1320 liter clearwater biotope

[hydrophyte]

This project is incredible. I am amazed.

Do you have any pictures of the cave construction? I did not quite follow the written description. I wish to do something similar for my latest project.

[Haavard Stoere]

Do you have any pictures of the cave construction? I did not quite follow the written description.

Sorry, but my hands were so dirty during the process that i did not use the camera. I shall try to remember to make a series of pictures next time I cast concrete caves. It is a good way to make caves, but it would be even better if we could use a concrete that only needed an acid wash instead of epoxy sealant

[hydrophyte]

Have you tried any of those liquid cement plasticizers? I built some features using one of those products and they were considerably harder than regular cement. I did not attempt any kind of real measurement, but the pieces also seemed to be less susceptible to dissolution in water.

[Haavard Stoere]

I am quite ignorent when it comes to these things. Is it an additive you pour into the mixture?

[hydrophyte]

Yes, I think that most of them are liquid products that are simply poured into the mix in place of or in addition to water. Here is one of them.

http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines/Co ... tifier.asp

I don't know if you can accquire Quikrete products there in Europe, but I imagine you could find something similar.

[Haavard Stoere]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate it

[Haavard Stoere]

I have borrowed an EOS40D. It is similar to my ruined EOS50D, so I am spending the evenings photographing in my big tank.

This is one of my larger females outside the cave of my largest male. The tail of the mail can be seen on the right:


Edit: Seems to may be a male.

[MatsP]

I have borrowed an EOS40D. It is similar to my ruined EOS50D, so I am spending the evenings photographing in my big tank.

Some even say the 40D gives better photos than the 50D - I haven't ever used a 40D, so I can't say - I'm happy with the 50D (pictures look better "out of camera" than the old 10D that went broken on me). But those that have compared the two say the 50D gives more noise in the image than the 40D - I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on that.

--
Mats

[Lloydy]

Haavard, you have a truly amazing tank!!!

I keep showing my girlfriend photo's of your tank and saying "I want to create something like that!", she normally pulls a funny face or ... I guess that's not a 'no' though

[Haavard Stoere]

I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on that.

I don`t have an opinion in the sense that I have not made any direct comparison on same motif and same setting etc. What you suggest when it comes to noise sounds kind of logical because the pixels on 50d will be closer together than the pixels on 40d. Size of sensor is constant. My photographs are primarily done with powerful external flashes, so noise is usually not an issue (100-200ISO). An exception is the four last photographs of the tank (not fish). They were taken without the flash with 1600 ISO. The noise was extremely high, and it might be the same or even higher with the 50d. I ran some noise reduction in photo-shop by the way, so the photos are not really representative.

[Haavard Stoere]

L024:




P. spinosus again:

[Jon]

awesome! any chance of getting some lep fry pics?

[Haavard Stoere]

awesome! any chance of getting some lep fry pics?

Yes. I had forgotten about photographing them. I shall try to do it tomorrow.

[Haavard Stoere]

School of Hyphessobrycon anisitsi:

[Haavard Stoere]

Why on earth do we bother keeping catfish? Tetras are way cooler

[hydrophyte]

What a perfect, simple scene in that tank.

[nightrider]

Beautiful Haavard.Really amazing.

[wabluska]

Hi Haavard
Great tank mate. May I ask what type of lighting you use? It always amazes me how your tanks seem very dark with black backgrounds but also excelently lit at the same time. The effect is just stunning.
Best of luck
W.

[Coco]

Very beautiful tank. I like

[Haavard Stoere]

Very beautiful tank. I like

Thank you Coco

Hi Haavard
Great tank mate. May I ask what type of lighting you use? It always amazes me how your tanks seem very dark with black backgrounds but also excelently lit at the same time. The effect is just stunning.
Best of luck
W.

Thank you The lighting I use for photography are external flashes called "portaflash". They are directional, and therefore illuminate the object they are pointed at. The rest is in darkness. It is the sort of effect you see on theater stages.

Time for a short update... Yesterday I installed a few twigs and branches suspended via fishing-line to holes in the cover-glass. I intend to install some more of them, but the L204s that clean the bark of the twigs takes some time.The branches are waterlogged and have become quite (In wood safety is a relative thing. Be cautious) safe. The light color will eventually become more subdued with algae and silt.

Fixing the twigs with nylon through holes in the cover-glass:




Front view:


Side view:

[wrasse]

Very nice! And makes the tank look deeper.
I bet the fish are saying "its just like home!" In a South American accent.

[Farid]

this would be brasilian then

farid

[MatsP]

Indeed, very nice. No wonder the fish spawn for you...

--
Mats

[Haavard Stoere]

Very nice! And makes the tank look deeper.
I bet the fish are saying "its just like home!" In a South American accent.

Thanks I hope they do. Hola

Indeed, very nice. No wonder the fish spawn for you...

Sure!! Plecos are suckers for beauty. Temperature, space, water quality and such matters little. All they really want is a pretty place to spawn.

this would be brazilian then
farid

And spanish Brazilian is Portuguese

[Farid]

And spanish Brazilian is Portuguese

BINGO

[2wheelsx2]

Just stumbled upon this thread. This build has been inspirational and the outcome is just amazing. The feeding pics are pretty cool too.

[racoll]

You should do commissions.

You should work in a public aquarium Haavard, or at least contract for them

The standard of your work, and attention to detail, is far higher than I have ever seen in a public aquarium.

Their attempts at biotope aquaria are laughable in most cases.

[MatsP]

You should work in a public aquarium Haavard, or at least contract for them

The standard of your work, and attention to detail, is far higher than I have ever seen in a public aquarium.

Their attempts at biotope aquaria are laughable in most cases.

But probably like most of us, the pay from such places is based on "you have to be an enthusiast to work here", and I think many members, including Haavard have reasonably well-paid jobs which enables us to do what we do with fishes and tanks and other such things.

Of course, Haavard is probably at the level where he could ask whatever he likes, and he'd be busy building other peoples tanks for a very long time into the future. Whether that is what he wants to do is another thing - it's a bit like those guys that rebuild cars/motorbikes/etc as a hobby, and then try to turn it into a business, and they end up having to cope with customers ideas, and the pressure that you MUST achieve something within a set timeframe because otherwise you don't get paid -> can't pay rent -> miserable life.

--
Mats

[ElTofi]

sadly truly summed up, Mats !

I thought about that a few time these last years... the paradise could be to win a national lottery (or even EuroMillions) and then, not to bother about money any more... then, you could do what ever you want... even work for a zoo or a public aquarium or as a Loricarridist aquascaper... and if a client doesn't match with you intentions and ideas...

keep on dreaming, Tofi

[MatsP]

Oh yes. My only slight problem in regards to winning a lottery of some form is that you need to buy a ticket, and I'm too good at math to think that's a good idea.

--
Mats