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?
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1

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
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- LimerickBandit (Donal Doran)
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 696
- Thank you received: 0
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
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
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1
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
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Posts: 1420
- Thank you received: 2
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
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1
I'd add in the Nutrafin 'Water Conditioner' anyway.
thanks
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- KenS (Ken Simpson)
-
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 940
- Thank you received: 10
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.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Tempted to get another 2 or 3 panda corys tomorrow! Steep at €5 each though ???
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- KenS (Ken Simpson)
-
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 940
- Thank you received: 10
Regards,
Ken.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
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.

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1
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?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1
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
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Also Dolf if you want,test the tap water again just to double check that the readings are ok on the nitrite.
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1
No work tomorrow!!!!

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1


Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dolf_peeters (Dolf Peeters)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 206
- Thank you received: 1

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 2030
- Thank you received: 102
Please Log in to join the conversation.