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

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a few Pix of Rams, Gudeons etc. etc.

des (des)
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09 Feb 2013 02:03 - 09 Feb 2013 02:05 #1 by des (des)

felt like taking a few Pix, sure why not ?

cheers
Des

soundcloud.com/eiredes-2
Æ

Last edit: 09 Feb 2013 02:05 by des (des).

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09 Feb 2013 02:25 #2 by SpiderMonkey (Mark O'Neill)

Awesome pic's Des those rams looks the business. What lens you using

Mark

www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...planted-tank-journal

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Orlando (Radek)
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09 Feb 2013 09:19 #3 by Orlando (Radek)

Stunning pictures and fish

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Deaglan (Deaglan)
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09 Feb 2013 11:52 #4 by Deaglan (Deaglan)

Stunning pics and fish. The Rams are beauts

260l South American Community tank

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JohnH (John)
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09 Feb 2013 12:32 #5 by JohnH (John)

Great snaps Des, Those Empire Gobies are stunning - as are the Rams, I wish I had bought some last visit, maybe next time (all being well - when I can afford the toll).
Thanks for letting us see them.

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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09 Feb 2013 13:16 #6 by Santiagovalcarcel (Santiago)

Beautiful fish mate :-)

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dubdero (derek kearns)
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09 Feb 2013 14:58 #7 by dubdero (derek kearns)

Very colourful gobies excellent

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Gonefishy (Brian oneill)
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09 Feb 2013 15:58 #8 by Gonefishy (Brian oneill)

Wow. I love the gobies....great pics...

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des (des)
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09 Feb 2013 22:14 #9 by des (des)

SpiderMonkey wrote:
Awesome pic's Des those rams looks the business. What lens you using

Mark

Hey Mark

cheers Man

I'm using a Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 G & a SIGMA EX 105mm 1:2.8 D MACRO with a Nikon D60 Camera
I think the Macro lens gives a way better result but is way harder to use than the other lens because for one, there's no auto zoom on the Macro, the tinyest of movements and it's out of Focus etc. etc.
there's (I think) 31 pix in this post, I took 215, kept, resized, cropped 31 & deleted all the rest...
little Feckers to Photograph but well worth the patients & persistance I think...

Des

soundcloud.com/eiredes-2
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des (des)
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09 Feb 2013 22:23 #10 by des (des)

cheers for all the comments Lads !!!
I think Fish Keeping & photography are two hobbies that work really well together
the happier the Fish are, the more Photogenic They are, sounds fair to Me...
I can never really think of anything else to take pictures of other than the Fish
I only use the Camera the odd time but Landscapes or Family Portrait type stuff isn't for Me

Des

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JohnH (John)
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09 Feb 2013 22:27 #11 by JohnH (John)

des wrote:

SpiderMonkey wrote:
Awesome pic's Des those rams looks the business. What lens you using

Mark

Hey Mark

cheers Man

I'm using a Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 G & a SIGMA EX 105mm 1:2.8 D MACRO with a Nikon D60 Camera
I think the Macro lens gives a way better result but is way harder to use than the other lens because for one, there's no auto zoom on the Macro, the tinyest of movements and it's out of Focus etc. etc.
there's (I think) 31 pix in this post, I took 215, kept, resized, cropped 31 & deleted all the rest...
little Feckers to Photograph but well worth the patients & persistance I think...

Des

If you think that's a bit of a nuisance think of what it was like trying to use a medium format roll film camera (12 pics on a roll) - you had to wait for film to be developed before you could see if any were worthy of being kept - a costly and time-consuming process, I can assure you!
Digital imaging has revolutionised fish photography, beyond a shadow of a doubt!

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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des (des)
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09 Feb 2013 23:02 #12 by des (des)

JohnH wrote:

des wrote:

SpiderMonkey wrote:
Awesome pic's Des those rams looks the business. What lens you using

Mark

Hey Mark

cheers Man

I'm using a Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 G & a SIGMA EX 105mm 1:2.8 D MACRO with a Nikon D60 Camera
I think the Macro lens gives a way better result but is way harder to use than the other lens because for one, there's no auto zoom on the Macro, the tinyest of movements and it's out of Focus etc. etc.
there's (I think) 31 pix in this post, I took 215, kept, resized, cropped 31 & deleted all the rest...
little Feckers to Photograph but well worth the patients & persistance I think...

Des

If you think that's a bit of a nuisance think of what it was like trying to use a medium format roll film camera (12 pics on a roll) - you had to wait for film to be developed before you could see if any were worthy of being kept - a costly and time-consuming process, I can assure you!
Digital imaging has revolutionised fish photography, beyond a shadow of a doubt!

John

You said it
the day of the Dark Room has long since past...

soundcloud.com/eiredes-2
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chambers (Ken Spengler)
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09 Feb 2013 23:26 #13 by chambers (Ken Spengler)

Really enjoyed those photos! Stunning!

Thanks for sharing!!

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10 Feb 2013 00:22 #14 by doreilly (Donal O Reilly)

Hey Des,

Have you any Bolivian Rams in stock?

Cheers,
Donal

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des (des)
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10 Feb 2013 00:48 #15 by des (des)

Hi Donal

We have just about every other type of Ram other than the Bolivian in at the Moment...

I'll add them to the next order

Des

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10 Feb 2013 00:53 #16 by doreilly (Donal O Reilly)

Hey Des,

Thanks a million. Top service as always

I will pop up to you. I want to buy a Microsorum mother plant if you have any in stock.

Thanks again
Donal

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des (des)
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10 Feb 2013 01:11 #17 by des (des)

No Bother Donal

there's XL & XXL mother Plants in at the moment, Microsorum & others...

talk to Ya later

Des

soundcloud.com/eiredes-2
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10 Feb 2013 01:15 #18 by doreilly (Donal O Reilly)

Thanks Des.

Fair play. Always a great selection of plants and great prices. Catch up with ya soon :cheer:

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10 Feb 2013 09:10 #19 by Melander (Andreas Melander)

Great photos and lovely looking fish, thanks for sharing these Des!

Andreas

www.melandersaquarium.blogspot.com

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11 Feb 2013 17:09 #20 by SpiderMonkey (Mark O'Neill)

des wrote:

SpiderMonkey wrote:
Awesome pic's Des those rams looks the business. What lens you using

Mark

Hey Mark

cheers Man

I'm using a Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 G & a SIGMA EX 105mm 1:2.8 D MACRO with a Nikon D60 Camera
I think the Macro lens gives a way better result but is way harder to use than the other lens because for one, there's no auto zoom on the Macro, the tinyest of movements and it's out of Focus etc. etc.
there's (I think) 31 pix in this post, I took 215, kept, resized, cropped 31 & deleted all the rest...
little Feckers to Photograph but well worth the patients & persistance I think...

Des

Yeah id love to get a macro for my own camera but there really expensive and its just for a few fish pic's so haven't got round to forking out the few bob

I got the macro tubes but don't think there great especially when taking a pic of a moving fish :pinch:

Mark

www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...planted-tank-journal

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JohnH (John)
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11 Feb 2013 18:35 #21 by JohnH (John)

Mark,
I've found some of the better-make 'macro filters' (obviously not filters but which screw into the front of the lens the same way filters do) aren't that bad and the results - while never making a larger picture are more than adequate for low-res Forum-sized pics.
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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jeff (Jeff Scully)
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11 Feb 2013 23:11 #22 by jeff (Jeff Scully)

Great photos des and cool fish thanks for sharing

Where the tongue slips, it speaks the truth.

A life making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing at all.

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louis (David Knowles)
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12 Feb 2013 18:08 #23 by louis (David Knowles)

Absolutely beautiful fish, never had any success keeping rams. I wonder would I have better luck with gobie. They're really stunning. Don't think I've ever seen them in LFS

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12 Feb 2013 19:46 #24 by SpiderMonkey (Mark O'Neill)

JohnH wrote:
Mark,
I've found some of the better-make 'macro filters' (obviously not filters but which screw into the front of the lens the same way filters do) aren't that bad and the results - while never making a larger picture are more than adequate for low-res Forum-sized pics.
John

Thanks John i'll have to look in to some of those,But in the meantime im keeping a look out for a second hand macro

Mark

www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...planted-tank-journal

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19 Feb 2013 20:31 #25 by cichliddave (dave coughlan)

gr8 photos des,thoz gobies r amazing,dont forget des in maxi zoo has anothet type of goby in stock,even nicer,when he comes on he might name the type

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des (des)
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20 Feb 2013 01:44 #26 by des (des)

cichliddave wrote:
gr8 photos des,thoz gobies r amazing,dont forget des in maxi zoo has anothet type of goby in stock,even nicer,when he comes on he might name the type

Hi Dave

cheers for the nice comments
the Gobbies are stunners
the others in work are Peacock Gobies, stunners also...

Des

soundcloud.com/eiredes-2
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