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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

How to build your own tank

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30 Jul 2010 22:37 #1 by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)
I was wondering if many (any) of you have built your own small tanks?
I want a quarantine and a fry-creche, but don't want to spend a fortune on tanks. Does anyone have any tips on the glass thickness, suitable capacity etc.? Would normal aquarium silicone do the job? Also, what would be the best filter to buy for the fry tank? Sponge? I don't really care how ugly it looks, maybe the cheapest that will do the job adequately. Would each of these tanks need a proper lighting system or could you get away with a lamp or room light? Finally, I'll need a heater. Any advice there too? Again, good enough for the job, but small enough Wattage not to burn (pardon the pun) a hole in the pocket.
Thanks in advance,
Lorcan

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30 Jul 2010 23:26 - 30 Jul 2010 23:30 #2 by Ma (mm mm)
Hi Lorcan,

Did you get a quote on the glass, how much?

A quarentine I guess will depend on the sizee of your main tank, I usually go for 25 to 30% the size of my main aquarium, this is not a rule of any kind, I want a quarentine to hold the largest fish I may get ideally as tey spend a few weeks in there so it needs to be sufficient for that need. If you only keep Tetras in a 400 litre, then it needs to be quite small. Your fry tank will depend again on species though these tanks are usually quite small 35L, it is really up to what you fancy.

Sponge filters are grand, connect it to an airstone, space and juice sacer.
6mm glass should be sufficient for your needs. Aquarium safe silicone is fine.
There is a very good section on this very subject, forgive me not searching but its dark and my eyes are bad. Have a browse, very good tips and tricks in there, if someone hasn't PM#d you already.


Best of lick, ask the lads if you need any advice and tell us how you get on.


Mark


EDIT P.S. Always nice to see another keeper put a QT into operation.

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Last edit: 30 Jul 2010 23:30 by Ma (mm mm).

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30 Jul 2010 23:35 #3 by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)
Thanks for that, I'll have a little search for that discussion. I haven't got a quote on glass yet. To be honest don't even know where to get it, but reckon that should be handy enough to find out.

I'm just a little confused about the sponge filter, never used one. You connect it to an air pump is that correct? What's the significance of the 'Space' and 'Juice Sacer'? Bit tired myself, so can't work that one out.

Thanks,
Lorcan

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30 Jul 2010 23:42 - 30 Jul 2010 23:44 #4 by Ma (mm mm)
The sponge is smaller than an internal filter and it requires no leccy to run, it is air driven by connecting an airline from an airpump to the connection, it pumps in air which rises through the centre and this pulls water into the surrounding sponge, this sponge will mature over a couple of weeks, it is best kept running in your main tank until you need it in the fry tank or QT to keep it alive and filtering toxins.

Two devices one plug socket, no wire into the tank.
A watt per litre is a good rule to follow with heating.

You may pick up a 54 litre tank for less than the total cost of glass and stuff to build the tanks, it can be divided depending on the required use, QT ot fry. though it is a project you can enjoy doing making your own:)



Mark

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Last edit: 30 Jul 2010 23:44 by Ma (mm mm).

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30 Jul 2010 23:46 #5 by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)
Yeah, might be a bit of fun to make up my own. I'll look into the glass etc. Only problem is, if I start to make it, I'll go completely OTT and build a background and all for the thing! Maybe for the missus' sanity it's better to just buy one!

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30 Jul 2010 23:58 - 31 Jul 2010 00:48 #6 by Ma (mm mm)
You may want to keep them as simple as possible for the management of the Fry and as a QT, you dont want to get a nasty with a new fish and have it lurk in the QT till the next fish comes along. I used methylene blue and a lot of salt between QT sessions to clean the tank and kept decor to a minimum, and there is also the possibility it will end up as a tank full time, bye bye QT, so many have done it. I tell thee, other than my first ever purchaxe I have never introduced a nasty. QT QT QT, tap water is another story:angry:

Others on here have infinately more experience than I so you got lots of help on here with a breeding op, You learn as you go in this hobby, so go man go:) It has now been a year since Jay got me hooked, and he's still trying to drum it into my thick headL)
God bless his patience:laugh:



mark

P.S. Dont forget our lids, to keep the jumpers in

Location D.11
Last edit: 31 Jul 2010 00:48 by Ma (mm mm).

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31 Jul 2010 12:25 #7 by Jaffacakehead (John McPartland)
I've always planned on making a large tank but never got round to it. I have a shelf in my sitting room that used to be the back window and I'm planning to make a tank to fit and open up the other side so it can be seen from both sides. As a trial I've built 4 small tanks for housing male bettas and sometimes fry. Three of them are 1 foot cubes and the other is 18" long. I just used pieces of scrap glass that were lying around my shed when I moved in. Aquarium silicone is perfect. Cutting the glass is the hardest part. Once you cut it perfectly square then the assembly is easy. You can purchase glass pre-cut to the sizes you want but its a more expensive way of doing it.
When I'm down feeding my fry later I'll check what size the heaters are.
I use sponge filters and they're great. You can make your own sponge and box filters pretty easily but they're cheap anyway.

I did have two 2' tanks that I used to quarantine fish in but as soon as I started breeding fish again they got taken over. I'd say this happens to a lot of people.

You just can't have enough tanks.

Jaffacakehead

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31 Jul 2010 12:27 #8 by Puddlefish (Colin McCourt)
Hi, I'm a glasscutter by trade
What size of tank are you looking to make?














Is this the sort of thing your after
Regards
C

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31 Jul 2010 12:47 #9 by JohnH (John)
It's when I see things like that I wish you were closer to here!!! A glass cutter...if only.

:(
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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31 Jul 2010 13:00 #10 by Puddlefish (Colin McCourt)
Delivery you pay or call collect :laugh:
Regards
C

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31 Jul 2010 13:05 #11 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:How to build your own tank
Hey there Colin,

Any chance you could stop posting?? please just stop!

Not only are your posts amazing but looks like I could eat my dinner off your Floor !!

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
:blush: :blush:

Just kidding.

Kev.

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31 Jul 2010 13:11 #12 by Puddlefish (Colin McCourt)
When you have four kids and you designate house chores to each and everyone then the house can remain tidy. They know what's expected of them and they just get on with it.
Or else they're out! :laugh:

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31 Jul 2010 13:18 #13 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:How to build your own tank
Good for you C, there's lots who could do with taking a leaf from your book, parenting, I'm not one, has become a plonk them in front of mindless TV affair that they become lazy and irritable.

Thanks again for all your interesting Posts.

Kev.

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31 Jul 2010 13:29 #14 by Ma (mm mm)
stretnik wrote:

Good for you C, there's lots who could do with taking a leaf from your book, parenting, I'm not one, has become a plonk them in front of mindless TV affair that they become lazy and irritable.

Thanks again for all your interesting Posts.

Kev.



I can't get my boy to watch TV:) I have to beat hin off XBox live though, every morning, I gotta go to his room and tell him, brekkie before anything else, he logs on before getting dressed, he's 13 and no matter how much I do this, every morning!! He still does the same thing. Saying that he's been training twice a week at a kickboxing club since he was 6 and does well at his studies in school, so I can't be too harsh:)

My problem with TV is that it can't be challenged when it tells you something and a lot of rubbish goes into kids heads unchecked or questioned and this does have a detrimental.

Getting him to clean his rrom is like trying to get a loach to make the dinner..


Mark

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31 Jul 2010 13:35 #15 by Puddlefish (Colin McCourt)
The Xbox has a plug lead. If its missing or the connection to the net is missing then the room will be cleaned before privilages are restored.
Get my jist :ohmy:
Sorry for veering OFF TOPIC
Regards
C

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31 Jul 2010 13:38 #16 by Ma (mm mm)
Puddlefish wrote:

The Xbox has a plug lead. If its missing or the connection to the net is missing then the room will be cleaned before privilages are restored.
Get my jist :ohmy:
Sorry for veering OFF TOPIC
Regards
C



One word does the trick!


Mark

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