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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
leaf litter
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25 May 2011 19:29 #1
by dyco619 (steve carmody)
what is safe and what isnt??
i know you can use dried oak leaves, was wondering what other leaves are ok to use,
and more importantly which arent??
thanks
steve..
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stretnik (stretnik)
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25 May 2011 19:49 - 25 May 2011 19:51 #2
by stretnik (stretnik)
The thing to remember where using Leaves in Water is what is in a Leaf that has fallen from a deciduous tree is... what is in the Leaf? well, as a tree begins to shut down for the Winter it has Chlorophyll, the Green material, in it, a Tree is very economical with it's food so it breaks the Chlorophyll down into basic Sugars which it then absorbs back into the Branches and Trunk, what is left behind are anthocyanins and Carotenoids, yellow and red pigments, that's it... so they are usually safe and the usual ones are Oak and Beech in our temperate climate.
More Leaves are available from tropical climates like Catappa terminalis which has the benefits of being Bactreicidal and water softening.
The positives of deciduous leaves is that micro fauna and flora thrive while breaking down the material providing micro foods for Fry.
Most, if not all evergreen leaves contain Chemicals within them that are there to deter pests and diseases which can also kill both pests and Diseases, not something you want in a Fishy environment.
Kev.
Last edit: 25 May 2011 19:51 by stretnik (stretnik).
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25 May 2011 22:47 - 25 May 2011 22:48 #3
by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)
I'm loathe to send someone's business out of Ireland, but if you want Katappa leaves, they are dirt cheap on ebay. I got 40 leaves for less then half the price that I paid for 10 in an LFS here. Perfect quality- probably just some bloke that picked them up in a local park! Great food for shrimp too.
However, as the lads already said, it's a lot cheaper (free!) to just pick them up yourself in a park here.
L
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25 May 2011 23:16 #4
by JohnH (John)
It is important to stress that leaves should really be harvested in the Autumn, when they are either on the point of falling - or have just fallen - from the tree.
This will ensure that all the stuff which Kev has mentioned has retreated back into the body of the tree and will not rot and sour your water.
Another highly recommended leaf is from the Banana plant - but, once again, after it is fully depleted of all the same composites.
I have used all of these leaves, Oak, Beech, Almond and Banana but couldn't vouch for any of the claims made for them, likewise with the Alder cones (which also should be picked after they have gone almost black...but don't use the ones which have lain on the floor for too long - leave them be as they aren't specifically the nicest things to use, I'm assured).
If you need some in a hurry I could loan you some Almond leaves to be replaced as and when you get your ones later.
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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26 May 2011 11:49 #5
by dyco619 (steve carmody)
thanks for all the info lads,
thanks john, i will let you know about the leaves, am not in a mad panic for them just yet,
steve.
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stretnik (stretnik)
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12 Jul 2011 22:46 #6
by stretnik (stretnik)
I have to admit, Gav's Discus at the moment have the sharpest markings and beautiful colouration I have seen in a long time and very reasonable for what they are.
Kev.
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