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
My attempt at a native tank
- Joukeder (Jouke)
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Johnny, our local fisherman friend came up with two fish he thought we would be interested in.
One larger pipe fish and one Blenny like figure we have not identified yet.
So there goes our embargo on new fish until the Connemara fishing expedition.........
Whats the Blenny type one? It has some wishers on the side of its head. So I figured 'Catfish" in horror?
Looking forward to meet Crusty Crab and the other enthusiast in Clifden this Saturday.
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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Anyone have other suggestions?
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- CrustyCrab (Peter Biddulph)
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The pipefish is a greater pipefish, (Syngnathus acus) and is part of the same family as the Sea Horse.
More water flow will help with the algae, as will some periwinkles (Littorina littorea) or painted topshells (Calliostoma zizyphinum)
See you at the weekend
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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- CrustyCrab (Peter Biddulph)
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- Darkslice (Stephen Walsh)
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just to confuse you

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- jeff (Jeff Scully)
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Thanks very much. Removed on first try. Back to sea with him We live about 100m from rockpools so that's no bother......
There is another suspect. Can you identify him Crusty?.
Beautiful fish
Where the tongue slips, it speaks the truth.
A life making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing at all.
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- sincgar (Feargal Costello)
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Going to Galway on sat and am going to try and see aquarium but it looks like everyone will be in cliften collecting new exhibits



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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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We also enjoyed the Clifden arts week. Very elaborate and well organised.
Thank you very much Crusty, you're the man!!!!!!!
We came back with loads of mullets, gobies, 15spine stickleback, shrimp sand shrimp, sea spiders, sea weeds that will grow in the tank, live stones etc etc.
We are now much more confident with fishing at low water around our neck of the woods,
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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Beautiful purple sea urchin. Moves through the tank with impressive speed!
spot the danger
On several parts we have this beautiful coloured purple calcified algae growing as here in front of the scallop. Who knows the scientific name of this?
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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- Bullfrog (DECLAN MAC GABHANN)
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- CrustyCrab (Peter Biddulph)
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Thanks for the offer. Legs are just a little too old for the walk to where I used to trap them.
The Purple algae is Maerl, like coralline algae it grows on rocks as well as forming shapes. A few different types are found on the shore
Lithothamnion corallioides, Lithothamnion calcareum and in a few places Lithophyllum dentatum.
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- Bullfrog (DECLAN MAC GABHANN)
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Keep an eye out for some cucumbers as they do quite well in aquaria despite what you read. I have had one for nearly two years and it is doing well.
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- sincgar (Feargal Costello)
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Never got to clifden but did get to see the aquarium. Loved it, could have stayed for hours. The harbour set up is so realistic. Will never look over the quay wall the same way again
The rock pool set up was good and was there at feeding time but your tank it miles better



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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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Jouke
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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The gobies are so gentle in that respect.
The horses have grown to about twice their original size since we put them in only weeks ago.
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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- Bohrio (Alex Rodriguez)
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I wish I had the space to built my own one... maybe one day
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- Bullfrog (DECLAN MAC GABHANN)
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- Jim (Jim Lawlor)
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Many thanks for posting the thread!
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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All in all there are now close to one hundred living creatures in the tank.
In my next post I will elaborate on the Do It Yourself LED lighting and the automation on this tank which is now progressing.
Enjoy the shots folks.
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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- CrustyCrab (Peter Biddulph)
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they love standard flake food.
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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Amongst the rich pickings was the rare double titted Anemon , Actinaria duos pectus.
Have a look at this short video taken directly after placing it in the tank
Double titted Anemone
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- JohnH (John)
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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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- CrustyCrab (Peter Biddulph)
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Your tank is a credit to you, looks Fantastic.
Other finds were;
Green snakelocks Anemones (Anemonia viridis)
Plumose Anemone (Metridium senile) - Both White and Orange forms
Rock Cook wrasse (Centrolabrus exoletus)
Goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris)Both beautiful fish.
And the long awaited Connemara clingfish, Lepadogaster candolii !!
Thanks to Mr and Mrs Joukeder for a fantastic weekend,
both collecting, and just nattering over cups of coffee, Royal Pizza, Homemade bread and in such great company
And such a cleaver idea to check mooring bouys for inverts. Brilliant
All fish arrived safely in Clifden, via a small de-tour to Salthill beach to refresh the water.
Please pass on our thanks to Johnny, what a knowledgeable gentleman he is.
Mrs Crab is already demanding that we return !
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- Joukeder (Jouke)
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- christyg (Chris Geraghty)
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