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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

Another catfish or not ?

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22 Mar 2008 12:17 #1 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Hi Folks,
Okay, I have a 85 litre tank. Presently occupied by 4 cardinal tetras, 3 neon tetras, 3 mollies,2 guppies and a bronze catfish. Im now thinking of getting another catfish as all the other fish seem to have similar species to play and swim along with etc...My catfish is healthy and picks away at the bottom. Im thinking however I should get another bronze catfish to complete my tank. Do I have too many fish (I dont think I have as there is plenty room for them and also Catfish are bottom fish so wont be taking from the aquarium). This will probably be the last fish Ill get for the tank for the next few months anyhow as the chemistry of the tank (as in the fish getting along and not the ph readings!!) is good with everyone getting along.I had also toyed with the idea of getting 1 more female guppy.
Anyone give me some advise please!

Thanks
Gavin

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22 Mar 2008 12:21 - 22 Mar 2008 12:21 #2 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Corys, like the bronze cat like to shoal, so it would be a good idea to get another 2 or 3 of the same type. Your tank is big enough to support what you have listed, for the moment. When the mollies and guppies start dropping fry it may be a different story as very quickly you can have a population explosion :-)

How long is the tank set up? Are all your readings ok, before adding new fish? Why type of filter system do you have on the tank?
Last edit: 22 Mar 2008 12:21 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens).

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22 Mar 2008 12:41 #3 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
the tank is set up about 2 and a half months. All the readings are fine so far and I test it weekly and do water changes every 3 weeks or so. Not sure what filtration system I have, It A Sponge filter,( vitrakraft filter I think). By the sounds of it, I may be better of not getting another guppy so then? Also I feed the fish flake food, will there be enough for the bronze catfish to survive or do I need to get some tablets also? Thanks Darragh

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22 Mar 2008 13:12 - 22 Mar 2008 13:14 #4 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
You really should be doing water changes every week, about 20% of the tank volume. Make sure to use a decholinator in the new water going into the tank. As you are stocked lightly at the moment with small fish, you will get away with 3 weeks, but it is far from ideal.

I don't recognise the filter name, but follow the intructions that came with it and monitor your Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite readings and you will know whether it is working correctly or not.

The one cory will probably find enough sinking flake to survive quite happliy on, but if you introduce say 3 more, you would be better getting a sinking food to ensure that they all get a little. Bronze corys are clever and some swim upside down on the surface to take flake! You are better to under feed than over feed. It is extremely rare to kill a fish from underfeeding, but extremely common to kill a fish from overfeeding.
Last edit: 22 Mar 2008 13:14 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens).

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22 Mar 2008 13:18 #5 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Perfect, I actually only just noticed the Cory upside downside down this morning doing that when I feed them!! I think Ill get 1 or 2 catfish now to hopefully complete my tank. Ill do more regular water changes, I bought a siphon the other day to help take out some off the dirt of the bottom as well as the water so life is made alot easier now with that, also as I have more fish now, Ill have more waste so your making sense to me with the weekly water change. (I wouldnt like to be in the same room for 3 weeks without opening a window either so can see the need for it!).

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22 Mar 2008 15:59 #6 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Well just bought 2 more Bronze catfish (corys). They are presently acclimatising in the tank, so must release them soon! Interesting thing, they went from very black to grey within minutes of putting them out of the darkness and into the light! Unusual as I was looking at my own cory and thinking the 2 new ones are very dark but within minutes they became a similar colour! Fascinating little guys!

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22 Mar 2008 22:04 - 22 Mar 2008 23:14 #7 by platty252 (Darren Dalton)
The filter vitrakraft (Vita Tech)is Eheim under a different name. Clean the sponge in these every 2-3weeks. 4 weeks tops and it should last a long time.
Last edit: 22 Mar 2008 23:14 by platty252 (Darren Dalton).

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23 Mar 2008 01:41 #8 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Your original cory will be pleased to have two more. They, like most fish, go pale when stressed but their colours settle back quite quick as you noticed.

platty252 wrote:

The filter vitrakraft (Vita Tech)is Eheim under a different name. Clean the sponge in these every 2-3weeks. 4 weeks tops and it should last a long time.


Just a reminder, when cleaning the sponge, use only tank water, not tap water. Clean the sponge in water you have removed from the tank when doing you weekly water change :-)

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