Ha, thanks Tony. I should have mentioned that this was really episode 4. Just wait till the prequel comes out :razz:

- Chad

Thanks Ryan. Ya, it was a good time. Let me know if you ever want to get into video editing. The program I use is really good and isn't too expensive.

- Chad

And the Juno for best video with a nano reef aquarium goes to... the envelope please Shania...

Sweet vid, awesome tank. Where is the intake/nozzles for the filter in the tank?

LOL Thanks! The plumbing is on the "ugly side" of the tank. You can see the bulkhead for the return line in my avatar. You can't make it out in the photo, but the intake bulkhead is to the right of that and is covered by a plastic screen that the rockwork is sitting on.


- Chad

Update:

I have changed the nano to a species-tank for a small mantis shrimp named "Google". I removed the sexy shrimp and added some hermits and snails for food. The corals are all still doing really well and so far, Google hasn't knocked anything over :neutral: ...

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...050812_019.jpg


I will get a better picture once he works up the courage to leave his cave :razz: .

What do you think?

= Chad

Hey Chad,

Awesome tank & video. What video editing software did you use? I've got a pile of home videos that I have been meaning to put together.

Cheers,
Vic [veng68]

Thanks man!
I use a program called Studio8 by Pinnacle. It is quite affordable, has a ton of features, and is really easy to use. You baisically have different tracks that you drag video, music, sound effects, titles, transitions, etc onto. I think the current program is Studio0 or even 10. I bought it to do home movies with but I have probably done more fish videos than family ones :redface: ....

- Chad

Here is a couple photos of the new owner of the cube:


http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...185majesty.jpg



and



http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...185profile.jpg



What do you think? I think that this little guy is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me in saltwater...

- Chad

Beautiful colours on the mantis and corals :cool: Do you have a full tank shot?

Thanks Bev! I'm glad you like it :biggrin: .

I have a bunch of pictures and even a video of the tank if you click the links in my signture line. You're the second person who doesn't seem to have seen my tank before - I didn't think that Canreef was that big of a site :razz:

- Chad

Chad,

I've seen the video a few times now :cool: I was just wondering if you have updated pics of the tank. Looks like stuff is growing :biggrin:

Oh, I see :redface: . You are right... I will need to take some more tank shots. The sps in particular has grown quite well. I think that my frogspawn might have actually decreased a little in size because the sexy shimp used it as their "cool kids' hangout" - and it wan't able to open up fully. Now that they have been moved, it is getting back to normal. Some people have warned me that a mantis might start redecorating its home and level some corals. So far, no problems though...
Thanks,

- Chad

Looks great Chad :cool:

At work right now but once I am home I will definitely check out your vid... keep up the good work !

Awesome! Just so everyone knows, I made the video before I got the Mantis so don't expect it to be very exciting. On the plus side though, it is work friendly :razz:

- Chad

Maybe you can make another video :biggrin: I loved the last one :cool:



EDIT: I know this song might be too long for a video, but it comes to mind when thinking of your new mantis...

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/03%20-%2...he%20Devil.mp3

Bev,
Thanks for the tip... as I was listening I could see the mantis dancing along with a shaky little jig :razz: .

And I can lower the volume and cut the soundtrack at any spot to make the song length match the video length. Infact, in my current video, what sounds like the end of the song is really just a pause before breaking into another chorus.

Chad,

I can't listen to that song without dancing my butt off :biggrin: :eek: :razz:

Honestly, though, I'd love to see another video. In it, I'd like to see lots of macro stills of your manits as well as of your individual corals. You could also use a tripod and get some footage of the mantis moving around/feeding as well as of your corals moving with the water flow. That would be fabulous :smilecol:

Too bad I'm so far away. I could be the video's director :razz:

Beverly,

I don't know if I'm inspired by your video, or compelled to pull up my socks :neutral: , but I am starting another one with some footage of the mantis shrimp. If I run into any problems, I will definitely call you for some advise :biggrin: .

- Chad

Chad,

What a wonderful compliment :redface: :biggrin:

I'm very interested in your mantis (spelled it correctly!) video. I can't wait to see it :biggrin: Have you picked out a song for it?

I doubt I have more experience than you running Pinnacle Studio, but PM me for my phone number if you run into trouble :lol: :razz:

Am currently working on another reef video project as I type. Converting some secret .mov files to .avi. Would love to tell you about it, but I don't quite know how I'm going to pull it off. The song I have for it is over three minutes and I'm not sure I can create an interesting video with my subject for that long. My song is "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers. Okay, you got it out of me.... the subject is snails :mrgreen:

Good luck with you mantis video :biggrin: I'm gonna want to see it for sure :exclaim:

BTW, was on RC today and ran across someone referring to the song in a video about a 2g. You're famous, man :cool:

Beverly,

Thanks! I am working on my video as I speak :rolleyes: . I am going to try and use a song called "The Stand" by an Albertan band called "The Jack Union". I was at a 10year high school reunion over the weekend and ran into an old classmate who is one of the co-writers of the song. It is pretty hard to make it fit into the theme of the movie but, oh well. I have footage of the mantis breaking open the shell of a small hermit crab and eating it but I am still trying to decide if I will include it in the movie. It is actually really sad... especially since the hermit makes a desperate attempt to abandon its shell and run... poor little guy :cry: . I don't want to get any one too depressed.
Hopefully the video will be ready in a day or so.

- Chad

ps - I think that you picked the perfect song for a snail video :razz:

Chad,

Maybe use only part of the footage of the mantis and the hermit shell to keep the gross out factor to a minimum.

A few things I found out about working with Studio:

- make my own titles in a graphics program so I can use transitions on them
- put pics and titles on the same timeline as the videos
- right click on a video, title, pic, or transition to micro manage the time each is played. That way, you can get pic transitions into the rhythm of the song if you fiddle with it long enough.

Ah, but you probably already know that stuff :biggrin:

Yeah, my song and subject matter are kind of ironic :razz: Back to previewing videos clips before I convert them :neutral:

Good song!! :cool:

I just finished the video and am posting it here first!

I hope you enjoy it...

http://www.102tech.com/fish/mantis.wmv


- Chad

Sweetness!! Ike rocks... :mrgreen:
Great job on the vid Chad. Song is killer too.

Haha thanks Ryan :cool: !
I'm pretty pleased with it too. I wish I could turn up the quality on the video but it is already a pretty huge file :redface:

- Chad

Outstanding :cool: Great choice of music. Great choice of video clips. The macro shots of the tank's inhabitants are amazing :cool: Watched it twice just now :biggrin:

Do you have another tank at home to make another video? Can't wait to see what you do with that, if you do :smilecol:

Beverly,
Thanks. I'm glad you like it!
Unfortunately, this is now my only aquarium :cry: - and I'm running out of things to film in it!
A member on the board was kind enough to offer me some nuissance crabs that she has and I have been thinking about setting up a little 5gal holding tank for them.

- Chad

Chad,

If you set up another tank, go for a 20g over a 5g. Takes up a bit more space, but you will be able to get frags easy enough from all those generous Calgarians to give it a good start. Plus, a 20g will give you more subjects to shoot :biggrin: You could even have fish in a 20g :biggrin:

Haha thanks Beverly - Actually I saw a really nice acrylic 12" cube on Nano-reef the other day and have been thinking about upgrading from this 8". If I do, you can bet there will be a movie involved!
Cheers,

- Chad

Hi all, after the amazing support and interst that people are showing for my tank in the lounge. I wanted to post some updated pictures.

Here I am drilling a eheim 2128 cannister filter to use instead of the 2222:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...85modified.jpg


Once I thread the electrical cord for the submersible pond lights through the hole, I will seal it with silicone. The main advantage to this filter will be the increase in water volume and more space for LR and chaeto. Also, it has a bit heftier hose connections than the 2222.

- Chad

The output of the 2128 is more than twice the output of the 2222 and would turn my tank into a desk-top fountain if not reduced. Fortunately, I was able to fit the impellor blades from the 2222 to the 2128 impellor!


http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...85impellor.jpg


After 5 gallon bucket flow tests, I am anticipating the flow to be roughly the same as it is currently. I am also wondering if the reduced load on the pump will increase its life...



And finally here is a picture of Ike laying on his back with one of the xanthid crabs that Kelly sent me (it looks like he is saying 'thank you Kelly').

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185lunch.jpg



- Chad

Well, I went in to work a couple hours early today and managed to swap over to the new filter. I put a bucket under the desk and as soon as I pulled the old hose off, I shoved the new one on. I only lost a little water and therefore was able to avoid draining the tank (and having to catch the mantis :eek: ).
I threaded the submersible lights through the hole that I drilled and sealed it with silicone. I also replaced the burned out bulb so now both are lit again. I put the LR rubble in the bottom compartment and the chaetomorpha in the middle compartment. I am currently curing some LR rubble that chrisd gave me which I plan on putting in the top compartment along with a bag of carbon once in a while.

Here is a picture of the new filter next to the one it replaced:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...5sidexside.jpg


The real test came when it came time to fire everything up. Sure enough, the moded impellor worked exactly how it was supposed to and despite the beefier filter, the flow in the tank is the same as it has always been!

Here is a shot of the two cannisters again, showing the submersible lights:



http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...1185inside.jpg



The media baskets on the new filter are dark plastic and don't allow the light to shine through the sides of the cannister like the last one - too bad, I always liked that glowing-reactor sort of look...

Going from eheims stats, the change of filters increased my sump volume from two liters to six liters. I am looking forward to seeing how it works out.
Thanks,

- Chad

Amazing what a little technical wizardry can do :cool: Hope it works as well as you hope. How much is 5 litres in gallons?

Thanks Beverly. 6 liters is 1.58 gallons. After checking a calculator, I realize that I over estimated my previous filter's volume - it was really only half a gallon.

- Chad

:cool: tank!
:cool: video!
...and I guess I like lame music, 'cuz I think it's :cool: too!
Who is it?

Cheers, :smile:

Haha, the music in that movie is "shallow water" by Sylver.
Thanks for the complinents!

- Chad

Here is a recent shot if the tank:


http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...85tankshot.jpg



This might be the last update on this setup. I have listed the tank for sale in the buy/sell/trade section so that I can raise some capital for a new system. I guess I could keep this tank if I could just find some investors... anyone want to go in with me on a new nano project? I can pretty much guarantee that we will all lose a lot of money in the endeavor :razz:

Cheers,

- Chad

It will live on....lol
 

This tank will be still alive as im going to try and set it up as mint as fish had it! i'll keep a thread going here once its setup.

Deacon,

That is a great idea! No one's looking forward to it more than me!!!

- Chad