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In the following article, I explore the effects of aperture, exposure, ISO, flash, and camera motion on night photography. By utilizing some straightforward tricks, one can accomplish many interesting effects.
Author: Chris Bemis
Twisting camera during exposure of moonlit path.
I wrote the following article as a guide for nighttime photography equipment. While I have upgraded my own equipment over the years, a simple consumer grade camera and tripod can open up the door to new opportunities. I suggest referencing the article as something to aim for, not an absolute requirement.
The AquaClear 50 powerhead is an aquarium pump designed to improve circulation, aerate water, and with the filter cartridge accessory, polish water.
I find it works best to polish water when cleaning the tank. The filter picks up all the debris that gets churned around when vacuuming the gravel.
I published a review here on the powerhead. I purchased the powerhead from Amazon
This 13 step process is what I use to clean my 55 gallon African cichlid aquarium. It is my thorough monthly cleaning.
Some steps can be cut out to do a simple water change once a month as well.
As my African cichlids tripled in size, my Tetra FS 30-60 power filter lacked the filtration capacity for my 55 gallon aquarium. Three died from disease related to inadequate filtration. As a result, I upgraded to a Fluval 305 External canister Filter.
The change has been dramatic. The water is now crystal clear and the cichlids are much less prone to disease. I highly recommend the Fluval 305 for 55 gallon tanks, or any related product line for tanks up to 100 gallons or more.
I found an ideal combination of wafers, flakes, and pellets to feed my African cichlids. I outline the feeding regiment here
The short of it is this:
Breakfast: Hikari Algae Wafers: $6.57 (2.89oz)
Lunch: Zoo Med Spirulina 20 Flake Fish Food: $12.67 (4oz)
Dinner: New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula – 300 g: $11.99
Once a week treat: brine shrimp or bloodworm.
From Carbon to Coffee Bean, A Visual Scale
Jul 30 2011 7:07:39 pm EST
Topics:From the Genetics Science Learning Center at the University of Utah, I found this excellent Flash animation that displays a scaled representation of various organisms, bacteria, viruses, and molecules down to a carbon atom.
The animation helps put in perspective the size of the systems responsible for life. In particular, I am surprised by the size of viruses, and can appreciate the difficulty in detecting them.
Bodily Surface and Volume in an Organism
Jul 25 2011 5:00:00 pm EST
Topics:D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson notes that there is a tendency in all organisms for bodily surface to keep pace with volume.
Multicellular organisms, like unicellular organisms, require a constant supply of nutrients and various gasses. A unicellular organism may absorb the various nutrients and respiratory gases directly from their surrounding environment. However, as the sheer quantity of cells increases in an organism, the distance between the environment and the cells increases, and various organ systems are required to transport nutrients and gasses.
The circulatory system utilizes fractal branching structures to maximize surface area for distribution of these gases and nutrients. Air sacs and alveoli greatly increase the respiratory surface of the lung. The long tract of the intestine is itself lined with small villi to maximize nutrient absorption. These systems each utilize some method to increase surface area to keep pace with volume. Consider the following passage from “On G
Bird Coloration: Pigments and Structural Colors
Jul 22 2011 5:00:00 pm EST
Topics:The remarkable diversity in color and iridescence of birds is achieved by pigments and structural colors.
Pigments are colored substances that reflect certain wavelengths of light, while absorbing others. It is the reflected light that is identified as the pigment’s color. Pigments are located on the skin or feathers of the bird and are independent of the structure of the feather. Bird pigments come in three different groups: melanins, carotenoids, and porphyrines.
Melanins are the primary determinate in human skin color. They also serve to color the skin and feathers of birds, as well as providing strength and durability to feathers. Melanins produce blacks, reddish browns, and pale yellows.
Interestingly, a feather without any pigmentation is the weakest of all. White birds will often have melanin fortified black feathers on their wings where they are subject to the greatest stress.
Carotenoids are naturally occurring organic pigments in the chloroplasts and chromoplas
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