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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 Often Do People Do WaterTest On Their Tank?

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06 Nov 2008 19:53 - 06 Nov 2008 19:58 #1 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
As you all probably know, I have entered the world of fish keeping(or water keeping as I'm doing currently B) ) on saturday last.

Since I've done 2 watertest :

Date: Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate PH

03/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 10 ~ 7.5
05/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8

After the first reading the water turned slightly cloudy( 'Fishowner' pointed out ths was just the cycling process), the tank was still a little cloudy when I done the 2nd reading yesterday.

Today however, the tank is crystal clear, I'm tempted to test again to see if anything has changed, but wonder whether I'm just eager/fussy?

so... how often do people test?

Thanks,
Dolf
Last edit: 06 Nov 2008 19:58 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters).

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06 Nov 2008 20:08 #2 by LimerickBandit (Donal Doran)
Last time I tested was probably about a year ago and no problems but that was in a fully mature tank that I had been running for 2 years and I would not suggest doing this, you will learn as time goes on when something is wrong with your tank.

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06 Nov 2008 21:03 #3 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Dolf for now I would do weekly tests,particularly when its a new tank and cycling etc..
The first six months I recommend weekly tests,after that your fish will be a good indicator of water quality,I know this sounds crazy but will know if there is something with the tank.
The cloudyness wont effect the readings,its harmless,its just sand etc that is clearing and all that. It clear now but the readings are not yet ready for fish so hold off still,an old thought out there was that if the water was clear then the tank was good,I say you could fill a tank with white spirits and be able to see it clearly,but the fish wouldnt live!!!
So basically what Im saying is you cant see PH,nitrate,nitrites and ammonia. So you will be better off holding off until Sunday to see how the readings are and then you may be able to see the comparison,will be interesting also to see what your PH will be, Id imagine it will be closer to 8 than 7 given that the water is getting older and is holding a higher PH as the tank is cycling,depends also if you've added ornaments lately etc...
Are you any closer on deciding what fish yet?
Gavin

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06 Nov 2008 21:22 #4 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
have to confess, did a sneaky read
no more read now till sunday ;)

todays figures:

Date: Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate PH

03/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 10 ~ 7.5
05/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8
06/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8

proof in the readings that like you said clear water makes no difference

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06 Nov 2008 21:46 #5 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Readings wont fluctate much in a day or so,unless you have added something new to the tank or if there was dead fish or too much food etc...Its just at the start you want the water to be better and right but I assure you,its going in the right direction and as soon as the nitrite is down to zero we can focus in on the other readings then and steer you in the right direction. I dont think there is any problem with someone doing readings,its all part of the learning process and in this game you can never know enough. The reading dont change quickly so expect the readings to be very similar to this going forward,the nitrite will drop hopefully but we will wait and see. (im guessing the readings in a month will be similar to now because I used a quick start product like that before and found that after a week the readings level out.Of course that nitrite needs to come down to zero.

Gavin

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06 Nov 2008 22:04 #6 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
Hi Dolf,
those readings are fine during the cycle i would keep up feeding the tank just a little you need the colonies of bacteria to grow!!!!!!!

i would suggest for now take readings once or twice a week no more it is a waste of your time and money.

you have to allow two types of bacteria to develop this takes time as one creates the other food.

a small water change with treated water. 5-10% max

mickey

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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06 Nov 2008 22:27 #7 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
by 'treated' do mean adding the Nutrafin 'Biological Aquarium Supplement' that I added to the tank saturday to a water change in correct proportions(10ml/35ltr equates to 5ml for 18ltr[10%]? - is that what you consider feeding the tank?

I'd add in the Nutrafin 'Water Conditioner' anyway.

thanks

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06 Nov 2008 22:47 #8 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
treated is to get rid of the chloring,the conditioner will be just fine.
Gavin

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06 Nov 2008 23:08 #9 by KenS (Ken Simpson)
All my tanks are established over a year so I don't test the water that often. Unless there is a major incident like a power cut or a visible problem, I rarely test for ammonia or nitrITE. I do test for nitrATE now and then and pH every couple of weeks.

I think the more experienced you get and the more established your tanks are, the less need to test the water for ammonia and nitRITE spikes. pH and nitrATE are always worth testing a couple of times a month.

Regards,

Ken.

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06 Nov 2008 23:10 #10 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
I agree with you on that. Ive added some fish this week,I'll do a test later this weekend to see if the increased amount of fish has effected my filteration and hence effected my water. I know already that it most likely wont have had as Ive plenty room for more !!!
Tempted to get another 2 or 3 panda corys tomorrow! Steep at €5 each though ???

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06 Nov 2008 23:52 #11 by KenS (Ken Simpson)
Absolute bargain at €5 each. Where are you getting them?

Regards,

Ken.

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07 Nov 2008 09:48 #12 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Hehe, Exactly,I was messing when I said that! They were €5 each in Petstop in Cork.
Lovely little guys,the price of these guys back in the 80's would of been tenfold the price today! I'll be getting another two this evening hopefully. :)

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07 Nov 2008 11:45 #13 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
I'm popping in there again over lunch for a look I'd say

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07 Nov 2008 13:05 #14 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Many Panda's left Dolf ?

Gavin

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09 Nov 2008 21:59 #15 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
Did my promised read today, tank is now up a full week with the Nutrafin 'Biological Aquarium Supplement' added at the start.

Date: Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate PH

03/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 10 ~ 7.5
05/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8
06/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8
09/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8

mickey suggested a small water change, do I need to do one?

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12 Nov 2008 21:43 #16 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
Why are my readings not changing? the nitrite has been 0.1 since the very first read?

Date: Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate PH

03/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 20 ~6.5(tap water)
03/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 10 ~ 7.5
05/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8
06/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8
09/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8
12/11/2008 ~ 0 ~ 0.1 ~ 20 ~ 8

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12 Nov 2008 21:53 - 12 Nov 2008 21:54 #17 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Its still cycling! Do a 20% water change perhaps,make sure you treat the water when you are adding it ie. remove the chlorine.
Also Dolf if you want,test the tap water again just to double check that the readings are ok on the nitrite.
Gavin
Last edit: 12 Nov 2008 21:54 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner).

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12 Nov 2008 21:58 #18 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
you reckon she'd be ready(to add fish) for the weekend if i did a waterchange tomorrow?

No work tomorrow!!!! :)

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12 Nov 2008 22:08 #19 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Well until you can the nitrite down to zero then maybe not. You could add say mollys if you wanted. Ive a few mollys if you want to use them for a week or two. They will survive no bother and you can pop them back to me when you are ready for the chilids if you want. The mollys can take the nitrites well.
Gavin

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12 Nov 2008 22:12 #20 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
sound, I'll do waterchange tomorrow, will see how nitrite fairs by saturday or sunday, if it remains on 0.1 I'll take you up on the offer, otherwise LFS here i come ;) , hope murielle is workin, the others seem rather clueless when it comes to fish :(

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12 Nov 2008 22:14 #21 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Yeah she works weekends. Ask her also if you can keep mollys with the chilids. I can pop the chilids to you anytime,Im only in Bandon.
Gavin

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12 Nov 2008 22:17 #22 by dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)

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12 Nov 2008 22:43 #23 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)

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