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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Lidl Shelves

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14 Aug 2011 19:19 #1 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
I was looking at this for stacking a few small 2ft tanks - it says 175kg per shelf.

Can anyone see if there's anything wrong with using it for holding tanks? Apart from the room between shelves, it looks big enough & strong enough . .

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14 Aug 2011 19:37 #2 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Re: Lidl Shelves
I could see a use for those myself actually, surely they wouldn't claim the weight-carrying capacity if it was untrue?
(Typical me, naive and trusting idiot).
Might be worth getting one to try it out Lidl are pretty good at refunding if things aren't right.
John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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14 Aug 2011 20:59 #3 by ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
Now thats exactly what i need :-) Any chance ya find me one here in norway that cheap he he :-)

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14 Aug 2011 20:59 #4 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
Replied by Jim (Jim Lawlor) on topic Re: Lidl Shelves
Yeah - I think i'll give it a go - what's the worst that can happen? (Dont answer)

I'm looking to load up 5 small tanks - 3x30l, a 90l and a 72l - at a kilo per litre thats only 252 kg, so hopefully lots of contingency!

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14 Aug 2011 21:08 #5 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
I have the same type but got from Woodies.
They will hold the weight as said, but if stacked as the full 5 tier there will be a stability problem unless the unit is harnessed to the wall properly.

Mine can be set-up un-stacked and arranged as either a long shelf or set-up in an L-shape. The latter is very strong and stable especially on a deep shag-pile carpet (which is white....ummm....white carpet and fish tanks should not be in the same sentence, but there you go :) ).

If set-up unstacked, these will easily hold a two 3 foot tanks, and two 2 foot (or 30 inch) tanks underneath (you won't fit a 3 foot unless it is built in whilst constructing the shelves.....I've tried it).

40 euro......try getting a chip-board cabinet for that price.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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15 Aug 2011 00:07 #6 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
The main problem could be (i say 'could') is if the width of the tank is very much less than the width of the shelf: these tend to be chipboard shelves and a tank could simply be sitting without upward support.
Hence, it may need some extra bottom support.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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15 Aug 2011 07:48 #7 by fergusq (Fergus Q)
Replied by fergusq (Fergus Q) on topic Re: Lidl Shelves
in their picture, none of the stuff is above the supports and a fish tank should at least have evenly spread weight.....but Id agree in principle. Id almost prefer a wider tank on it that straddles the supports.

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15 Aug 2011 09:38 #8 by igmillichip (ian millichip)

in their picture, none of the stuff is above the supports and a fish tank should at least have evenly spread weight.....but Id agree in principle. Id almost prefer a wider tank on it that straddles the supports.


'tis true that the few pots of paint weighing a few kilo are not above the supports.
The max weight quoted refers to an evenly distributed weight.....a fish tank would give that but only if the edges can be supported upwards by the metal on the stand by at least 2 opposing sides.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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15 Aug 2011 09:59 #9 by donohoe (Andrew Donohoe)
As said i think that unless the tanks are touching the metal edges the chipboard could lead to bowing. Also if you do get it make sure you secure it to the Walls to stop it toppling over as it would probably be top heavy.

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15 Aug 2011 20:42 #10 by alan.s (alan)
Replied by alan.s (alan) on topic Re: Lidl Shelves
Just from my point of view as a fitter I'd be wary about putting too much weight on them as there is a lot of holes on the upright straights . Really depends where you put it and if you bolt it to the wall. If the uprights were thicker I'd say work away. But I've seen this stuff crumble under weight before. Would be cool if its strong enough though.

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19 Aug 2011 15:36 #11 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Re: Lidl Shelves
Well,


Did anyone buy these?

I bought the second last one in Birr last evening, and very heavy it was too (for someone with only one arm which works properly).

I was standing there deciding whether or not to buy the last one as well (the thought of lifting another one into the shopping trolley was the deciding factor) when a couple of much younger, fitter Eastern European lads came along and one of them effortlessly picked it up and carried (CARRIED, mind you) it to the checkout.

So, I had to be content with the one.

It's still on the back seat of the car at the moment, but on first look I would suggest that the idea that the shelves would need to be braced is one I would go along with.

I actually need my one for 18" tanks 'end-on' and I think it will be ideal for this purpose.
One thing's for certain, since the shelves are basically chipboard I will give these a few coats of waterproof stain (good old Ronseal again) since water and chipboard are uneasy bedfellows, we all know how susceptible chipboard is to turning to 'mush' when it gets wet...and with the greatest will in the world this WILL happen, no matter how careful we are (well, for 'we' read 'John).

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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20 Aug 2011 20:37 #12 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
Replied by Jim (Jim Lawlor) on topic Re: Lidl Shelves
All sold out around where I've looked - anyone actualy opened the box yet?

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