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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

80ltr dirted tank project

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19 Jan 2013 19:45 #1 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
So I had this 80 ltr out in the shed and decided to do a dirted tank,
I have aquatic soil 2/3s on the bottom around an inch deep maybe a bit more
Capped with play sand,

A 30ltr hob filter plus a 80ltr sponge filter and a 150w heater,
I have mostly broad leaf stuff weighted down with stone.

Il seed the filters with filter sponges from my 180 tomorrow

I plan on a couple of dwarf gouramis and a 9 strong shoal of harliquins

Also dosing with 2ml of easy carbo daily


Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN
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19 Jan 2013 20:00 #2 by bmcg38 (Brian McGrath)
cool ...


where you thinking on getting the gouramis from ?

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19 Jan 2013 20:22 #3 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
That will remain to be seen,
I'd say seahorse would be the place!
Il have to get some floating plants also!

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN

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19 Jan 2013 23:02 #4 by JohnH (John)
Looks to be another interesting project, I'm very interested to see how this goes on and develops.

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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19 Jan 2013 23:22 #5 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Il stick up photos good or bad weekly,
Have a good feeling about this one.
Can't wait for it to cycle!
And get some floating plants and some bogwood.

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN

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19 Jan 2013 23:51 #6 by JustinK (Justin Kelly)
I take it you have predictive text on and thats a planted tank.
If your seeding from live filters then arent you ready to go with an instant cycle
unless the chlorine in the water wips out all the bacteria?

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20 Jan 2013 00:06 #7 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
I've never done it before tbh!
So just being a bit cautious.
Plus ive only capped the soil this evening and I have fillterfloss bundled in the filter to clear the water

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN

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27 Jan 2013 13:07 #8 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Well I was going to get some dwarf gourami for this tank but decided to get a pair of apistos instead!
Des in maxi zoo sorted me out with a nice pair of pandurinis,
I also put in some new bogwood and coconut shell with some anubias congensis and anubias bartering var. Nana

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN

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27 Jan 2013 13:12 #9 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Well I was going to get some dwarf gourami for this tank but decided to get a pair of apistos instead!
Des in maxi zoo sorted me out with a nice pair of pandurinis,
I also put in some new bogwood and coconut shell with some anubias congensis and anubias bartering var. Nana


Male


Female?




Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN
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27 Jan 2013 13:32 #10 by theangryman (chris)
Lookin great, keep the pics comin

"I try to incorporate melody. Even though I'm screaming, I still like to think I bring melody into screaming."
Tom Araya

If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read "President Can't Swim........Lyndon B Johnson

All my...

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27 Jan 2013 14:28 #11 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Cheers,will do.

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN

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27 Jan 2013 21:33 #12 by des (des)
Replied by des (des) on topic 80ltr dirted tank project
Looking Good

the Tank looks really well, nice to see the Plants on the Wood
the Pandurinis are little Beauts, good to see they have settled in well...
Can't wait to see more Pix, especially when They start Breeding for You, No better Man !!!

Enjoyed the Chat the other day
;)


Des

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04 Feb 2013 21:30 #13 by Wackoo (Niall)
Hi angelcichlid

I was thinking of setting up a small 30ltr dirted tank

just wondering how your project is getting on and any tips?

Cheers
Niall

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04 Feb 2013 22:00 #14 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Hi niall,
I'm not to sure about tips as such because it's my first
Time having ago!
I use Bowers aquaitc pond soil as a base!
Now I mixed it with a little water,and left it for a month
You don't have to do this but I did.
And have it around an inch thick,
Stuck a plate in on top of the soil and put in a couple of litres
Just enough to cover the soil!
Let it sit for a day and then bang the plants in!
I tied the plants to small rocks to keep them down and then washed play sand for capping
Another inch!
Now I red afterwards that you can put your soil with capped sand or gravel first and then
Do your plants, the roots will find there way to the soil!
Also something I didn't do is use crushed red clay pots it helps with iron or minerals.






Here's some recent photos,
Hope this helps

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN
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04 Feb 2013 22:12 #15 by Wackoo (Niall)
Thanks a million!

Yeah i think it's a really interesting project to get underway with :)

Have you noticed better plant growth or is it too soon?

Cheers
Niall

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05 Feb 2013 10:42 #16 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Yea,
Really good considering it only running two weeks.

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN

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12 Feb 2013 21:04 #17 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Just a quick update,
Some of the plants have died off!
I'm not sure if they will grow back or not but here's hoping!
On the other hand some of them have taken quite well.
Ive added my trusty diy c02 on Saturday gone so this might help the dyn plants.
I also lost a female apisto?
She was dead when I came home from work but the rest seem fine!
Theres a male and female after taking up resident in the coconut shell
So fingers crossed they pair up!








Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN
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13 Feb 2013 14:22 #18 by JohnH (John)
That's an interesting thought, let's hope you get overrun with young Apistos.

Any news on the Angels?

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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13 Feb 2013 20:16 #19 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
I hope so!
All the angels spawn are gone!
Gonna move them to a bigger tank and separate
The male after the next spawn!

Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,


And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN

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