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
Leaving for a while :/
- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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So as the heading says, I'm off on a new job abroad for the next 4 months, Now atm I only have 2 tanks running a small 20ltr shrimp setup and a larger 260ltr community tank,
So my girlfriend will still be in the house feeding the guys under strict rota

But my worry is, Is there anything I should be prepared for if anything happens while Im away?
Both tanks have good heaters, Jbl. The large tank has a 901 Jbl only 6 months old..
Like I went yesterday and got enough food for both tanks for the next 6 months, But if a problem does arise my GF doesn't have a clue about them,
I've given her the phone number of a good friend of mine on here, Inza Just in case it goes belly up..
I'm not leaving till next week, So over the next couple of days im going to do a good large water change trim the plants and clean the filters too,
I've also told her that if the water level drops just top it up with the correct amount of solution,
So has anybody ever left for a while- anything I could get prepared for?
Advice needed..
S.
Juwel Vision 260-
20ltr-Fluval Spec-
19ltr-Fluval Chi-
Keep The Water Fresh-
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- JohnH (John)
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That's what came straight to mind with me - can anyone else give any further advice?
Hopefully you'll return to everything running perfectly and you'll then wonder what you were worried about.
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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- irish-zx10r (James feenan)
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i know my friend has a app on the iphone and he can check all security cameras when he is away from the house
this way you will be able to keep a eye on things yourself. if you think thats a bit over the top get skype for video calls to the girlfriend
and u can talk her through some jobs that need doing on a daily and weekly bases.
Something fishie going on here
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- ger310 (Ger .)
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if you have broadband in the house i setup a webcam
i know my friend has a app on the iphone and he can check all security cameras when he is away from the house
this way you will be able to keep a eye on things yourself. if you think thats a bit over the top get skype for video calls to the girlfriend
and u can talk her through some jobs that need doing on a daily and weekly bases.
Well i can see why you were called 'James'!!
MI5
What do you call a three legged Donkey?
A Wonkey....duh ha

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- paulv (paul vickers)
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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A couple of thoughts - if you can, either show herself the required amount to feed - daily could be a bit too often with no water changes - for each tank and give her your log-in details for the Forum in the (hopefully uneeded) event that anything goes awry. She can then log on and ask for help. It might be as well, in six months' absence, that you show her a rudimentary way of changing some water, it needn't be a full-blown gravel vacuum change, but over that period of time some should be changed, at least once a week. I think, too, your filters will need some degree of attention in six months, I feel certain the flow rate will diminish to negligible in that time frame.
That's what came straight to mind with me - can anyone else give any further advice?
Hopefully you'll return to everything running perfectly and you'll then wonder what you were worried about.
John
Hi John thanks very much for your ideas, Ill pass on my info to her before I leave-
S.
Juwel Vision 260-
20ltr-Fluval Spec-
19ltr-Fluval Chi-
Keep The Water Fresh-
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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S.
Juwel Vision 260-
20ltr-Fluval Spec-
19ltr-Fluval Chi-
Keep The Water Fresh-
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- irish-zx10r (James feenan)
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thanks guys, Ill call via Skype and keep an eye that way, good idea..
S.

Great idea lol it has been a few year since i used skype
very handy way to keep intouch and its not expensive to use.
Something fishie going on here
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- gunnered72 (Eddy Gunnered)
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You will also end up with filter problems....I second what John said about filter flow rate also....In fact filters that receive no maintenance for that long may even stop running due to mulm build up.........
Honestly unless you have someone to change water and gravel vac even fortnightly for ya while your away you are gonna have problems...This probably sounds crazy moneywise but alot of fish stores will do maintenance on your tanks for a fee...Just a suggestion
I would also cut down on food....Feed only every second or third day....
If your not in love with your fish (and you probably are) and if they arent very valuable and rare you could consider selling them on or rehoming them and shutting the tank down...Would be terrific to come home to a new empty clean tank and start a new project...This is what i did when i wen to America for 3 months last year
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- irish-zx10r (James feenan)
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www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=10000...27427&fref=tl_fr_box
he might be of some help
Something fishie going on here
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