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
blackwater tank
- clifford (Clifford)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 11
- Thank you received: 1
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- ger310 (Ger .)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 1000
- Thank you received: 164
Ger
What do you call a three legged Donkey?
A Wonkey....duh ha

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Patrick888 (Patrick Drummey)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 56
- Thank you received: 7
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- paddyc1 (Paddy Corrigan)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 377
- Thank you received: 38
Tallaght, Dublin 24
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- clifford (Clifford)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 11
- Thank you received: 1

i have 3 discus -3 to follow, 1 angle might change as im not happy with mixing them or else ile just go altums altogether, 12 rummies and about 20 to follow, apistogrammasx2, 2 bronze and 2 peppered corries, bristlenose plec, loads of alder cone, oakleaves and ash leaves to tan and lover ph along with tormec in 2 jbl 1500 c profi filters. getting some low leveled led spots, maybe 5watts x 4 and 10watts x 2 and i can dirrect them to exactly where i want them and level of intensity required
what do ye think?
thanks lads
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- wylam (Stuart Sexton)
-
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 564
- Thank you received: 92
cheers stuart.
Multi tasking: Screwing up more than one thing at a time.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- ghart (Greg Hart)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 434
- Thank you received: 31
Lovely Tank and plenty of space for more fish.
What plants have you got there. Is that an Anubis on the bogwood.
Are you just using silica sand in the base.
You are right to rethink mixing Angelfish with Discus.
I was in Aquatic Village today and their new mother plants are huge. They would look great in your big tank.
Keep the pictures coming as you progress the tank.
Greg
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- clifford (Clifford)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 11
- Thank you received: 1
the leaves and cone help lower the ph but i just started using them and water looks like weak tea, it is an anubas on the wood. hopefully getting the spot lights tomor so ile stick up a few more pics. i also have 2 huge vallis plants that are about 4 foot long at eighter side and look amazing but it is putting out shoot and i now have around ten plants on each side. thanks for the comments also lads
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- ghart (Greg Hart)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 434
- Thank you received: 31
I managed to lower the PH for my Discus tank by using a mix of RO and tap water over a number of water changes. You could also use Tetra Blackwater Extract to get the tea/brown water effect.
Keep the pictures coming.
Greg
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- clifford (Clifford)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 11
- Thank you received: 1
cheers
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- ghart (Greg Hart)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 434
- Thank you received: 31
I know what you are looking to achieve with the onatural look.
The tank looks great and I would say the spot lights must have a relaxing visual effect of a evening.
I'm doing a 5 foot Amazon type setup myself though not on the lines you are doing.
The tank is due to arrive this week.
I will not be using sand or substrate . I will use river gravel and have my plants in pots (with substrate base and gravel on top) sunk into the grave. I am using T5 lights and the tank will be well lit for 8 to 10 hrs of the day. I will be using bogwood but not any of the root type stuff as I am afraid some of my expensive Discus will get injured by the spikey wood if they dart about the tank when frightened.
Greg
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Melander (Andreas Melander)
-
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 797
- Thank you received: 140
I can imagine that the rummies look great in there!
Thanks for sharing.
Melander
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- clifford (Clifford)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 11
- Thank you received: 1
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- clifford (Clifford)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 11
- Thank you received: 1
Please Log in to join the conversation.