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
Betta Macrostoma VF Wild catch
- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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Though a few here would be interested in my new male betta macrostoma.
I have a pair of them.The female was in hidding when i was snapping a shot but i will get a pic and post as
soon as i get the chance.
I also have another female in a friends tank being conditioned at the minute incase anything will happen my
other female.
Very excited to get the pair breeding have been waiting nearly a year to get my hands on this fish as they
are next to impossible to get here in norway.
Currently in the process of setting a 112 litre tank for the pair to breed in

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- anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
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Is it me or does it look quite like a killifish?
Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,
And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN
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- Deaglan (Deaglan)
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260l South American Community tank
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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But this particular betta is a mouth brooder.The male holds the eggs for up to a month or so and releases as free swimming fry.
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- anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
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Best of luck with them!
Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,
And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN
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- JohnH (John)
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Very excited to get the pair breeding have been waiting nearly a year to get my hands on this fish as they
are next to impossible to get here in norway.
Believe me, wild caught Macros are pretty-nigh impossible to get in Ireland too. Sadly my female expired but I have a replacement on order...
When yours breed the male needs total peace and quiet - mine bred every few weeks but never once did the male keep the eggs for more than 24 hours (even in a totally 'blacked-out' tank) as I'm sure he would regard the eggs to be a welcome change from aquatic food. Breeding is a totally fascinating process to watch - but you'll discover this yourself shortly I expect.
I sincerely hope you have more success with them than I ever managed (in the light of what was just written, perhaps it's a new male I'm needing as well!), please keep us informed.
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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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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There is only one person in norway to have breed them.
I set the tank up for them today with the decor now and will let it settle have some guppies in there they can eat when i add them.
I will feed them white worms,live dalphina ,live shrimp, red larve and beef heart allong with some discus.
The female was added to te male in the holding tank today and he was showing off straight away.I also have a sub dominant female that is hiding in there but she will stay in this tank on her own once i move the other pair on friday.All water tests were good today

sub dominant female
dominant female
male today displaying for female
tank should be clear tomorrow for nicer pic
i have pvc tubing for hiding and many caves
The pictures are not the best off my phone.
Will get the camera out when all is ready and fish are in.
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- JohnH (John)
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Added to your feed list mine really loved earthworms best of all.
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
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It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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What was the ph in the tank you were breeding them in?
This can be a reason for the male also swallowing the eggs if it is not to his satisfaction.
7 ph was what they were successfully bred at here in norway ,with a water temp of 24 c 0 5ppm no3 zero ammonia and no2 as we know is a must.dh 10
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- JohnH (John)
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I had actually abandoned any hope, especially after losing the female, but now a replacement's on the horizon and your post have prompted me into trying (yet) again.
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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- igmillichip (ian millichip)
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Not often available here, and when they are the prices are simply stupid......especially as you could be paying silly money for a fish that find a crack a thousand times smaller than itself to jump through.
Keep us informed on how you get on.
ian
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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dont worry ian i asure you there will be no places for the fish to jump out i have every hole where the filters and wires go out filled with socks


Des
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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260l South American Community tank
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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I am sure they will be shy for a few days until they settle in

Des
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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They seem to be doing great in there and no signs of stress and are out and about swimming.
The male has been showing off to the female since i let them go into the tank after acclimatising them.
Man do i love this fish how beautiful the male is and he is some show off

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- Deaglan (Deaglan)
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260l South American Community tank
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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At least i will see it happen before he eats the eggs he he
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- LemonJelly (Johnny Cowley)
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"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life; your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you.They're freeing your soul."
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"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life; your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you.They're freeing your soul."
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260l South American Community tank
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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They are not eating today at all though so i am not sure what is going on with them.Maybe they are still settling in.I have tried a few foods but nothing.I will have to vacum the tank tomorrow to keep it spotless.
I just hope they start eating normally they eat anything you give them.there are some guppy fry i could not catch left in the tank so maybe they have been munching on them.
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- ceech (Desmond Gaynor)
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- Andrew (Andrew Taaffe)
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One of my favourite fish and on my wish list. Best of luck with the breeding
Andrew
ITFS Club Secretary
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
see the ITFS tab above for more information www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/itfs
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- JohnH (John)
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Andrew,Looks fantastic Des.
One of my favourite fish and on my wish list. Best of luck with the breeding
Andrew
If you follow this tale in another thread from Ceech you will see that - sadly - he lost the pair and also temporarily, we hope, interest in fishkeeping.
I'll have a search for the link.
John
Here is the Male died link
www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...male-mac-dead#144195
Female poorly (later died)
www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...nge-behaviour#143974
Female died
www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...y-female-died#144149
This is very close to my heart as, after a long time trying (and being let down with promises of a female Macro which never materialised) I finally bought a replacement female - only to have it die before the week was out!
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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