"Fittest" Day 95!

Almost a centimetre long.

I've been monitoring "Fittest" to ensure it's not dying, luckily it isn't. In fact the 3rd trap which I've suspected was not going to develop has no signs of dead/drying up. I think it is growing, looks like "Fittest" is also putting up it's 4th trap! Still very tiny though.

I don't see the pest wriggling around anymore, it's already 20 days later when I've first noticed it on my photos. Let's hope it's been wipe out after I sprinkle some mosquito control powder.

I've been looking a some other member's young VFT seeding and theie 1st trap already has long cilias, unlike "Fittest", already on it's 4th trap but the 1st trap is still so small and the cilias seems to stop growing. Do you guys think it have some unique traits or mutated growth ?

Day 95: How long is "Fittest" now! The 1st biggest trap is about 1 millimetre long.


"Fittest" survives dry spell. But seems like the first 2 non-carnivore leaves wont make it.

3rd trap is doing well, and 4th trap is still very tiny.


1st Trap side view! I think that strain of fibre is the cotton I used to put together. Cilias stops growing.

Here's a Video on my VFT seedling ( 80 days with Fittest)

Ok its done!

I have set my camera to automatically capturingphotos of "Fittest" for a couple of weeks. In total 81 days but there is about 10 days missing after I potted it from water to LFS.

The last video I've uploaded was in the first part of the video, it ends at 1m05s and the new part start from there onwards. The "visitor" appears frequently from 6m onwards and mostly seen from 6m20s for about 20s.

The video is about 7m24s long and it's abit too lengthy, but overall you can observe the growth of a VFT seedling from germination till 2nd trap starts to develop. I cannot control every picture's lighting so there are flickers all the time due to day and night photographing, it affects the camera's sensor.

Please feel free to give any feedback. Thank you! Best watch in Full Hd and Full screen.

Venus Fly trap in 80 days

The visitor! - A micro bug in Vft mouth?!

I can't get my mind off the snake, I'm going to upload the photo, only minor post processing was done. A little lighting/exposure and added my water mark below the snake.

There were a few more photos I spotted, but this was the clearest! Please advise if anyone can identify this pest? Should I do something about it or just leave it alone?

"Fittest" has a visitor!

Minor updates

"Fittest" is going through some trouble, I've notices the same black dots that appeared on "Caterpillar" and "Santa" is now on "Fittest". The result wasn't positive on them so I'm worried. I've the medium is drier than before. Probably "Fittest" still needs to be sitting in wetter medium. I've quickly spray some water over and hopes for the best for now. The other sad thing I've observed on "Fittest". A 3rd trap was forming half way and looks to me like it died off there. Probably due to lack of water too.

Day 89: "Fittest" going through some dry damage. Black dots observe at very high magnification. 3rd trap observed to stop growing and the tip seems to died off.



1st Trap suffering some black dots


"Fittest"



I've take a look at the sphagnum moss and I am quite sure it wasn't algae growing. Looks to me like the moss itself is really coming to life. But I cannot decide yet.

Here's some closed up:

My Camera Equipments on Macro Photography

My hobby is Macro photography. For 90% of these photos here, I was using a Nikon D90 on nikkor 85mm F3.5 lens, I had a snap-on magnification 24X lens on top of the nikkor 85mm. External flash SB900 1/2 -1/4 flash power w DIY diffuser.

Setting: ISO 200. Aperture f/25-32. Shutter speed 1/160.


Camera body : Nikon D90


External flash(preferred to have 1 any range but not too outdated for better control)



Macro lenses : Nikkor 85mm f.35


Hollow tubes - to achieve Macro when attached to certain lens like 50mm F2.8


Camera with 1 hollow tube and 50mm lenses to achieve closed up photography/Macro and a DIY flash diffuser


Camera with a Macro lenses and external flash unit and DIY Diffuser


Camera with a Macro lenses and DIY diffuser using only built in flash


Camera with madly modified attempt but the purpose of this photo is show an example on the last lenses that is reversed mounted.


My latest set up , Camera on a sturdy Tripod using built in flash with diy diffuser and a intervelo meter shutter release for Time-lapse photography


A discontinued set of magnified add on lenses to increase macro ratio, was lucky to bought a used set from a French on-line shop.




And one of those best Macro photo I could achieved with some of the equipments combined together was this 2 cm Jumping spider's eyes. You could see my camera and the spider's legs in it's eyes.

Happy Valentine's Day 2013

`Happy Lunar New Year everyone!! It's a new calender year or moon phase, also know as Chinese New Year. This is also part of the reason for the late update.

More info on the Lunar New Year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_New_Year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunisolar_calendar
Images

Update on batches seeds movements:
TC batches has no obvious development.
"Tiny" has no obvious development.
Rest of "ST DA" and "RR DR" VFT seed has molding so I've threw them away.
I've transfer the last Drosera Aglica seed from ST DA batch and the 2 VFT seeds from Mix batch to Fittest's container.

Something Bad happen to "Santa", Twice!!
A week ago, I've noticed "Santa's" color been turning more brown, afraid it will not grow, I've quickly placed it in LFS with "Caterpillar". "Caterpillar's" been missing, I coulnd't find it. Lets hope they grow. The other bad thing, the wind was too strong today, it swept the small container where "Santa" and "Caterpillar" sits, off the window about a meter down to my table. Luckily, only some sphagnum moss fell out, "Santa's" still in place, but I don't know about "Caterpillar" :(

Day 81 "Santa" don't look so good, hope it'll survive...




"Fittest's" been growing! It's second trap looks like it's gonna open, I could see a slit from the trap. Taking a good look at the first trap. I really wonder if that is the final development...? Could it have some traits of the sawtooth?

"Fittest" at Day 85. First trap, I thought I see a tiny trigger hair..?


"Fittest" at Day 85. Second Trap, ready to open!




Day 27. Some good sun from past weeks has "Baby" growing, the colors on the leaves got greener compared to a few weeks back when I've first got it.



I think I had enough monitoring CP seeds germinate in closed up / Macro for now, so I wont be germinating seeds in water for a while. I've set up a seed germinating container and sow the rest of my 19 Royal Red, Sawtooth UK #1 and Mix VFT seeds in it. I've dropped additional 3 Drosera Anglica and about 6 Drosera Rotundifolia seeds hoping to get some random germination.

I'll name this mixed batch of 4 different cp seeds, "Rojak batch" 25 seeds on 14 February 2013

In Singapore, when we mix everything together, we simply call it "Rojak". Name of a malay dish.

Rojak batch Day 1




The New Zealand Sphagnum moss that I used, was boiled to make sure no fungus came together from the pack. Somehow the moss from "Baby's" pot is turning green slowly and seems to be growing well? Is that possible after boiling/killing the plant totally?

Sphagnum moss turning green with shoots?



Lasly, Happy Valentine's Day to all too :)