7) Miniature photography.

Miniature photography using compact digital camera.

As for beginner (part 1), I will discuss the basic photography on miniature figures or glass ornaments to get start. Use this as our model and I have to practice with my steady hands on close-up shooting still objects. To begin with, my discussed options for getting close-up, focus on the smaller figures or ornaments from the camera and without using tripod making several different shots with the setting of ISO speed, white balance, exposure compensation EV +2 to -2, and others. And from there, we pick the best result of the pictures. Study the composition on each picture to understand the different setting so in order to improve our standard. Usually, when using point and shoot digital camera without much features as DSLR and less adjustment, but a good way to learn before investing into buying expensive camera. This practice gives some photographic tips and tricks for getting quality pictures of our shots. That's what my opinion in making best use of our money.

Lighting for photography.

Proper lighting for your photography will be the most important thing you can do to get an attractive detailed photo of the miniature shots. Will have two options--natural light, and artificial light (usually from a camera flash).

Indoor photography.

The interior of most houses will not have enough natural light to give you a good picture photo. Even if the light is bright enough, the "colour balance" of a photo (especially one taken with wrong exposure) can be off--yellowish with a regular light bulb, or greenish with a fluorescent bulb. Therefore, indoor photography will need a camera flash. For my case of close-up focus, I need to setup own lightings, and if using flash for close-up shots are not advisable.

Digital SLR.

For portrait or group photography in house, we need to check the distance range for our camera flash--just like our camera has a focus range for sharpness, it also has a distance range outside of which the flash will not give the proper amount of light If your camera flash operates for close-up work, and your flash is removable, you should consider getting an attachment which would allow your flash to operate off the camera, since lighting to the side of an object, and not straight in the front, is always more appealing (if we put the lighting off to the side, the lighting is not flat, and it will create proper, flattering shadows on your doll). Compact digital cameras generally do not have removable flash but with built in flash. (to be con’t)

6) Update my 3 ft. planted tank.

Hi, today I have clean up my tank and took a picture of my 5 months old tank with heavily planted. The tank size is 36" x 18" x 18" H, capacity 190 liters which house many cherry shrimps.

Flora species: Anubias barteri nana, Aponogeton ulvaceus.
Bacopa caroliniana, Cabomba caroliniana.
Tropical hornwort, Echinodurus tenellus.
Hygrophyla difformis, Windelov java fern.

Substract: Gex soil black colour. DIY Co2 using yeast and sugar.

Fertilizer: Seachem excel and seachem fertilizer.
Some of the plants are fast growing type and usually I will trimmed them once a month, for water change at once a week 30% and most of the time just top up water.

Red Cherry Shrimps.



This red cherry shrimps can be mess productive livestock and are hardy shrimps which can survived at temperature 27 to 32 degree celsius and are cheap in the marketplace. These shrimps feed on moss and riccia plants and their life span around 2 years, the maximum size they can grow to 2cm. Usually I feed them with Up brand " Red shrimp food" 2 times a day and it does not cloud the water. And it's good for beginner on this hobby. Cheers.



Date 08-08-08. (lucky number).

For many chinese, 08-08-08 is the luckiest date on the Gregorian calender, it comes once every 100 years. The date 08-08-08 particularly auspicious because chinese words for "eight" and "to prosper" sound the same. Many will choose this date celebrate wedding, birthday, house warming, engagement and many others. And today, my planted tank a sign of prosperous will update here with good wealth and health for my family. Hahaha, sound great.

Click on to the picture for larger image.

Added 2 ruffle plants and intend to look for more rocks to balance the view. The plants thrive and healthy growth, so far didn't see any major algae strike. May be need a light plants trimming. Hope you enjoy it.

2)Shrimps in my tank.

Bought some A grade crs from colourful aquarium.


















This crs shrimps should be constantly busy and active when it's introduce into the tank. If you see the shrimps starts keeping still and not behaving or eating as normal, then the water condition is not right or if you see them swim up and then float and grasp for air or motionless and let themselves get carried by the current then your water is in a state of emergency. Check on the water condition and temperature of the tank with test kits, still many things to learn in order to rear and breed this crs shrimps.



Shrimps moult on a regular basis as the sign of growing. A new shell will be formed which in time will be also be shed and replaced again. So, if you see an empty shrimp shell, you don't have to be alarmed. In fact, just leave it alone and it will be eaten back as a source of calcium. Actually, it is very interesting to see them moult and the shell shed left the image of shrimp alike and many time when I saw one, thought was a dead shrimp. LOL.



Type of food for the crs.





They should be fed a varied diet rich in vegetable matter. It is also good to have moss or riccia in the tank so that they have a ready snack when they are hungry and never starve. They also eat algae but there should not be algae in your tank because if so your nitrates is too high. Algae tablets/pellets for bottom feeders are available at most aquariums. I used to feed them with mosura shrimp food.

1) Aquatic Planted Tank.

Hi everyone, the picture you saw here is my latest aquascaping 2 ft. freshwater tank. Welcome to my blog and hope you have a pleasant read here!

This is what I have in mind to setup this tank in theme of " The Nature Park" which have the concept view of " Jurassic Park Adventure". The tank is mend to house Crystal Red Shrimps and I'm new in this hobby for the tiny invertebrates. Many of the local hobbyist would like to joint the forum as to share opinions and experiences on how to breed this little creatures, there are many who succeed in breeding higher grades. So, I always want to try out the lower grade A and B shrimps, because this shrimps are quite expensive and are very sensitive in condition of water.

The standard crs grading: grade c, b, a, and grade s, s+( v-band, tiger tooth, no entry) grade ss, sss and single hinomaru.

First of all when we prepare to set up a tank of any size, do a rough layout plans of what you intend to have inside such as plant, fauna, snail, crab and others.

The tank water conditions
Water should be no ammonia or nitrite present in your crs shrimp tank. If you didn't cycled properly the water in the tank, do not even think of loading any crs in it.
Optimum Temperature: 22 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Can tolerate up to 28 degrees Celsius (but only with strong aeration and non-overcrowded density.) Optimal pH: 6.2 to 7.2
Low alkaline to neutral pH is good for crs shrimps because invertebrate shells are alkaline in nature. Acidity is detrimental to shrimp shells as it reacts with its alkaline nature, causing microscopic pits. These pits can act as better platforms for micro insects to perch on. In an acidic tank, shrimp shells are less shiny because of these micro pit tings, making it more like a matt surface. Also, you may see the shrimps trying to brush off microscopic insects on its body.

Plants for the tank.
Anubias barteri, bacopa caroliniana, spiky moss, java moss, windelov, amazon sword and some which I do not know the name. When cycling the tank, I added some fertilize and seachem excel to let the plants absorb the nutrients from their roots. During this time the idea of adding nitrogen and phosphorus to the water, later bought a bottle of Nutrafin biological aquarium supplement to built up the bacteria in the water. Prepare Co2 (diy type) with 2bps. for 24/7 for the first week and later disconnect to let the tank runs in low-tech form.