Matt

[Anonymous]

The tank itself is really still in its infancy, there's a lot of Tubastrea but I need to get it spawning. The T. micrantha (black species) is growing well though.

Oh, micrantha is one stunning coral in the proper environment! More pics please sir!

I know the exact path this coral has followed from reef to aquarium. It is one of a very few stony corals legally collected in the Philippines in the US. It was a "natural" fragment collected (by a researcher at my work) at the base of a deep reef slope in Anilao where it had broken off from a larger colony. He says it would have died in its resting place if he had not "saved" it, and now it is encrusting and growing well in this tank. Kind of cool to know the story of where it came from!

 

[Anonymous]

Beautiful tank, Matt. And a cool story about that micrantha. 8)

 

[jamesw]

How about putting a small flash on the camera and setting rear curtain sync? It will freeze the fist at the end of the streak so they look cool Just shoot at a slight angle, or use the flash off the camera to avoid reflections.

Wow fantastic photo of the micrantha! I was over in Anilao last year and saw some at Sombrero Reef:

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

Wow, gorgeous picture James. Did you take that?

 

[jamesw]

Yep! I love Anilao - it's a great mix of macro and wideangle opportunities. Not to mention there are some GIANT gigas clams there near Planet Dive and LOTS of wonderpus at a spot nearby.

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

Yep! I love Anilao - it's a great mix of macro and wideangle opportunities. Not to mention there are some GIANT gigas clams there near Planet Dive and LOTS of wonderpus at a spot nearby.

Cheers
James

Lucky, lucky guy. Awesome shot as well. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

How about putting a small flash on the camera and setting rear curtain sync? It will freeze the fist at the end of the streak so they look cool Just shoot at a slight angle, or use the flash off the camera to avoid reflections.

Wow fantastic photo of the micrantha! I was over in Anilao last year and saw some at Sombrero Reef:

Cheers
James

That is a GREAT shot James. I wish I could get my anthias to "line up" like that. A steady current from one direction helps, but they never seem to shoal up in captivity quite like they do in your photo. For whatever reason they like to do their own thing.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing that currents bring food, which might be one reason to line up facing in the same direction. At least, that's what I remember blue chromis doing off Ishigaki when we went diving there.

 

[Len]

Tank size probably plays no small role too. I bet if you throw in a grouper into your tank, they'll shoal a lot tighter.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing that currents bring food, which might be one reason to line up facing in the same direction. At least, that's what I remember blue chromis doing off Ishigaki when we went diving there.

I should have been more clear--facing in the same direction is not a problem recreating, it's the tight group. The best guess I've heard is that w/o predators around they lose that pressure to hang tight to the shoal.

 

[Anonymous]

Tank size probably plays no small role too. I bet if you throw in a grouper into your tank, they'll shoal a lot tighter.

I thought that too. Georgia has a couple (or maybe one?) black tips in their big tank and the anthias behave the same way...maybe if they stopped feeding the sharks so well? :twisted:

 

[jamesw]

Correct - they face into the current (which was ripping at Sombrero) and they dash into the T. micrantha when you scare them. I've seen squammipinnis living w/ T. micrantha in Fiji and the P.I. - they seem to like it!

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

8) just...wow. I love the pictures in this thread.

 

[Anonymous]

The Rhinopias tank;

 

[Anonymous]

Cuttle

 

[trido]

That is one small cuttlefish... 8O

 

[Ben1]

Very cool pics everyone! That corals is awesome looking Matt ty for sharing.

 

[Anonymous]

Cuttle

bandensis? From you?

 

[Anonymous]

I think those are the ones my lady feeds every friday... oh the stories I hear when she gets back!

 

[Sea Turtle]

nice pics.