# my planted tank pics--help!!



## DiPpY eGgS

Don't know if anyone is interested, but I'm excited







just got pressurized CO2, regulator, pH controller, along with 220w PC lights for my 75g! Battling hair and green spot algea, but I'm gaining the upper hand, slowly..

I know i have a kinda lame camera, (Vivitar ViviCam3826, 4.0M) But can some1 try and give me pointers on takin' shots of my tank? yorkshire in the house? anyone? much appreciated..

Tank needs time to grow in a bit, and my photography skills are weak... but here it is...


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

a few more


----------



## edcal

looks great


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Wow, man thanks alot... can u give any photo tips??


----------



## Joga Bonito

nice


----------



## CTREDBELLY

now all u need is a few pygos and maybe a good sized serra to get rid of all those red and blue things in the water..

tank looks awesome man


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

CTREDBELLY said:


> now all u need is a few pygos and maybe a good sized serra to get rid of all those red and blue things in the water..
> 
> tank looks awesome man
> [snapback]1033426[/snapback]​


HAH!! I just sold to a breeder my 2 10" RBP's, because they were eyeing up my hand too much while I was getting started with the plants, and getting bold a little too much for comfort!! 
I'm just working things out, and getting a change of pace for a while, and I'm pretty sure I'll get some P's of some sort.. I have had P's for many years, love 'em!
Thanks for the compliments guys! The tank has been in the process of aquiring all it needed for 2 months, and the other day I finished getting all I need..

Now I need help taking pictures of it, mine stink!!


----------



## Husky_Jim

Very nice tank!Can you describe the plant spieces you have in there?


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

husky_jim said:


> Very nice tank!Can you describe the plant spieces you have in there?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [snapback]1035106[/snapback]​


Thanks, bro! 
Middle front, that is Dwarf Hairgrass(Scirpus acicularis) 
The bronze plant just to the left of the hairgrass is Cryptocoryne wendtii. 
The grass type plant that is on either side, midground kind-of is Microsword(Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) 
The plant that is in far corner front left n right is Pygmy Chain Sword(Echinodorus tenellus) 
The grass in the left background and behind to the right of the driftwood that is supposed to be tall and isn't at the moment is a type of Sagittaria.. (skinny leaf, tall) 
The background stem plants are Bacopa Carolina, and barely able to be seen is a sort of lilly pad leafed looking sort of plant.. 
the plants attached to the driftwood are Java Fern(Microsorum pteropus) and Java Moss(Vesicularia dubyana)
There is a remnant of what is left of a type of fanwort cabomba plant somewhere, which is just rebounding after a couple of days of the tank reaching 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates...








Behind the driftwood to the left is an amazon sword which i may axe, and there may be some anacharis(Egeria densa) in the picture, but I fed it to my turtle Cecil...








Thanks for your post!!


----------



## vinnielatino

looks very good!!!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Thank you! It is getting there slowly, but surely!

Can anyone direct someone who knows how to photograph aquariums here? maybe I should start a new thread about that...

It is amazing how much nitrate my plants are eating! I have the Greg Watson PMDD pre-mix, and every night I've checked the nitrates were back to 0. I just recently realized I was totally underdosing my tank. I now use 6 to 8 capfulls of the PMDD every day, and that isn't including the extra iron and phosphorus I am adding. They don't consume phosphorus nearly as much as the nitrates... I'm close now I think to a balance... hopefully!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

quick note... ugh, I made a mistake.. I add phosPHATE, not phosphorus.. not sure if they are the same thing LOL duh..


----------



## NegativeCamber

thats kick ass!!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Thanks neg! I'm going to have to put more pics in here, my tank has been exploding with new growth the last few days!


----------



## Husky_Jim

DiPpY eGgS said:


> my tank has been exploding with new growth the last few days!
> [snapback]1037766[/snapback]​


Can't wait to see.....


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Hi Husky Jim...
it may be a little early to post more pics, but I was having fun trying (failing... Im not good at photography) to take nice pics, plus hairgrass growth sepecially has been pretty quick in the last 5 days! here goes..


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

THe last one, i couldn't resist... my cat, DaMan, just loves grabbing a comfy seat where he can stare at the tank... for HOURS!! LOL


----------



## Death in #'s

dam that tank is amazing


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Thanks Dr. Green! -Man, my plants are sucking up the nutrients as fast as I can dose it!... going through PMDD like mad....


----------



## TRomP

Looking awesome man, really nice

Love planted tanks !


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

TRomP said:


> Looking awesome man, really nice
> 
> Love planted tanks !
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [snapback]1040656[/snapback]​


Thanks! it's a lot of work, but worth it.. i need to learn way more about this hobby.

Any photography pointers?


----------



## yorkshire

Your pics look pretty good to me mate








I just think you could do with turning the shutter speed up a little to keep the fish from bluring. Not sure if you are already, but try using a stool with a rolled up towel or similar to rest the camera on also. 
The tank looks awesome, and the plants sure seem to be healthy. How long are you leaving the lights on for?


----------



## killerbee

your tank is beautiful


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

yorkshire said:


> Your pics look pretty good to me mate
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just think you could do with turning the shutter speed up a little to keep the fish from bluring. Not sure if you are already, but try using a stool with a rolled up towel or similar to rest the camera on also.
> The tank looks awesome, and the plants sure seem to be healthy. How long are you leaving the lights on for?
> [snapback]1041893[/snapback]​


Thanks for the advice, Yorkshire!! I'll definately take it to heart, your pics are incredible!! Can I ask you about how you set up your lighting for your pics? do you use any flash? External lighting?
Hmm, I don't have a real shudder speed setting, although I do have a setting for things that are in motion, which I'll try. Does your camera have a shudder speed control? 
My macro setting is very hard to focus, it always seems to focus in on the background instead of on what I am trying to shoot! Any tips there would be nice too... ya, i was just holding the camera, i guess that is a big reason the pics are blurry...








I'm battleing green spot algea and hair algea, in which im gaining the upper hand on every day. I use 2 timers for my 4x55w bright kit.. the left side comes on a half hour before the right, and they both stay on for 12 hrs exactly, with the right turning off a half hour after the left..
Thanks for the info, and thanks killerbee for the compliment, you guys are an encouragement to keep going!! Thanks for your posts!


----------



## yorkshire

If you are having a bit of algae bloom try reducing the lighting time by an hour or two, it can make a big difference.








My camera has a shutter speed priority function which makes it much easier to catch fast fish.
If you are having problems focusing in macro, try focusing on the bottom of the tank,or a rock/plant, keep the button half pressed then recompose the pic and wait til a fish gets to the point you've focused on. The fish are probably to small for your camera to get a good focus on, so by focusing on a bigger object the same distance away should help the camera overcome this.
Basically its all trial and error. Dont be afraid to try different settings. What works with one camera may require different settings on another. Before joining p-fury I didnt have a clue about photography, and i havent read a great deal about the subject. Trial and error and lots of practice would be my biggest tips.
As far as lighting goes, the simple rule is "more is better". I mostly just use the tank lighting, but my camera has good ISO settings. If you've got a spare tank light try rigging it up for picture taking. I've used an old desk lamp in the past to give better lighting








Hope this helps a little. elTwitcho or Lyle are the men to talk to about technical aspects of photography, they know their stuff


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Wow, Yorkshire, great info!! I have enough info now to really try some stuff! You are a blessing! Thank you!


----------



## mashunter18

dang aquascaped

tank really looks great man.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Plants are taking off like i never could imagine! The plant in the front corners, pygmy chain sword, has double the size leaves then when I bought it! It is filling in bigtime.. I'm going to wait about a week, tinker with yorkshire's awesome photography help, and post!


----------



## TRomP

Post some more pics than









Love seeing planted tanks


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

It will be a while for new pics... a week or 2. Got to practice taking pics (which may be unfruitful) and I got tired of the algea on the bacopa carolina and the micro sword.. I nearly took out all the micro sword, and all the bacopas are about 3" tall now, looks better tho! I hope the algea is less this time around


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

I am almost victorious with my green water bloom!! a friend gave me a UV sterilizer, works GREAT! 
I have made a nice discovery about algea.. I used to just interrupt the algea that was bothering me here and there with a sponge... and it never went away, no matter how great my plants were thriving.. I will never do that again.. you must attack the algea with extreme prejudice.. I scrubbed everything in the tank that had algea on it, and cut off all leaves that were infected, and trusted that they would just grow back... This works great, people! --I will never be passive with algea again!
After I scrubbed all the algea, I cleaned the filter, and said to myself "plants love ammonium, so I can wash the filter medium with tap water, and the plants will love it." ---*ugh* The spike in ammonium seems to be the culprit that caused the green water bloom. Plants love it, yes, but when it spikes, algea happens... This seems to be the only cause of an algea breakout in my observations, other than low nutrient levels.
Tank is going a whole lot better.. I will post new pics after the GW clears, and I get a little bit better with the noob-grade camera I own...


----------



## duende_df

yeha...they're kool :nod: ....but mines glow in the dark


----------



## pyrokingbrand

WOWSA!!!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

ok, I'm having problems taking good pictures, tried so many things! Either I am a talentless photographer, or my camera is quite lame.. but here is my tank after being victorious over algae.. commin' along, but now I wanna get different plants! LOL constructive critiscism welcome!!


----------



## elTwitcho

Quite simple my man, your pictures are simply overexposed causing the leaves which glow quite brightly to get burnt out and lose detail. Try increasing your shutter speed or aperture by at least 4 stops. If your camera doesn't have shutter or aperture settings, go into your "exposure value" or "exposure compensation" menu and move it to "-2" at minimum and see if that helps.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

I'm thinking I need more tall stem plants in the very back of the tank. Anyone have any suggestions on what species? pics of species welcome








The grass that is back there is supposed to be a tall saggitaria, but it keeps growing outward, not upward... 
Hmm, maybe I should rip out some of the grass in the very back, and since it isn't growing tall, put it in the bare spots on either side where I ripped out the microsword. THEN load the very back of the tank with tons of stem plants.. and ugh, I think I'm going to axe the lilly-pad looking plant.. looks cheap.. again, comments, suggestions, critiscism welcome









I have to recommend AHSupply bright kits, pressurized CO2, and Greg Watson fertilizers for any serious planted aquarium hobbyist... makes a huge difference. This tank has been almost properly running for tops 5-6 weeks. It took me a few months to understand what I needed to accomplish. I still need to learn a whole bunch, but it seems to be commin' along.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

elTwitcho said:


> Quite simple my man, your pictures are simply overexposed causing the leaves which glow quite brightly to get burnt out and lose detail. Try increasing your shutter speed or aperture by at least 4 stops. If your camera doesn't have shutter or aperture settings, go into your "exposure value" or "exposure compensation" menu and move it to "-2" at minimum and see if that helps.
> [snapback]1069166[/snapback]​


Thanks for that advice, Twitch... my camera doesn't have shudder speed settings







All it has is an "EV" control. The camera is a Vivitar ViviCam 3826. Maybe you can help! I'm betting I need a new camera...


----------



## elTwitcho

set the "EV" control to the highest negative it will go. Probably only "-2" but it should help a bit anyway. You could also try forcussing on really bright part of the tank first, or even up at the lights so your camera thinks the scene is brighter and adjusts accordingly.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

again, thanks for the help twitch, you and Yorkshire really helped me with photography! 
.........Do I have a really crappy camera IYO?


----------



## spree_rider

at the back i would add some vals or some ludwigia, green and red, i think a lilly or red tiger lotus would look good, i would keep the lilly pad thing you have as it wil fit in better once it has some other plants around it, cabomba is also nice and easy to find, also comes in red varieties, but there are lots of stem plants for you to choose from depending on what look u want.
James


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

yay... Just got back from a great hobbyist specialty fish store, and got some stem plants to fill in the background.. prolly won't post any more pics until they have settled a bit...

I bought Rotala Indica, Ludwiga Repens, and Limnophila Aromatica.. they look awesome.. going to have to shred the tank... again.. to make room, but i'm sure it will be worth it!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

spree_rider said:


> at the back i would add some vals or some ludwigia, green and red, i think a lilly or red tiger lotus would look good, i would keep the lilly pad thing you have as it wil fit in better once it has some other plants around it, cabomba is also nice and easy to find, also comes in red varieties, but there are lots of stem plants for you to choose from depending on what look u want.
> James
> [snapback]1069863[/snapback]​


Thanks James, I just got some plants to fill in back there... Sorry the pics are so blurry, but there is Cabomba in there already, it is trimmed pretty short, and it is to the right of the driftwood, mid-ground.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

-Figured I would post some pics of my new emersed growth plants, that have some new submersed growth on them.. interesting to me.. these plants are going to be quite awesome! Here is sunset hygrophilia, what a great plant this will be!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Ludwiga repens.. new growth turning sort of purple.. gonna look good!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Ludwiga repens.. new growth turning sort of purple.. gonna look good!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

..Rotala Rotundafolia.. circled emersed growth in red, and submersed in white.. awesome plant


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

I just love this plant... Limnophilia Aromatica.. I only have 2 small cuttings, but they will be huge in no time


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

here are just some close ups.. Going to re-scape when the new plants grow out


----------



## elTwitcho

Coming along nicely, the pictures are a tad undexposed and your white balance is set incorrectly, but definately an improvement. Ideally, you want to aim for something a bit more similar to this


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Twitch, I had the EV balance set at -2, and used the macro setting, because that is the only setting that the flash doesn't come on. Also, the white balance was set to "auto." 
Should I set it for fluorescent, or something?? thanks man


----------



## elTwitcho

I'd try it on fluorescent first and see what that gives you. Play around with it a bit since "auto" doesn't seem to be working out so good. I find auto white balance absolutely craps out under aquarium lighting, even on my Canon SLR the white balance gets tricky once you start pointing it at an aquarium.

Try EV -1.6 or -1.5 and even EV -1 and see where that gets you. The shots are much much better, but slightly underexposed. Should be worked out shortly though


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

thanks Twitch, 
you have greatly helped my approach to picture taking, and the advice is very appreciated! I most likely won't post anymore pics until the new scape is in, which won't be for a while.. but I'll be practicing with the camera!! Thanks again


----------



## Art_Giacosa

Dippy,

There's a three part series on avoiding image blur at APC.

Nice tank.


----------



## blindside

dam man , that is one serious planted tank, looks awesome









ian


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

[quote name='lutikriss' date='Jun 23 2005, 04:32 PM']
dam man , that is one serious planted tank, looks awesome









Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Aaronic

DiPpY eGgS said:


> lutikriss said:
> 
> 
> 
> dam man , that is one serious planted tank, looks awesome
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> [snapback]1080673[/snapback]​
> 
> 
> 
> yeah it is a great tank. Can you explain the entire process of setting up a planted tank??
Click to expand...


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Art_Giacosa said:


> Dippy,
> 
> There's a three part series on avoiding image blur at APC.
> 
> Nice tank.
> [snapback]1080285[/snapback]​


awesome read, art, thanks!! And welcome again to p-fury!! you are an awesome addition here! Hope to discuss things with you in the future!!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

Aaronic said:


> DiPpY eGgS said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> lutikriss said:
> 
> 
> 
> dam man , that is one serious planted tank, looks awesome
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> [snapback]1080673[/snapback]​
> 
> 
> 
> yeah it is a great tank. Can you explain the entire process of setting up a planted tank??
> [snapback]1080729[/snapback]​
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I can try...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Art_Giacosa is going to be the authority on planted tanks here, I'm just a noob
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll give it a whirl.. OK, I'm very new to the planted tank hobby, so I can only tell you what I did.
> My wife got me interested in plants. She asked me to buy a few plants back in march, and here I am... LOL After messing up so bad that my plants were almost completely covered in black brush, and green spot algea, I came to the conclusion that I was doing something dreadfully wrong.. So I did a lot of reading here, and other sites.. (www.aquaticplantcentral.com) and held my breath and spent some of our tax return on planted items
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I bought a 4x55w bright kit from www.ahsupply.com and got 2 5500k and 2 6700k PC bulbs. Over a 75g that is just about 3wpg, so I knew I was going to need to enrich with CO2.
> So I bought a 10lb CO2 tank off of ebay from tester837. Then I bought a milwaukee aquarium CO2 regulator w/pH controller off of gdew25 on ebay as well.
> Got 100 lbs of flourite and 20 lbs of black onyx sand.. at the lfs.
> Then I found out about mr. Watson from twitcho and bought the PMDD pre-mix at www.gregwatson.com because I didn't know what the hey I was doing...
> After talking to some ppl, I got some phosphate, because the PMDD pre-mix doesn't have it.. and I got extra cheleated iron (spelling) because with my setup, I think I need a bit of extra iron.
> After talking with Greg, I'm going to order all the dry fert chems seperate, so I can "talor" my fert dosing to my specific needs. I'm not there yet.. but I'm shooting for something like the Tom Barr estimative index style of dosing.
> -Hope this helps, ask any questions if you have 'em, and if I can't, I'm sure SOMEONE here can!! hehe
Click to expand...


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

I finally got it!!! Ludwigia sp. 'cuba'


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

OK, here is why I didn't want to post new pics of my tank.. It's a MESS! I am growing out MANY spiecies for a new scape. Don't know if I'm going to use all of them, I hope not anyway.


----------



## Husky_Jim




----------



## "qickshot"

omg thats awsome a little to full for my i would stick with small fish and cool lookin stuff not p's. well mabby some baby red bells but they would out grow it so quick cause its so full


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

"qickshot said:


> omg thats awsome a little to full for my i would stick with small fish and cool lookin stuff not p's. well mabby some baby red bells but they would out grow it so quick cause its so full
> [snapback]1139084[/snapback]​


THANKS JIM!!









Quickshot
I used to have RBP's, not anymore







I traded them in for small fish.. The reason it is so full, is that I am collecting, and growing plants out for the new scape I'm doing.. all the plants I don't use will be preserved in my new emersed setup, and the rest sold off


----------

