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
rainbow fish
- Gary.K (Gary.K)
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Regards
Gary
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- Alan86 (Alan86)
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Boesemani's are Beautiful fish tho (one of my favorite anyways) alway playful (hope ya gt a lid on tat tank nd all!

Also Any disruptions to the tank can effect their colours!, when i do a water change the all hide in the back and turn a vanillay colour all over!
Def Worth the wait!!

The money was just resting in my Account!
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- Gary.K (Gary.K)
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hope they are boesemani's saw pic of them and realy like them dont mind waiting. i have a 240l tank would you sugest getting more (maybe 4) and what tank mate's do you think for them i have few platties and gupies at moment but was thinking of Keyhole's ,Krib's, bala shark's Clown loach's along those lines what you think
Regards
Gary
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- Anthony (Anthony)
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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Since I think that bala sharks are just boring silvery things, I won't comment any further. I'd rather get another species of rainbows
Clown loaches should be fine.
Holger
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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Having said this my LFS gets some stunning fish every once in a while. I would have to look up what species they are but they seem to grow rather large, maybe 10cm plus
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- Gary.K (Gary.K)
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Think i will be getting more rainbows realy like them might sound stupid but how do i know if the fish are european or not will the LFS shop tell my?? or are there any local breaders where i could pick up some???
Anthony
think i will try some Keyholes as i like real plants.
John
looked up those Rostrata Loaches Realy nice but havn't seen ttem in the LFS are they easy to come across and do Loaches co-habit ie Rostrata and Clown is same tank.
Holger
Kids have taken a shine to bala sharks in LFS but might change there mind can Rainbows be mixed ok do you recomend any other species to go in my set up.
Regards
Gary
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- serratus (Drew Latimer)
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i agree with john on the quality of czech bred fish. we us breeders there and the fish are just stunning!!! they have much better colour when mature, this is why tank bred fish are generally more expensive than farmed raised fish, theyre not "mass produced"
unfortunately rainbowfish are often overlooked in shops because of there drab juv. colour, but when they mature, could take over a year, they are stunning!!!! in the last year or so i have started to bring in semi-adult/adult rather than juvs. they are more expensive but people can see the colour and what theyre paying for!!! one customer brought in six 6" male boesmani he got off me over 3 years ago and they were amazing colour!!! and when they displayed to each other "$%£$!!!!!
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- Anthony (Anthony)
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Both keyholes and kribs would be fine. Keyholes are timid compared to Anthony's fish but you will be able to keep real plants. Keyholes are not that shy. Just give them plenty of cover.
Since I think that bala sharks are just boring silvery things, I won't comment any further. I'd rather get another species of rainbows
Clown loaches should be fine.
Holger
I kept them years ago and they were fairly shy and bland. I liked them at the time but got fed up eventualy. I am not trying to preach African cichlids on everyone. I am advising against boring fish.
Kribs are cool especially when they have their breeding colour.
Laetecara Curviceps are also nice and undemanding, nicer in my opinion than Keyholes.There are loads of super, dwarf and midsized cichlids that have super colours and are fine with plants.
Do yu like Apistos.
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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check out members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Contents.htm. Great site on rainbowfish. That should give some idea. Don't know what's available in your area. One word of advise. Don't bring up any rainbow offspring that happen to make it in community tank should you decide to keep more than one species. They hybridize easily. This especially true for Melontaenia species
Holger
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- Gary.K (Gary.K)
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Might hold off on keyholes for a while, looked up Apistos. on web really stuning but havn't seen them in LFS (but was'nt realy looking) will keep eyes open, don't like Curviceps much. Thanks for advice
Regards
Gary
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- Gary.K (Gary.K)
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I cant seem to open that link??? but have looked up some Raimbows on web and there seem to by some really nice ones, will deffo by looking in to getting some different types.
Dont konw what LFS here will have but will be in cork area (Middelton) in August if there is any shop you could sugest is worth a look into. Also i am in Wexford This Weekend if there is any there that come recomended. Thanks again for advice
Regards
Gary
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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try www.australianrainbowfish.com/ or members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Rainbowfish.htm
A good starter apisto is A. borellii. Don't go for species that require extremely soft and acidic water like A. pertensis. If you want more info on apistos pm me.
there is a pet shop on North Main St. in Cork City. They have some nice rainbows from time to time. Let me know before you come to Cork and I'll find out what's available beforehand
Holger
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- Anthony (Anthony)
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Another fairly nice small African Cichlid (without being too bland) is what we used to know as Pelmatachromis (now changed to something else beginning with an 'A') Thomasi. There are also some quite nice smaller less aggressive South American Cichlids (I'm pretty useless with latin names) like the Rainbow Cichlid and the Nannacara Anomola. Although you don't like the Curviceps there is a variation called Dorsigerus which has a nice red colouration on it when it matures.
A couple there for you to think about in the meantime.
John
Hi John.
I kept those dwarf Thomasi and they can be little demons believe it or not.
You would be surprised what they can hold themselves against.
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- Gary.K (Gary.K)
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Thanks John
A couple there for you to think about in the meantime.
John
Sure are couple of nice options will have to do some searching if LFS's see whats available
Regards
Gary
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- Mr Algae (mralgae mralgae)
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i have had three of them for over 12mths now, and they are full of life and got loads of character. strange to see them first thing in the morning cos they loose thier color when no light but soon regain it back, totaly placid fish yet can get up to so mush mischief between them selves realy good fun to sit and watch them. will be getting more when the 240 is set up in a few weeks.
May your fish be with you:
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- Gary.K (Gary.K)
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No they dont look like that, I wish they did. Much skinner and silver (a bit of yellow on there tails lately) but i hope they turn out like yours and i also will be getting more check out the other types on link posted by apistodiscus
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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Next time your are passing Heathrow have a look at the showtank next to the kiddies playhouse (I think it's Terminal 2). The biggest boesmanis I have ever seen. Unfortunately the colours aren't great.
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