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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

Terracotta decoration

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11 Nov 2013 14:28 #1 by schnappsmom (Muireasa Harney)
I picked up a few terracotta pots at Homebase, with the intention of them as caves for the goldfish in their new tank. But after I got home I noticed the label said "water repellant."

So I have just rinsed them off under the tap, and water just beads up, and runs off the surface. I don't feel too safe to add them to the tank now.

What do ye think?

Incidentally, the goldies have just moved into their new Rio 125, from their old 90l. And yes- I do realise it is not big enough long term, but it is just for a year. The tank is on loan from a mate who is gone to Australia for the year. They'll get a 240l when he wants it back.

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11 Nov 2013 15:10 #2 by newbejkjimk (damien kelly)
Hi,
I have seen lots of terracotta pots in tanks and never heard of any problems with it, so I’d say you would be safe enough!
Jim

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11 Nov 2013 15:37 #3 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
Normally, terracotta (itself) is OK.
But if these have been treated with something then thay needs to be treated with caution.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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11 Nov 2013 15:52 #4 by Homer (Kevin)
Replied by Homer (Kevin) on topic Terracotta decoration
Yep, I am with IGM on this one, in my profession, I have used Chemicals such as Bordeaux mixture, Temik, Organophosphates, Dicamba, you name it, on Plants in Teracotta Pots, as these are highly absorbant, all manners of things can be leached back into the Water.

New ones are 100% fine as long as they have not been treated in the manner mentioned, ie. Water repellant. This is done to prevent cracking due to Frost etc. Water repellants can be oil or plastic based, not my choice for Aquatic application.


H.

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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11 Nov 2013 16:29 #5 by schnappsmom (Muireasa Harney)
Thanks folks.

I won't use them- that coating makes me nervous. I am looking for pots at the completely wrong time of year though!

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11 Nov 2013 17:10 - 11 Nov 2013 17:14 #6 by Homer (Kevin)
Replied by Homer (Kevin) on topic Terracotta decoration
If you try one of the older style Garden Centres, you are bound to find the unused , untreated ones. Glazed, pastel coloured ones would work perfectly too and would have the bonus of not scraping the Fish when they are chasing etc, that's if they do of course :)

H.

The Glass is always greener on the other side.


It's NOT "Chee lick", NOT "Chee Chee Licks"!!! Cichlids is pronounced as "Sick Lids"!!!!!
Last edit: 11 Nov 2013 17:14 by Homer (Kevin).

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11 Nov 2013 17:27 #7 by paulv (paul vickers)

Normally, terracotta (itself) is OK.
But if these have been treated with something then thay needs to be treated with caution.

ian

agree with ian for what the pots cost you why take a risk with them. Go to a good garden center and buy genuine terra pot, they will soak water not reply it.

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11 Nov 2013 17:46 #8 by schnappsmom (Muireasa Harney)

If you try one of the older style Garden Centres, you are bound to find the unused , untreated ones. Glazed, pastel coloured ones would work perfectly too and would have the bonus of not scraping the Fish when they are chasing etc, that's if they do of course :)

H.


Only problem is that I am looking at the wrong time of year, Homebase was the only place that had any left.

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11 Nov 2013 18:05 #9 by Homer (Kevin)
Replied by Homer (Kevin) on topic Terracotta decoration
Would you be heading this way anytime soon?

H.

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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11 Nov 2013 23:35 #10 by schnappsmom (Muireasa Harney)
Afraid not, I get to the UK more often than I get to Dublin!

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11 Nov 2013 23:43 #11 by Homer (Kevin)
Replied by Homer (Kevin) on topic Terracotta decoration
No worries!

H.

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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12 Nov 2013 02:05 #12 by schnappsmom (Muireasa Harney)
Further thoughts on the unusable flower pots.....

I am wondering if I got some G4 pond sealant and used it to paint the pots, would they be aquarium safe then? Would the sealant "take" on the water repellant surface?

(Incidentally, this is not because I am worried about the cost of new pots, 'cause the G4 would set me back more than a few pots. I just have a snowballs chance of finding usable ones before next March.)

Thanks y'all!

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12 Nov 2013 07:42 #13 by paulv (paul vickers)
From what I know g4 pond sealer is for porous materials like concrete and bricks to make them non porous. Not sure it will stick to an already treated pots. Maybe on your trips to the uk you may find some pots.

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12 Nov 2013 10:43 #14 by schnappsmom (Muireasa Harney)
Thank you, never used the stuff so I didn't know if the idea was workable at all.

I'll just have to wait until spring.

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