Dropping by to say "Hello"

Hi all, just thought I put finger to keyboard and say hello and introduce myself. My name is Dave and I live in Youghal, Co. Cork and have been keeping fish for a couple of years despite many a mishap and trails on the way(especially for my good wife who nearly lost her sanity with me and my habit of collecting tanks including the one that was responsible for taking down the ceiling( and carpets, floors etc ) Was looking on the site for a little while now and recognise some names and looking forward to getting to know more of you
Take care
Dave

hey dave, welcome along mate

Hi Dave hope youghal enjoy your stay

Kev.

Welcome along Dave..

Dave.

welcome along Dave enjoy the forum

Welcome along MrJD.

@JohnH....MrJackDempsey may be a boxing fan and chose the name of a famous boxer having a fish named after him.

ian

Wow not a single request for pictures

Welcome

Welcome Along Dave

Great to have you over with us also as well as the LFKS

Sean

Just got to say a big thanks for the welcome,a little overwhelmed here but thanks again. Regards the username it's because of my favourite boxer (I kid, my favourite cichlid), I was rather taken in by great colours, great shape but most of all great personality (it was like myself in fishy form)
Regards the tank, well it was mostly due to my ignorance. There was a shop in Midleton some of you might remember called 'Fins & Things' that was closing down and they had a display tank that was 5' x 2' x 2' that I thought would take me to the next level (but didn't realise the level was down, sooooo far down )The glass was only 6mm glass but I in my haste didn't realise this so after lugging it upstairs, planting it out and transferring the fish thought I have upgraded. Six happy weeks later we all were in the front room 'watching' Xfactor when I heard a loud crack followed by what sounds like the biblical flood. It destroyed the upstair carpet plus the stair carpet( it was like I had my own private rapids inhouse), came through the ceiling causing the same said ceiling to collapse around my son who was sound asleep up to this moment (he was two at this stage so I forgave him for not trying to help save fish), the floor in the front room was destroyed plus some of my precious hi-fi along with countless books etc.I still got this funny feeling my beautiful wife was displeased with me but probably in my imagination !!!!

JohnH wrote:

That's some tale of woe alright!

I've had similar occurrences, but a] not upstairs and b] with only a tank with half that capacity and that was traumatic enough!

But my mishap was greeted with much displeasure - so who could blame your wife for at least feigning some annoyance (even if she didn't really mean it).

I remeber Fins&Things, Glen was a really nice man, he actually came from very close to where I lived in Essex. Is he still in Ireland? Perhaps if he is, and you see him, you might pass on my best wishes.

John

Hi John, I know it was only an act by my good lady, sure how could she be annoyed with her Prince Charming...after all didn't I fill all her worktop space with tanks though it was odd she left the house to go to a neighbours and leave all the cleaning to myself, can't figure that one out Never seen Glen afterwards despite several messages to his phone. You Essex lads are everywhere, another lad from Essex opened a pet shop here in Youghal afterwards, Simon

Hi dave welcome along,

Nice to see you on this forum.Lots of people from cork on here now we'll have to change the name to(Cork fish keepers forum).

Stuart.

Welcome aboard Dave.

Jay

Welcome along dave

Hi all and let me first apologise for being a cabbage but how do you upload photos from your computer to the forum or must you use a third party host like photobucket? Will also try to post an old video of the JD later( I no longer have him as I gave away my CA cichlids to make way for some SA cichlids as I was going for a softie tank )but first must take my young fella to 'play' hurley

Cheers John, will try to give it a go,here's Jack eating a Nova tab or two

Just click on the pics
One of the reasons I pulled away from CA cichlids , they go through plants not around

And some of my new babies

JohnH wrote:

I do like Leopoldi Angels - they look healthy enough, but I'm confused at why they are 'at the surface' like that?
Are they always doing it, or is that posing for the camera?

John

We've had quite a conversation on that elsewhere (schhhh....you know where )

ian

igmillichip wrote:

JohnH wrote:

I do like Leopoldi Angels - they look healthy enough, but I'm confused at why they are 'at the surface' like that?
Are they always doing it, or is that posing for the camera?

John

We've had quite a conversation on that elsewhere (schhhh....you know where )

ian

Hi John, as mentioned by Ian we did have a recent topic about this very subject plus reading about it in different angelfish forums seemingly very common with wild caught Leopoldi( and to a lesser degree with wild caught Scalare or Altums) but cause is unknown. It could be that they are eating microscopic food or biofilm or it could be a bonding action. I personally think it's a bonding exercise because beforehand there could be a lot of aggression between them.It's like the Alpha couple make a decision, then they must prove they are the strongest and the others don't believe them until they can prove it with a show of might ( this can happen several times in a day). So there's a lot of bickering then afterwards one heads up and the others follow
Ian also mentioned to keep a eye on their behavior so I sat with sketchpad and notes for a few days until I realised I was in real danger of being a bigger anorak but did notice their gestures, bluffs countermeasures etc were far more complicated than I first thought and then I did what any self respecting male would do - gave up!!!!!
Their home is in a 8' * 2.5' * 2' aquarium with the sump being the JD's old tank (5' * 20" * 20") yet they want to congregate at the same spot. They are like a close knit family that argue a lot yet are there for each other when it counts
I noticed the videos from photobucket don't play but turned into 'photos' - sorry about that but here are the links
s966.photobucket.com/albums/ae145/mister...ew¤t=016-2.mp4

s966.photobucket.com/albums/ae145/mister...current=b6f4154b.mp4
Hopefully works now (hate computers )

Cheers John,here's a pic of my seven year old son looking at the tank after it being planted (he claimed this tank as his own until I got my marine)

And the great joemc cleaning the tank beforehand( cheap labour). This man is a legend and if you ever get the chance to go knocking on his door never hesitate, and despite his knowledge fishy wise and his great tanks what you remember is great hospitality and umpteen coffees (you're going to have to make a pit stop or more on the way home)

Sorry Joe but it was you that recommended this site to me!!!!
How I had to get into the tank to plant A stool on top of two chairs and still I can't reach the bottom