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  1. Dave Spencer

    Stu's ADA Mini M nano - Seiryu scape

    Looking good, Stu. Regards, Dave
  2. Dave Spencer

    Canon 5D Mark III

    It seems that the D800 lab results are pretty astounding. http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Public ... erformance At the end of the day, none of these factors matter a great deal to the final image, but higher quality kit is a pleasure to work with.
  3. Dave Spencer

    UKAPS soppy ramblings....

    Thanks, Iain. To be honest, the others do b****r all around here, so I shall take all the praise for myself. :angel: Regards, shameless Dave.
  4. Dave Spencer

    D700 or D800 ??

    With the D700, using the MBD80 battery grip and NiCads I can get around 11 fps. I suspect the D800 would be similar. I have no idea why Nikon sell themselves short on fps figures. By the way, I have no interest in HD video, so I can`t really help you much. Maybe you should stick with the D700...
  5. Dave Spencer

    Got snow?

    I live half way up a hill in N Wales and had squat so far. I like the third pic, George.
  6. Dave Spencer

    Uk, British rock with aquascapes

    Here is a scape I did a few years back, but never managed to finish. The rocks are from a quarry in N Wales. Regards, Dave.
  7. Dave Spencer

    Help With Camera Settings

    Quetzalcoatl, I have sent you a PM. Regards, Dave.
  8. Dave Spencer

    Advice on Keeping Crabs

    I am currently trying to talk her in to the micro crabs. Cheers for the help one and all.
  9. Dave Spencer

    Advice on Keeping Crabs

    Thanks Clonitza. I have facebooked the link to her. Regards, Dave.
  10. Dave Spencer

    Advice on Keeping Crabs

    Hi everyone, I am just after a bit of advice for my daughter on keeping crabs. Basically, I don`t know a great deal about them personally. She wants to keep them in a small tank of around 20l - 30l, so my guess is that they would probably need to be small, and preferably more freshwater...
  11. Dave Spencer

    New toy - EOS550D, now with photos.

    Is it not better to get the exposure right first time, without having to post process? I occassionally overexpose/underexpose for effect, but there is no substitute for getting it "right" with a camera in your hand, as opposed to a mouse. With modern camera sensors, this should be a relative...
  12. Dave Spencer

    Whats everyone's new year resolution???

    My first new scape in two years would be nice. Secondly, and it is more of a personal goal than a resolution, is to hand in my notice at work and become self employed buying/selling/renting property abroad. Regards, Dave.
  13. Dave Spencer

    Canon vs Nikon : Double Exposure

    Brilliant stuff, GhOst.
  14. Dave Spencer

    My Movember

    I`m looking forward to the missus taking part in Fannuary.
  15. Dave Spencer

    Sagittaria flower

    I love the flow and textures of the grassy look, George. Regards, Dave.
  16. Dave Spencer

    PFK algae reduction article.....

    Personally, I find anything that I write that goes against the PFK flow gets censored. Having said that, I only attempt to write on their blogs when they start blabbing on about ocean "acidiification" and the end of corals as we know them.
  17. Dave Spencer

    Solar roof panels

    This doesn`t get rid of the feed in tariff. In this instance, the company supplying the panels get it, but the consumer subsidises the tariff. Energy costs are due to carry on their meteoric rise, so now is the time for those considering solar PV.
  18. Dave Spencer

    Solar roof panels

    George, the downside for me is the FIT. This is a cost that is passed on to consumers that can`t afford solar PV, thus plunging ever more hard pressed people in to fuel poverty. Alison wants us to have panels fitted, but I personally find the whole system of subsidies grossly unfair. However, I...
  19. Dave Spencer

    Jobs; What do you do?

    I am a Shift Manager/Production Engineer at a power station. I am currently being kept away from my aquascaping hobby by my second job, which is my newly set up company, Meadowslea Properties, which is for buying and letting properties home and abroad.
  20. Dave Spencer

    ADA step-by-step by ADG Vibe

    Thanks, George. I am starting to feel a little inspired again. I just wish I had the time to redo my two tanks. Regards, Dave.
  21. Dave Spencer

    [DISCUSS] Aquascaping and Photography

    GF asked: Personally, I can think of a million and one things I would rather photograph. This probably comes as a result of the genre of photography that I prefer above all else, which is hard hitting B + W photojournalism, such as that carried out by Don McCullin in Biafra or Philip Jones...
  22. Dave Spencer

    Trying to improve my landscapes for my tuscan holiday

    To be honest, they are quite good, John. Having the path leading the eye in the image, and then actually having a point of interest at the end of the path (the tree and the farm) show you have a fairly natural eye for this type of composition. Too many images seems to have lead in lines that...
  23. Dave Spencer

    Photography myths by Paul Timpa

    I agree with most of what he says, although he doesn`t cover the whole full frame/ISO issue very well. Ask anyone who takes wedding pictures in a church where flash is not permitted, whether they prefer the ISO performance of full frame or cropped. Full frame loses out on reach, but comes in to...
  24. Dave Spencer

    Anyone into vintage photography?

    The Minolta X300 was my first camera. It was pretty much manual everything as far as I remember. I treated myself to one when I was posted to Germany, but only used it for a couple of years. The, after that, I never took a picture other than a holiday snap shot again for another twenty years...
  25. Dave Spencer

    Tanks on Film

    Metering green grass usually gives good results, so try it on a green leaf of one of your plants and see what that gives you. Dave.
  26. Dave Spencer

    Studio lighting

    There is no doubt that studio lights are the way to go for this type of photography. The only reason I haven`t bothered with any myself is because I wouldn`t get the use out of them, or would feel a little pressured in to taking portraits to get the usage out of them. Mark`s photos of his tanks...
  27. Dave Spencer

    Do crypts require root tabs if planted in ADA soil?

    I agree with Clive on the CO2/Crypt melting scenario. It was probably Clive that first pointed it out to me. I can move Crypts around all the time, grow them in inert substrates, and I have never had one melt on me, apart from the odd damged leaf during planting. Regards, Dave.
  28. Dave Spencer

    The Importance of GH Booster.

    Hi Garuf. Sorry for the delay, but I missed your post. The two major things I noticed were that the plants just seemed to be in limbo, with no deterioration, but no growth or pearling, either. Once I started adding GH booster the tank was like a lemonade bottle. It surprised me how much...
  29. Dave Spencer

    Which one ?

    One thing to bear in mind is that whilst you may upgrade your camera from time to time, a lens is for life, not just for Christmas. Get it right first time. :thumbup: Dave.
  30. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? You have that right. it is more like religion than science. I have had some pretty shocking personal remarks aimed at me, at times. Godwin`s Law rules supreme. Still, I can take it.That said, there are some pretty high calibre scientists out there blogging...
  31. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? CAGW is based on man`s emissions, which were starting to become detectable in 1820ish. CAGW is nothing to do with what Mother Nature put there herself. Global temperatures have been rising since the LIA, and modern times are not "unprecedented". The graph I...
  32. Dave Spencer

    Nikkor Micro 60mm f2.8 AF-S OR Micro 85mm f3.5 AF-S

    PM I wouldn`t say that no VR was a con for the 60mm. A lens of that focal length shouldn`t need it, and plenty of people switch VR off for macro work. I leave my VR switched off for all uses, and only use it when shutter speed dictates its use. Dave.
  33. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Cheers Darrel, I do wonder if your friends that believe unequivocally in man made global warming could answer my questions regarding your graph. Dave.
  34. Dave Spencer

    Nikkor Micro 60mm f2.8 AF-S OR Micro 85mm f3.5 AF-S

    Re: Nikkor Micro 60mm f2.8 AF-S OR 85mm AF-S The 85mm is a bit of an underperformer for a Nikkor prime, assuming you are talking about the f3.5 micro. There are a host of different Nikkor 85mm lenses. The 60mm is considered good, but inferior to the Nikkor 105mm f2.8 micro, which is the one I...
  35. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? My apologies Darrel, I did say I would get off my soap box, but I am a bit like a dog with a bone on the subject of climate change. I did have some questions regarding this graph, but I hadn`t noticed that they disappeared when I had to split my post up. Plus...
  36. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? I shall hold this one with the same regard I would hold the one on the FIFA web site declaring their honesty. :D This site gives info on many aspects of climate change for those interested. http://www.climatedebatedaily.com/ As a little aside Darrel, what...
  37. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? Come to think of it, I`ll get off my soap box now. :silent: Dave.
  38. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? Sorry to get you bogged down in something that may not be in the forefront of your interests, but I think Phil Jones comes across somewhat disingenuous in the link below. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... /38711.htm
  39. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? To which the UK tax payer is expected to pay £768 billion by 2050. Surely we need something a little more substantial. Nobody is calling "huge conspiracy theories", but certain individuals bring the integrity of the discipline of climatology in to question...
  40. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? I have had to make three posts because I kept getting some message about how many quotes I could embed. Darryl, this is argumentum ad populum. Science is not a concensus, which someone as clearly scientifically minded as yourself will know. Besides, this...
  41. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? Darrel, you have linked to the very people who were under investigation. Is it not surprising they write a page with their own vindication? Could you tell me how your friends can be so unequivocally sure? There is zero unequivocal evidence of man`s finger...
  42. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? The Met "BBQ Summer" Office are in fine form. :lol: http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/vie ... Met-Office For those interested, Phil Jones at the CRU has so far adjusted temperature anomalies for the UK twice this year...upwards of course. I wonder if this...
  43. Dave Spencer

    St Kilda International Sea Port

    Nice and dramatic, if a little over processed for me. It seems that you are in an ideal place for real wintry stuff. Dave.
  44. Dave Spencer

    What to soak my wood in?

    Just add Purigen to your filter. Then you can put the wood in straight away. QED. Dave.
  45. Dave Spencer

    30 x 30 x 30 Unnamed 'scape....

    Nice one, Dan. Have you still got that lovely Discus in the tank next door? By the way, judging by the second photo, your colouring in is really coming along nicely. Dave.
  46. Dave Spencer

    90x45x45cm - 2011 IAPLC entry #577 - The Unknown Valley

    Re: 90x45x45cm - The Unknown I have tried this plant Stu, with no success. It would show lots of growth, but just dissolve away. I blame my uber soft water, but maybe you will have more success. I believe pinching out new growth can keep it low. Dave.
  47. Dave Spencer

    Ammonia Problems

    What are your intentions for this tank after cycling? Using ammonia to cycle a tank that will be planted could be a waste of your time and money. Dave.
  48. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? With Cancun just around the corner, ocean acidification will be the next battle ground chosen by the CAGW crowd. "Between 1751 and 1994 surface ocean pH is estimated to have decreased from approximately 8.179 to 8.104, a change of −0.075 on the logarithmic...
  49. Dave Spencer

    Some recent work (Pic Heavy)

    There are some lovely pics here, John. Dave.
  50. Dave Spencer

    Nikon D3000 Any Good?

    One word of advice, pest control, if I may. Firing off tons of shots (known as spray and pray) really isn`t the best way to learn how to take photographs. Give thought to what you are taking pictures of all the time. Glad to hear you are having fun with the camera, though! Photography is the...
  51. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? Luis, I believe climate change is far and away the most important subject on man`s agenda at the moment, barring getting our economies moving upwards again (which climate change policies could well negate anyway). When we speculate on the trillions and...
  52. Dave Spencer

    First Iwagumi

    It`s amazing how we all produce our first Iwagumi with rocks that will disappear. I know I did. It just seems to be something we all have to go through before we have the kahunas to use proper sized rocks the next time round. The large central rock looks ace. Dave.
  53. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    Re: Why do PFK bother with blogs? Thanks for that, George. I like to think we tell people on UKAPS why posts are removed. Reading up on climate change is a bit of an obsession for me. :oops: Especially since I have changed over to being an AGW sceptic. Dave.
  54. Dave Spencer

    Saying goodbye!

    Time to man up, George. You are in the forces, don`t you know. It is a long time since I have messed about with CBLS on OTRs. I didn`t think the RAF still bothered with free fall munitions. Where are you posted, anywhere good? Dave.
  55. Dave Spencer

    Climate change (Why do PFK bother with blogs?)

    They start a blog about the Amazon drying up, but then delete any posts that try to give an alternative view to their beliefs for the reasons. The same goes with an "ocean acidification" blog I tried to post on. Here is the Amazon blog: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=3329...
  56. Dave Spencer

    Camera Suggestions

    I would take what Ken Rockwell says with a huge pinch of salt! :? Dave.
  57. Dave Spencer

    Competition Win.

    Sorry for the late reply. I have been away on a course for a few days. George, this was one I already had, and have always been happy with, as it reflects the type of photography I like. I almost never entered it though, despite the fact that the image reflected the topic of the competition...
  58. Dave Spencer

    Competition Win.

    Thanks for the words. John, I shall be donating half to Cancer Reasearch UK (my mother has been through two cases of breast cancer), and arthritis reasearch UK (arthritis was the bane of Alison`s mum`s life. The picture is one I have already posted here. I nearly didn`t send it, as it doesn`t...
  59. Dave Spencer

    Blast from the past

    Hi Arana. Didn`t you kick some Gluteus maximus in the IAPLC a little while ago? Dave.
  60. Dave Spencer

    Competition Win.

    I have just been told that I won the AEP "Power in a Picture" photography competition. AEP stands for Association of Electricity Producers. T Anyway, I get to donate £1000 to a charity of my choice, I win a camera and two tickets to the FA Cup Final. I also get an expenses paid overnight stop...
  61. Dave Spencer

    anybody going to the florida conference?

    I`m pretty sure Lysette will be going (Lljdma06). Dave.
  62. Dave Spencer

    Why is this happening?

    I have cut back Eleocharis sp back to the substrate after initial planting the same as you. Give it a little time, and it will kick off. Then there will be no stopping it. You may experience a little algae around the stubble left behind. As an aside, when I add it to a tank with uber high CO2...
  63. Dave Spencer

    Camera Suggestions

    I wasn`t having dig at you, Simon. It just makes me laugh that all these "professionals" like to say the gear isn`t important, when they use nothing but top quality gear. It is a bit like saying the car isn`t important in F1. It may not make the person a better driver, but it makes them faster...
  64. Dave Spencer

    Camera Suggestions

    People love to say that the camera doesn`t matter, yet they all have several grands worth of gear, and wouldn`t dream of using a G series Canon ahead of a full frame, medium or large format. I wouldn`t be swapping my D700 for anything for weddings inside a church, no flash and a 200mm lens...
  65. Dave Spencer

    Narrow leaf java fern - Latin name?

    Gfish, You are thinking of the "needle leaf", which is thinner than narrow, and widely used in Asia. Supercoley1 has some in a tank in his journal. Dave.
  66. Dave Spencer

    The Importance of GH Booster.

    I have heard that Amano`s like Rhizo. There are Cherry and Blue(?) shrimp in there, but they are not touching the stuff. There is plenty of time to sort things out, but this tank has been up since about February. :lol: It almost looks newly planted to me. The Java fern leaves are half the size...
  67. Dave Spencer

    The Importance of GH Booster.

    I could say most of this tank needs a trim, but I am concentrating on plant mass and stability at the moment, but the hairgrass is in for a good kicking soon. I am not entirely sure how you come to this conclusion, Mike. There is no BBA. I did have a lily pipe in here, but I have found...
  68. Dave Spencer

    The Importance of GH Booster.

    Well, here is my first fish tank shot since May last year. :oops: It is my usual warts and all type, simply due to laziness, but primarily due to wanting to show exactly how it is right now, in hope of showing a big improvement at a later date. This tank took a monumental amount of time and...
  69. Dave Spencer

    Opinions and help with 80cm 'scape

    The rocks are a big improvement, and have now become a more significant part of the scape. My reservation is with the two large pieces of wood running parallel to eachother at the same angle. I would either put the left piece at a shallower angle, or make the piece towards the centre more...
  70. Dave Spencer

    Opinions and help with 80cm 'scape

    The wood is nice enough, and I like the way some roots reach out to the front of the tank. They will have a nice effect of disappearing down in to whatever foreground plant you choose. The rocks will almost certainly disappear once the plants become established. How about leaving a fair amount...
  71. Dave Spencer

    UKAPS Members' IAPLC 2010 Showcase

    I love the look of E. vivipara. of course, when I used it it was next to some M. umbrosum. Now that is when it becomes high maintenance. :oops: Nice flow to the wood, Zig. Dave.
  72. Dave Spencer

    English woodland Long overdue update

    Re: English woodland Marsilea hirsuta will be an excellent plant for this size of tank. It is dead easy to grow, but gets a bit taller than Marsilea crenata in my experience, and is slower growing. Mine chucks out the odd three leaf clover, but I cut those off as they look out of place. I`m...
  73. Dave Spencer

    IAPLC 2010 TOP 27

    I can`t help but think that landscapes are becoming too much of an influence. Dave.
  74. Dave Spencer

    Fishless cycling and EI dosing

    Add a little light and, yes it can. The water is being bombarded with algae spores, dead bacteria, dust (dead flakes of human skin for example) day and night, and nitrifying bacteria plus myriad others will be present in the water already. All of these will produce an environment with all that...
  75. Dave Spencer

    Sudden rise in High PH, tried everything

    I like to term things such as this as a non event. Those of us injecting CO2 are probably experiencing swings >1. Dave.
  76. Dave Spencer

    What would be a great DSLR for fish/aquarium photography?

    Re: What would be a great DSLR for fish/aquarium photography I feel the same about Canon. It is just what you get used to. Both Canon and Nikon, plus everyone else for that matter, have ridiculously complicated menus. I like my current Nikon because I can alter anything I want to without...
  77. Dave Spencer

    What would be a great DSLR for fish/aquarium photography?

    Re: What would be a great DSLR for fish/aquarium photography Buying a camera to photograph tanks is a bit of a narrow view. Photography is a very diverse hobby, so you may want to think of other uses for a camera when making your decision. Ultimately, as Clive says, any one of the cameras you...
  78. Dave Spencer

    Tanks with branches you've collected

    Most of the wood in this tank was collected from an almond grove in Spain. The latest tank that I am struggling with is Manzanita wood collected by Tom Barr in California, and sent over to the UK. Sorry, but there is no picture of that one. Dave
  79. Dave Spencer

    Golden Ratio use

    Luis, chuck the Golden Ratio out of the window, and go with what you think. The same goes for photography too. :D I have tried thinking along these lines, but they are just restrictive. Dave.
  80. Dave Spencer

    Anubias and high light

    I have had Anubias sp growing close to the surface, and out of the water with no problems (lights were T8s). You should find it grows faster, and flowers like mad. Dave.
  81. Dave Spencer

    For Dave and supercoloey :-)

    We have earnt the right to be a right pair of grumpy old sods. 8) Dave.
  82. Dave Spencer

    Mr Amano's home tank!! (must see)

    I agree 100%. No one else comes close in terms of originality, productivity and consistency. I hope you are wrong on this count, as I feel the hobby is in real need of an injection of originality. I get the impression that you are right, and that aquascaping has been done, and all that is left...
  83. Dave Spencer

    Arrancandonga

    Love the tank, Fernando. You make me want to use Micranthemum umbrosum again. Dave.
  84. Dave Spencer

    home made water purifier

    OK, I have some tar bubbling away nicely. Anybody got the feathers? Dave.
  85. Dave Spencer

    Whats this all about?

    It looks a lot like the latest over complicated, over priced method for fertilising our tanks. I`ll stick with my dry powders. Dave.
  86. Dave Spencer

    CO2, hardness and pH

    I am confident that you needn`t worry about adding BiCarb. Here is Tom Barr`s take on it. It is adjusting the pH via the KH that will bring your fish grief. I dare say the pH of my tanks swings at least by a value of 1 during a twenty four hour period, but with no problems. Obviously there...
  87. Dave Spencer

    CO2, hardness and pH

    That is a very TFF sounding question. :D Congratulations on finding a forum that knows how to run planted tanks properly. :wink: You will find this to be a BiCarb free, pH crash free, non ammonia adding place. Although it may seem a more complicated place to be compared to TFF, we won`t have...
  88. Dave Spencer

    Andrew's 90cm

    This sounds reasonable. I wonder whether there would be enough traffic to justify a sub forum for people wanting a critique of their work. Sorry for the thread hi jack, Chuppy. Dave.
  89. Dave Spencer

    light pendant stand help

    Have a word with Stu Worrall or Mark Evans. They have DIY stands that look pretty good. Dave.
  90. Dave Spencer

    Andrew's 90cm

    I`m glad I stumbled across this comment, as I rarely bother with journals. For me, there is far too much high fiving, back slapping etc when people post their tanks, without any worthwhile comments on the scape. My guess is that you are right, and people don`t take criticism too well on UKAPS...
  91. Dave Spencer

    IAPLC 2010 Results are out

    I wonder whether the Vietnamese will put in another strong performance. The Polish may well be the top guys from outside the Orient. Still, if my World Cup predictions are anything to go by.... Dave.
  92. Dave Spencer

    Will dropping CO2 levels always result in algae?

    George, I guess I just adjust photoperiod down at the start, dependent on plant mass and how fast they grow. My most recent tank was a concern due to the low plant mass, and E parvula being the only non slow grower in there. I started off with just a four to five hour photoperiod. This tank...
  93. Dave Spencer

    Will dropping CO2 levels always result in algae?

    I always inject silly amounts of CO2 in my new tanks, then drop it down prior to adding the fauna. It does trigger Spirogyra, but it is easily defeated. I think the initial high CO2 saves a lot of other potential algal issues, and is worth it. Dave.
  94. Dave Spencer

    Nick Brandt

    Whilst I admire the technical difficulties associated with wild life photography, it is not really a genre that grabs me. This guy, however, takes it to a new level, for me, by stripping away any distractions and putting animals in their environment. http://www.nickbrandt.com/Category.cfm? ...
  95. Dave Spencer

    For You Insecty/Macroey Types.

    Here is something I stumbled across on Flickr. Apparently, there is a lot of tips and advice in his posts. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/ Dave.
  96. Dave Spencer

    Macro lens for Nikon D70

    I did some macro work for my company, photographing blade damage on a gas turbine. Even with a tripod and still target, MF was the best method. We all clearly have different methods that work for us, and are prepared to change the way we operate to meet the specific situation, whether it be...
  97. Dave Spencer

    Macro lens for Nikon D70

    Try this, Luis. I haven`t read it, so don`t know if it is of any use. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d70/ni ... -guide.pdf http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d70/d7 ... .htm#index I can only take Ken Rockwell in small doses. :lol: As for books on how to take photographs, I find them all...
  98. Dave Spencer

    Macro lens for Nikon D70

    I have the AF-S micro Nikkor 105mm 2.8, which is optically beautiful when just used as straight forward prime lens, but it isn`t cheap. Ironically, I have hardly ever used it for macro photography, but manual focussing is usually the order of the day for this type of photography. Try looking...
  99. Dave Spencer

    Here's My Issue With BBA

    I have never liked the use of balance/imbalance when it comes to fertilising planted tanks. As long as my plants have enough of everything on their plate to eat, the ratio becomes largely irrelevant. They take what they want, and the rest goes to waste. That is why it is good idea to gradually...
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