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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 interesting topic for discussion:

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15 Nov 2013 13:27 - 15 Nov 2013 13:30 #1 by JohnH (John)
I saw this on the Practical Fishkeeping site and thought it worthy of discussion.

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.p...TB?&utm_content=html

John
(now, where are those rubber gloves???).

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.
Last edit: 15 Nov 2013 13:30 by JohnH (John). Reason: Addition

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15 Nov 2013 13:46 #2 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
Scary stuff john!

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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15 Nov 2013 14:27 #3 by JohnH (John)
I think there's a danger that after reading this some might become paranoid and be turned away from Fishkeeping but I'm certain that if reasonable precautions are taken we can all be safe and really needn't worry.
I have been keeping fish for most of my adult life - and for much of the time before that too - and, with no precautions have never had anything nasty as a result of both being immersed up to my armpits in water and having had the 'occasional' mouthful of tank water whilst syphoning it. Now, perhaps I've been just lucky - or maybe it just isn't that prevalent in the first place.
It's interesting that a Dwarf Gourami is pictured with the disease as I have mostly only ever seen it on those, other Gouramis (most Anabantoid fish, in fact) and - of all things - Rams.
In fact, one of my female Dwarf Gouramis succumbed to this, or something very like it, only yesterday.
I think that as long as we are careful (use of antibacterial hand cleanser sounds good here, along with rubber gloves - and a mechanical syphon would be a good investment) we should be safe from both this and any other potential 'harmfuls' in our tanks.

Perhaps others might like to share their views too?

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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15 Nov 2013 15:35 - 15 Nov 2013 15:36 #4 by Melander (Andreas Melander)
This sort of thing needs to be highlighted but I'm afraid that for myself and probably many others it’s a case of "It will never happen to me" attitude, similar to many other illnesses.

Laziness and awkwardness is another factor, anti-bacterial hand cleanser sure but rubber gloves sounds uncomfortable.

Andreas
Last edit: 15 Nov 2013 15:36 by Melander (Andreas Melander).

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15 Nov 2013 16:44 #5 by Homer (Kevin)

The Glass is always greener on the other side.


It's NOT "Chee lick", NOT "Chee Chee Licks"!!! Cichlids is pronounced as "Sick Lids"!!!!!

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16 Nov 2013 12:25 #6 by anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
I tell you this post may have had an effect on me more than others,
I never worried at all about getting stuck into the tanks
I always gave the paws a wash afterwards but when there's little ones running
Around the house I just can't take the chance any more.


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
Attachments:

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16 Nov 2013 12:40 #7 by JohnH (John)
I think that - in the case of children you can never be too careful.

It's 'sort of' OK for us to take our own chances - but with the 'little ones' it's an entirely different ball-game, they need special attention as they aren't able to make their own decisions (mostly) and look to the parents for guidance.

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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16 Nov 2013 13:05 #8 by Lauris (Lauris)
Hmm. Was not aware of something like.. well worth to think about.. but my question is.. if I'mdoing this as I'm just to and my fish in the tank is the same as year ago and nothing like happened to me should I start to wear the gloves now even I have no new additions in my tank? I always had plated with more attention to regular mainterence like planting, re-planting, trimming and so on..

I am planted!

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16 Nov 2013 13:47 #9 by JohnH (John)
For what it's worth I think this is a pretty emotive subject and am actually surprised that there haven't been very many responses.

Your question is a sound one and one which I would guess others are asking as well. At the end of the day there are no hard and fast stipulations, it really is up to each and every one of us to make our own decisions. However, I think what I'm trying to say is that we can make decisions for ourselves which mightn't always be the best decisions when it comes to youngsters.
Perhaps others - including perhaps members with better experience of these matters - can make further observations?

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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16 Nov 2013 22:21 - 16 Nov 2013 22:32 #10 by derek (Derek Doyle)
The most vulnerable to this type of problem must be people who work in the trade and who are exposed to stressed and dead and dying newly imported fish. My main concern would be the water which travels with the fish from third world countries and whenever I am/was exposed to this I would indeed take great precautions. Numerous other pathogens, bacteria, diseases even viruses can prosper and travel in water.
The transfer of this type of disease from fish to human is rare and I have never personally known anyone who was infected but have heard of the odd case. If I had a cut or scratch on my hand I would defer wet hand or filter maintanence or wear gloves.
It is probably wise to wash our hands following contact with any animal even dogs, cats or parrots, so it makes sense to do the same after having our hands in fish tanks. I have heard that zookeepers and vets etc.are periodically screened for tropical diseases and parasite infestation as a precaution.
Serious infections and diseases in fish are generally incurable so my advice would be to humanely cull any fish which showed any severe symptoms as it is the kindest thing to do and also safer for the keeper.

30 tanks specialise in african cichlids, angelfish and various catfish
Last edit: 16 Nov 2013 22:32 by derek (Derek Doyle). Reason: add script.

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