join on for auto to work well. Slightest bit of smudging or algae (not that you have any Chris) and it throws it right off.

I'm usually about 3 feet away I'd guess for a FTS and maybe 6' -10' when I'm trying to get a close up. I do tend to shoot slightly wide and crop in afterwards.
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

6' o 10' for a close up or 6" to 10" ?
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

pariahrob said:
Yeah. Inches rather than feet, sorry!

Hehe I thought so. So you can focus down to 6" with a 50mm lens ? Does it have a macro capability or is it just a normal lens ? I'm amazed but it could be me being dumb... maybe by manually focussing you can be closer ? Would that be it ?
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

pariahrob said:
I have an assortment of lenses but you could use a kit lens with an extnsion tube and get pretty close.

Ahh now thats an idea to try... an extension tube. I wish I had kept my 24 to 120 to be honest, it was a cracking lens and really versatile.
 
Re: ADA 60-P planted tank 'Prairie' (week 10, new photos)

pariahrob said:
A while back I promised I'd share my experience with the MagFox. Well work got the better of me but here is my first go with it.

The Magfox is a filter hose cleaner that works like a magnetic tank scraper. It's a pretty hefty magnet that goes on the outside of the hose:

7420464084_9b1c636e99.jpg

Would love to know where you got this from in the uk?
 
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