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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

Red Clawed Crayfish

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01 Jul 2007 11:37 #1 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
I shouldn't have gone to the pet store today. I couldn't say no to buying this amazing crayfish. Does anyone here have any experience with them? I know the basics of caring for them but would love to know if it will eat into my plants and if there are any special requirments?

EDIT made to Post Subject, Fish identified correctly.

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01 Jul 2007 12:05 #2 by paulm (paulm)
Replied by paulm (paulm) on topic Re: Red Clawed Crayfish
A pal of mine kept a crayfish in a 150Ltr community tank and it killed two Angles he had since he stareted keeping fish . :evil: :evil: So keep your eye on him the best of luck mate.

regards Paul.

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01 Jul 2007 12:16 #3 by Acara (Dave Walters)
Mine has absolutely destroyed the plants I had in the tank.They are scavengers and will eat pretty much anything,I read somewhere that they are 80% vegetarian,I wouldn't think this is true,unless they were fed 80% vegetable matter.They love Lidl frozen prawns.
Substrate in the tank is pea size gravel,and he spends a lot of time moving this around.There is a flat piece of rock lying on the bottom,he has moved all the gravel from under it,so it now forms a roof to his gaff.
Interesting to keep and watch.Tank mate is a mogurnda goby,about 5-6in long,I wouldnt keep them with anything smaller or less hardy,like those angels,they will end up as dinner.

always on the lookout for interesting corys.pm me if you know off any!

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01 Jul 2007 12:55 #4 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
:) thanks for the replies!!

Sure if I have troulbe with him I'm sure some of you guys would be happy to take him...I'm sure someone would! This guy/girl (haven't looked yet) is 5 - 6" in length and his Long antennae are LONG!! :) They're about the length of his body. He's obviously blue but has orange on his cheliped and some green and red along his cephalothorax and abdomen.

I had him in one of my tanks where the real plants were planted but he pulled them up so he's now in the gravel bed tank with all my community fish. He has left them alone so far. He was kept in a tank with fish in the pet store so hopefully he doesn't see them as dinner!!

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01 Jul 2007 14:09 #5 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
Just looked up the blue crayfish on the internet and what I have is not a blue crayfish. It seems to be a Cherax Destructor, an australian crayfish or a Cherax quadricarinatus (red claw crayfish).

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01 Jul 2007 15:12 #6 by zale (Mark carroll)
Well,
I have a species tank of these guys (cherax quadricarinatus - redclaw) as far as I know and I'm no expert Quads are the only crayfish you can buy legally here.

From my experience, I learned the hard way, eventually it will seriously hurt or kill any fish it can hold in it's pinchers. They do pull all plants out of the substrate and are little bulldozers. They eat anything, including fish poo.

An absolute must for these is loads of aeration,

Here's a little more on them for ya.
www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/r90024.htm

scorphonic can ya post a picture of it, does it look like this.


Mark

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01 Jul 2007 15:46 #7 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
Yes, it looks very much like that one, identical in fact. I cant see the red/orange on the cheliped on that one but if it does have a red part on the outside then it is identical.

I'm kinda scared now, he's a very nice looking crayfish but I am more attached to my fish...why didn't I think of this when I was buying him.

I wont be keeping him though. I will get rid of him ASAP, hopefully to Wackers coz I'm working near to it. I dont want any of my fish being hurt because of me introducing the crayfish to the tank. The lights are off now in the tank so I hope the fish that sleep on the bottom are not dead in the morning.

I think this is my stupid mistake for this year. :oops:

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01 Jul 2007 15:55 #8 by zale (Mark carroll)
The one in my picture doesn't have red on the cheliped cause it's female yours must be male so, only the males have red.

If you what to get rid of it, I'd gladly buy it off ya. Up to yourself, even further down the line if it gets to big, I'll give it a good home. :wink:


Mark

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01 Jul 2007 16:06 #9 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
:) That would be nice if I cant sell him to Wackers. Do you happen to pass through Dunshaughlin/Batterstown/Ratoath or Navan during your commute home from work?

Mullingar is a long way to go! :)

I bought him for 18 euro(is this expensive) so I'd be happy to sell for 15...or if I was ripped off from the store then I'd settle for less. :)

O and its already about 5 to 6 inches..I'm not going to measure the thing..would take my finger off!! :lol: and its darn active..climbing up the air pipes to the surface!!

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01 Jul 2007 16:18 #10 by zale (Mark carroll)
:D I wouldn't expect you to drive that far. What size is he, sound a little dear but it depends on the size (size does matter)
If ya want to see if wackers take him, do, seeing you work close to it. If not I'll drive up to you, we'll sort out something.


Mark

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01 Jul 2007 16:23 #11 by Acara (Dave Walters)
Make sure you keep the lid on tight,I have put tape over the gaps around the wiring,they will try to get out.

only a tenner in Brittas :D and thats not counting discount for being a club member! :D :D

always on the lookout for interesting corys.pm me if you know off any!

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01 Jul 2007 16:24 #12 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
Cool...sure I can let you know what happens!! I'll pop into wackers tomorrow and ask if I dont get an e-mail beforehand.

We can meet halfway to save you all that hassle if you end up getting him :)

He is from head to tail about 5 inches and one inch in width. His claws are small from what I have seen compared with other crayfish and dublin bay prawns!!

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01 Jul 2007 16:27 #13 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)

Make sure you keep the lid on tight,I have put tape over the gaps around the wiring,they will try to get out.

only a tenner in Brittas :D and thats not counting discount for being a club member! :D :D


:oops: A tenner it is so... :wink:

He's tried climbing up alright...but he wont get through the gaps..I have too many things entering the tank that there's isn't much of a gap any longer. I'd love to have a tank with these guys coz they are super to watch...they eat anything!! I put in large pieces of fish food and he rocketed towards it and gobbled it all up!! I put in sinking pellets and that is keeping him happy since he's spending most of his time in that area of the tank picking them out!!

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01 Jul 2007 16:29 #14 by zale (Mark carroll)
That'll do let me know how you get on.

The claws on quads are very small even fully grow compared to destrutors
:wink:


Mark

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01 Jul 2007 16:37 #15 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
No problem Zale, I'll ring Wackers tomorrow (save me the walk from Trinity!!!) and when I know i'll PM you. Check around 2 o clock and you should have an answer from me by then.

Since Aquatic Village charge 10 euro...I'll match that.

Athboy would be half way for me if that suits you, I'm just in Dunshaughlin.

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01 Jul 2007 16:43 #16 by zale (Mark carroll)
Sounds good 8) 2pm ish I'll check so.


Mark

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