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
Making the switch.. :/ Co2 newb..
- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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I found a YouTube vid on DIY co2 kits today and I made it my mission to get one..... made today!!
So anyone got any experience with these homemade solutions? any advice on them?
Simply all I did was a yeast mixture in a 2ltr bottle and put the line into a smaller bottle and from that a line into my little fluval chi 19ltr and the bubbles are coming out about 1 every 2 seconds, I know its very basic but im feckin delighted with it

A question I have is, I have just gravel in my little tank and some bog wood with moss on it, Is there a way to make plants grow in just gravel or would I have to take everything out and add substrate etc./??
Advice greatly appreciated,
SM
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- bart (Bart Korfanty)
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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Keep the water fresh
SM
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Keep The Water Fresh-
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- Homer (Kevin)
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If you decide to go down the other route co2 wise, there's a Cylinder here with your Name on it.
H.
The Glass is always greener on the other side.
It's NOT "Chee lick", NOT "Chee Chee Licks"!!! Cichlids is pronounced as "Sick Lids"!!!!!
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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SM
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- irish-zx10r (James feenan)
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Something fishie going on here
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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And on the topic of controlling the flow yes Im sure you'll need a Diffuser.. Honestly I need to look more into it, Ive taken some snaps so ill see if theres any results!
SM
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- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
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www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/artic...onstructing-a-diy-co
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- newbejkjimk (damien kelly)
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Like you I had a home made co2 set up and it worked pretty well I used a bubble ladder to defuse the co2 into the water the bubbles of co2 would get smaller as they climbed the ladder. I no longer use it as I managed to upgrade to a pressurised co2 set up with solenoid and regulator that I picked up pretty cheap.
Jim
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- irish-zx10r (James feenan)
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Hi,
Like you I had a home made co2 set up and it worked pretty well I used a bubble ladder to defuse the co2 into the water the bubbles of co2 would get smaller as they climbed the ladder. I no longer use it as I managed to upgrade to a pressurised co2 set up with solenoid and regulator that I picked up pretty cheap.
Jim
I hope to have a few like yours after Xmas new law in work means all under 2014 with old fittings have to be replaced
With new fire extenders for now I going to go with the two 2 ltr bottles
Something fishie going on here
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- newbejkjimk (damien kelly)
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Jim
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- irish-zx10r (James feenan)
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Sorry stem12 for asking the questions on your trend I just like to do the same as yourself and get a few plants to grow in my tank
Something fishie going on here
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- Homer (Kevin)
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I have an empty fire extinguisher bottle if you want it you are welcome to it and you could get it filled I think its around €20
Jim
Already offered a full Cylinder free of charge.
H.
The Glass is always greener on the other side.
It's NOT "Chee lick", NOT "Chee Chee Licks"!!! Cichlids is pronounced as "Sick Lids"!!!!!
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- newbejkjimk (damien kelly)
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jim
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- newbejkjimk (damien kelly)
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And all you need is a fire extinguisher a regulator, solenoid (is optional the solenoid turns the regulator on and off automatically but you can do this manually)a drop checker which you add 4dkh solution to this monitors the co2 levels in the tank, a one way valve, a bubble counter and a diffuser to break up the co2 bubbles in the tank
Jim
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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So if I got this Bottle off -H- how long do they last guys? Like I have to refill how often montly etc?
SM
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- newbejkjimk (damien kelly)
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- Homer (Kevin)
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H.
The Glass is always greener on the other side.
It's NOT "Chee lick", NOT "Chee Chee Licks"!!! Cichlids is pronounced as "Sick Lids"!!!!!
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- Homer (Kevin)
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solenoid (is optional the solenoid turns the regulator on and off automatically but you can do this manually)
Jim
A Solenoid makes things so much easier as the likelihood of you forgetting is very high, the Solenoid will prevent CO2 from entering the Tank at a time when it is not needed, in a Tank that is very well planted and stocked to capacity Fish wise, CO2, which is absorbed by Plants at Night (and of course by the inhabitants), a reverse to the day-time norm, will deplete O2 causing Fish to gasp at the surface. It will also increase the time it takes to use up your CO2.
H.
The Glass is always greener on the other side.
It's NOT "Chee lick", NOT "Chee Chee Licks"!!! Cichlids is pronounced as "Sick Lids"!!!!!
Please Log in to join the conversation.