When the sleeper wakes...

[Deleted member 149562]

@wasmewasntit The three female dwarf Gourami survived their journey, safe and sound in a well-packed box.
All three look well enough, although at 3cm, they're a little smaller than I would've liked in an ideal world. However, they're now ensconced in the tank and I'll grow them on a bit before introducing them to Tyrion.
There will now be a period of water testing and changes whenever necessary.

That's pretty young and small, but thats no real surprise....hopefully they are all female, not always straightforward when so little to tell with 100% surety.

All digits crossed they will be OK and have no issues whilst you quarantine them and let them fill out a bit over the next few weeks.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

You take great photos. You probably mentioned the camera again, but can you please remind me? My pics suck. I’ve been using my iPad which is ok for several subjects, but not fish, at least in my hands.

Thank you.
The camera is a Nikon P900 Coolpix, set on Macro mode.
Fortunately, I'm no longer having to deal with film so it doesn't matter how many shots I take.
(Just as well, given the conditions imposed whilst taking tank pics).

I wait until after dark and eliminate all other light sources, in an attempt to reduce reflections.
I make note of where the fish go and focus on that spot.
(My camera is on a tripod, to reduce shake and to facilitate a longer exposure...but, of course, we want a quick exposure, 'cos the fish move quickly).
I use a manual focus, to focus on that spot in the tank.
I then wait...and wait...and wait...until I might get something worth taking.
(Later, when I look at the pic, it's actually worthless).

The reality is that I'm still experimenting, to find the best combination of aperture and exposure.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

That's pretty young and small, but thats no real surprise....hopefully they are all female, not always straightforward when so little to tell with 100% surety.

All digits crossed they will be OK and have no issues whilst you quarantine them and let them fill out a bit over the next few weeks.

P&P aside, they weren't very much money and I have someone with a load of quality tanks who can take any fish that won't be thriving in my tanks.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

P&P aside, they weren't very much money and I have someone with a load of quality tanks who can take any fish that won't be thriving in my tanks.

I had hoped they might have stopped sending out such small fish tbh...but I guess not.

In contrast, my normal supplier sent a couple of Honey's last year and they were bigger than your new DG's upon arrival

As I said, I have everything crossed that they will thrive and survive and be healthy young adults in due course.

 

[FishHobby99]

Thank you.
The camera is a Nikon P900 Coolpix, set on Macro mode.
Fortunately, I'm no longer having to deal with film so it doesn't matter how many shots I take.
(Just as well, given the conditions imposed whilst taking tank pics).

I wait until after dark and eliminate all other light sources, in an attempt to reduce reflections.
I make note of where the fish go and focus on that spot.
(My camera is on a tripod, to reduce shake and to facilitate a longer exposure...but, of course, we want a quick exposure, 'cos the fish move quickly).
I use a manual focus, to focus on that spot in the tank.
I then wait...and wait...and wait...until I might get something worth taking.
(Later, when I look at the pic, it's actually worthless).

The reality is that I'm still experimenting, to find the best combination of aperture and exposure.

Thanks. The axies are very inactive, but I do have a tripod.
yep! Digital cams are cool, but sometimes I miss the old days when I had a home darkroom & rolled my own 35mm film in the darkest closet.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Thanks. The axies are very inactive, but I do have a tripod.
yep! Digital cams are cool, but sometimes I miss the old days when I had a home darkroom & rolled my own 35mm film in the darkest closet.

It did get expensive though, with lots and lots...and lots and lots...of wasted film and developing fluids, etc..
With digital, we get the chance to practice...for free.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Looking great! Loving the new nano tank.

The reality is that I'm still experimenting, to find the best combination of aperture and exposure.

I prefer the scattergun approach. Stick the camera on full auto and take photos until the card is full. Then out of the several thousand photos you have, you are guaranteed* to have at least 1 good photo.

*Guarantee is not a guarantee, your results may vary based on the speed of your fish...

 

[fishyfun&fans]

if you breed those lovely Red Dwarfs send a fry my way

 

[FishHobby99]

It did get expensive though, with lots and lots...and lots and lots...of wasted film and developing fluids, etc..
With digital, we get the chance to practice...for free.

Yeah it could add up, but I bought low grain film, 50, by hundred feet rolls. Paper & chemicals came from a wholesaler in NYC. Also had an old 4x5 film camera once used by a newspaper photographer. Photographing fish is far different from what I did then!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Back to The Ladies...light on and they've all got a good appetite and their poo looks to be as it should.
Whilst the two smaller fish darted for cover when the light came on, the larger fish stayed put and is definitely a bold one.
Of the two smaller fish, one revealed herself quite a bit before the last one came out.
I'd underestimated sizes...the largest is 4cm and the other two area tad over 3.5cm.
Apparently I could've got them at 2cm, which would've been both unwelcome and silly. Perhaps my long chat with the lass on the 'phone paid off?

I'm happy enough so far.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I'd underestimated sizes...the largest is 4cm and the other two area tad over 3.5cm.

That's great news. And to think us blokes always get accused of overestimating the size of things....

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Oh.

It looks like a couple of small red shrimplets hitched a lift when I transferred my plants from the SE Asian tank.
They've now joined the (currently) small battalion of very tiny ramshorn snails, that came in with the plants.
These were expected, as the plants hadn't been treated beforehand. Anti-snail treatments are toxic to shrimp, so the supplier no longer treats their plants for snail. I'm not worried.
I crushed a couple against the glass, to see if The Ladies would bite...they did.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

They've now joined the (currently) small battalion of very tiny ramshorn snails, that came in with the plants.

I'm actually a little disappointed that I haven't seen any hitchhiking snails yet. Did give all my plants a good rinse and left to soak in water for a bit before planting so hoping if they where treated it will be long gone or diluted enough to not be a problem by the time I get some inverts in there.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I'm actually a little disappointed that I haven't seen any hitchhiking snails yet. Did give all my plants a good rinse and left to soak in water for a bit before planting so hoping if they where treated it will be long gone or diluted enough to not be a problem by the time I get some inverts in there.

My own snails could easily have travelled over with my transplanted plants and filter media.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Just re-visited the tank and all of the tiny ramshorn snails have gone!
I then saw one of The Ladies peck one off a leaf!