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
Greetings and Salutations
- Georgia (Georgia)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
My name's Georgia, I'm 20 years old and live outside Cork. I'm a photographer by trade

Now about my tank, I have a 12gallon tank with 2 goldfish and 2 pleco's. I get a major ass kicking as a lot of people say 10gallon for 1 fish but well I cannot afford that right now and I was given these fish after a girl was going to throw them into the river lee. I use a large filter and air pump plus regular water changes, PH is always checked and has never been bad so maybe I'm lucky but these guys are now with me a year and no harm has come to them so I think i am doing well.
Sorry little defensive as I have had people write me seriously horrendous hate mail.
Anyway lol my lil guys are very happy and so am I. I'm getting them onto a new diet gradually. They eat peas but if I include a whole pea they hit it around the aquarium and I swear to god they play keep away from each other lol
That's me so good luck,
G
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- bull (keith madden)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 102
- Thank you received: 6
bull
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- 086 8442267
- Posts: 2740
- Thank you received: 274
Seamus
Fishkeeping the Only way to get wet and wild
currently 25 tanks, and breeding is the aim of everything i keep
location:Limerick
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- mrsFishpatrick (Astrid Fitzpatrick)
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 440
- Thank you received: 3
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- scubadim (scubadim)
-
- Visitor
-
12 gallons is not sooo bad,especially if you keep the water right:) .
good luck and hopefully you'll be able to upgrade

Dimitri
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Georgia (Georgia)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
I have not the money now but I will get a 50gallon tank in the future. It's something I am striving to get

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- reefpaddy (paddy kelly)
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 304
- Thank you received: 2
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Valerie (Valerie)
-
- Visitor
-
Welcome to the forum !
Photographer


Valerie
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- cdb (Colm)
- Offline
- New Member
-
- Posts: 3
- Thank you received: 0
Welcome to the forum and best of luck.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Any questions just ask, and dont worry you wont get hate mail here! Well I hope you wont anyhow!!
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- JohnH (John)
-
- Offline
- Administrator
-
- Posts: 6067
- Thank you received: 857
I have to be the one who spoils the ‘warm glow’ of replies to your original post, but only to give a little advice…you’re regularly water-changing – great.
My concern is this: are the Plecos at Goldfish temperature, ie no heat…or the other way around? – in heated water? Either way it is far from ideal. Plecos will tolerate a lower temperature – but not be happy, they come from warm tropical waters. Goldfish, on the other hand are Coldwater fish and, although tolerating warmer water, are not at home in it as the oxygen levels are much decreased at tropical temperatures. No doubt there will be replies from members who have kept Goldfish in Tropical tanks with no problems (I have myself), but never in such a small tank.
My suggestion, for what it’s worth would, if you do have a heater in your tank, be to turn it down to around 68-70 degrees maximum and increase the amount of oxygen with a cheap air pump until you can finally afford your new tank.
Sorry to sound gloomy, but that’s my advice.
Welcome to the Forum, by the way - I note you are a photographer…I was once one myself.
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.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Georgia (Georgia)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
I have never experience any problems and instead of staying under the bridge inside they go all around the tank. I believe they are healthy and happy. The goldfish are also fine and spend their time swimming around and going through the bubbles.
Now you may also not like the fact that my tank is by the window. That said I had a light and has them in another part of the room but they got very slow and lifeless yet as soon as i put them in the window again they swam around and were in my opinion happy about being in the light again. Now just to say if it is sunny and come on I live in WC it is only sunny 2 weeks a year but when it is I have a towel over the back of the tank.
Thank you to every one for the kind welcomes.
G
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Valerie (Valerie)
-
- Visitor
-
Plecos are rather lifeless when cold. The tank might have been warmer when you put it by the window, making the plecs active again. Even though there isn't much sun in this country, you might have to fight with algae as the light would accelerate development.
However, what works with one person might not with another !

Valerie
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Georgia (Georgia)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
Actually I must show a pic someday of one of my pleco's he has two grows on his lip and another on his snout. He's (well maybe she lol) has had it now for 2 months so it's not effected it much and he still goes around the aquarium. He eats well and doesn't seem to hurt him if he bumps against anything.
I'd say having it by the window does help warm it though as when it was away from the window the temp was slightly colder.
I actually found the best light for them at night for instance is a candle placed in front of the tank. They are so curious as to what it is lol
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- PAULHARTE25 (PAUL HARTE)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 211
- Thank you received: 2
paul
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Georgia (Georgia)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
I really am lucky my fish all get on, the goldfish swim between the pleco's under the bridge sometimes and no disputes happen, thank god. Funniest thing that happened was that I had the goldfish first and then introduced the first pleco... Okay so the pleco is kinda freaked and doesn't move but then finds the bridge thing and settles close to it. The goldfish all stay at one end and literally start nudging one another other as if daring each other. Now the goldy I have is the leader so he swam over and looked at the pleco... The pleco didn't move so he nudged it, the pleco of course turned round in a flash. My god I never knew goldfish could looked shocked as it looked like it's draw dropped and then swam backwards around to the other side of the bridge. Only thing is the pleco swam round the other way round the bridge... They meet each other again and look even more shocked so the goldfish swims back to his group and the pleco dives under the bridge... This is the funniest introduction of fish together I have ever seen lol
Hehe don't have scented candle, all of mine are bee's wax

Please Log in to join the conversation.