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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

planning permission granted

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12 Apr 2016 16:32 #31 by Jonlate (Jon Late)
Glad you decided to go with a sump, and use Bart.
As you probably noticed he is in no rush to make you do something, he's not about the money, it's about the fish with him.

I think I might ask him for commission!

What size tank are you going with? What size sump?

Enjoy the journey.......

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12 Apr 2016 16:46 #32 by robert (robert carter)
tank will be 350 litre and sump 120 litres . its just the waiting that bugs me .

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12 Apr 2016 17:05 #33 by gunnered72 (Eddy Gunnered)
Robert take your time and enjoy not only building the tank but the planning...if you rush things it will go pear shaped on ya...Patience is essential when it comes to fish keeping...Just ask all the newbies who run home with a new glass box, bags of fish and then wake up the next day to see them either flioating or sick...The best part about this hobby is setting up new tanks...Take your time, enjoy it and do things right...Shortcuts as a result of impatience are disasters waiting to happen...You are the envy of us all on here getting to set up a beautiful new big tank...Make the most of the experience

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13 Apr 2016 22:14 #34 by robert (robert carter)
Well Bart was over again today with wood samples trying to match up the colour of the existing tank with the new build , this guy is really psrticular

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13 Apr 2016 23:22 #35 by Sukahn (Shane Doorley)
From what i keep hearing about Bart, he seams like the ideal person you want helping to build a tank, sounds very passionate about making it exactly what you want and need.

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13 Apr 2016 23:39 #36 by nomad (pat murphy)
Have met Bart a few times going to purchase items he had for sale and of course bombarding him looking for answers to questions and he always took the time to educate me.Definatly a guy passionate about fishkeeping and not profit,hats off to you Bart : }

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15 Apr 2016 13:37 #37 by robert (robert carter)
well went shopping today to sh and the very helpful Darren . Got my gravel its called red devil ,looks good , one large piece of wood ,which is now soaking in the pond, two large pieces of dragon rock ,which is also in the pond . also got the over tank lighting aqua one, two tube t5 unit . a bottle of water conditioner. so now waiting for the courier to deliver the biohome ultra filter media ,which will also go into the pond to start the maturing process. so now a month long wait for the tank to be built . the weekend project is to clear the alcove the tank is going in and sort the mass of electrics behind it .

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15 Apr 2016 18:37 #38 by robert (robert carter)
courier arrived with the biohome media into mesh bags and now in the pond ,this should be a great help in cycllng the tank

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15 Apr 2016 21:56 #39 by Jonlate (Jon Late)
Remember with the dragon rock you have to clean out the holes very well, as they are filled with mud. And you might not want that in your tank.
To clean it, You can use a knitting needle but takes a long time, hose pipe turned on is easy and pressure washer is so easy.
Glad you getting bits and peices.
So you still have the decision to make on return pumps. Good luck choosing!!

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16 Apr 2016 07:49 #40 by robert (robert carter)
Pressure washed the dragon rock before putting it into the pond ,it's good stuff as it tends to set up a bacterial colony being very porous. Pump wise Bart sudjested a 4000 litre an hour pump that has a automatic water level cut out, can't remember the name , output is also controllable, cost is 100 euro ,think he said its rated at 45 watt. So starting to sort out the messy electrics today .

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16 Apr 2016 16:56 #41 by robert (robert carter)
well spent the day sorting electric out ,so another job done . now next problem the floor from left to right is not level about 5mil out . the original floor is concrete then in order to cover the central heating pipework we put a semi solid on 2x2 beams on top of this ,the other alcove where the 350 tropical was level . so how do I get a level floor to take the new 470 litre coldwater ?

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17 Apr 2016 13:15 #42 by Jonlate (Jon Late)
Just taper the 2x2 at the front and back so they are level and then back fill the middle with cement.
If you put a peice of builder plastic down first, if you ever need to remove it, then it's not stuck to the floor!

That's what I had to do.

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17 Apr 2016 18:02 #43 by robert (robert carter)
hi jonlate ,thanks for your reply ,I only have a 5mm difference ,so cement or floor levelling compound would have no strength and crumble at this thinness ,apart from the fact I am hardly going to be allowed to put cement down on her wooden floor . reckon I will just have to pack a piece of 5mm mdf under the lowest end of the tank and then maybe a thinner piece a bit further up , as I want to spread the total weight evenly . might give Bart a ring to see what he reckons ,he must come across this problem all the time.robert

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17 Apr 2016 19:39 #44 by robert (robert carter)
think I have this one sorted , watching a utube video one uses wooden shims ,that are knocked in under the stand and with the assistance of a sprit level job done . so just ordered 24 pack of shims off ebay 20 euro delivered .

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18 Apr 2016 13:20 #45 by Jonlate (Jon Late)
I had to do this, but rather than raise one side by 5mm I raised it by 15mm and 10mm the other end to make it level. This ment that the base wouldnt crumble.
In affect the tank is standing on a plinth. I thought this was safe than wedges and if I had to pull it out at anytime I wouldn't have to try and relevel anything. And the whole lot is supported all the way along.
I just took up the bit of wooden floor and laid the cement. If I ever need to move houses, just knock out the bit of cement and relay the old floor back in the gap.
When it and to actually fitting the tank and stand I supported it on a few lengths of laminate flooring the same height as the plinth I made, and slid the whole lot in.
How do you intend to support the back of your stand once it's in place? Won't the back be against the wall?

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18 Apr 2016 13:50 #46 by robert (robert carter)
hi Jonlate , I have ordered enough shims to put a continuas row of them around the base area that needs levelling ,will level the base unit before the tank goes on, once in it will not be moved again , no intendsion of moving house , I will however talk to Bart . My Dad was a master carpenter and if he was building the cabinet he would have altered the base to take into account of the unlevel floor . I don't see it as a big problem but nothing looks worse than a tank with an uneven water line particularly an open top tank .

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23 Apr 2016 16:46 #47 by robert (robert carter)
Cant believe that only a week has passed another three to go until i get the new tank ,sick of looking at lights gravel and filter media sitting here to go into the tank . The only progress is that after talking to the lads in clearly aquatics bangor it seem that a trip to them will sort out the high grade koi i want to stock it, but thats weeks away . Talk about watch kettle never boils

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26 Apr 2016 01:15 #48 by Sukahn (Shane Doorley)
I know how you feel robert, i keep looking at my tank and going, CAN I PUT SOMETHING IN YOU YET lol.

When your tank arrives just think off all the happy things you get to do lol. Have a plan made out and that will keep you busy for the time being.

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27 Apr 2016 13:48 #49 by robert (robert carter)
Bart was over again today showed me pictures of the built tank , final choosing of the colour wood for the cabinet ,which he is hoping to have delivered to me next week so that I can start on levelling it before the tank arrives

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27 Apr 2016 16:26 #50 by alan 64 (alan)
How many koi u putting in mate and if ye want them to grow realy fast id suggest 50% water change twice a week

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27 Apr 2016 17:00 #51 by robert (robert carter)
the amount will depend on the size I can get , probably get them from the north or uk , if I can get 3 inch reckon about a dozen agree about the water changes ,at present trying to sauce some 40% plus protin food in 2 mil size so I can use an auto feeder ,probally feed 4 times a time . the objective is to feed and grow on enough to put in the pond next spring, bearing in mind it will be end of july before tank is cycled

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28 Apr 2016 02:11 #52 by Sukahn (Shane Doorley)
I love that Bart seams to keep all his customers up to date about what hes doing.

You will feel so much better having something in the house next week to drool over, once something is there you will feel like things are going places.

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28 Apr 2016 11:27 #53 by alan 64 (alan)
Robert how cum it will.be the end of july until the tank is cycled have u not got ur bio home in ur pond at the minute

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28 Apr 2016 12:26 #54 by robert (robert carter)
yes I have, but end of July is a worst case time spane ., because of the fact that I have to travel to get the koi and no dout will be paying top dollar for them , plus wont have the chance to stock over a period just in one lump . want to make sure everything is ok .the last really high grade koi a purchase about 8 years ago I paid 90 euro each for 3 inch fish . however two of them a gin rin chagoi and a dotsi platinum ogen were sold two years ago when I downsized the pond for 2000 euro each at about 20 inches long. just giving a bit of time for things to settle ,hopefully it will be sooner ,don't want to be looking at tank with just a couple of goldfish in waiting to cycle

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29 Apr 2016 17:14 #55 by alan 64 (alan)
Wow 2000 euro robert they must have been beauties did u find it hard to find buyers for them

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29 Apr 2016 18:06 #56 by robert (robert carter)
when I downsized my pond i got over 8000 euro for all the koi, and could have sold them several times over , they were all pure breed Japanese koi all brought in from the uk . the chagoi and the ogen were brought in for me from a breeder in japan by a dealer in the uk. the problem now is what people are selling are they Japanese I dout it . hence going to the north to stock the new tank . the best fish I have at present is a 20 inch sanke brought in the uk after my mum passed away hence her name in mum . paid 1000 euro for it 4 years ago , stunning fish . will post a few photo went the water warms up

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30 Apr 2016 11:45 #57 by alan 64 (alan)
Great stuff robert i use to keep koi years ago and for me they are the king of the fishworld maybee someday i will get back into them

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30 Apr 2016 14:47 #58 by robert (robert carter)
koi will always be my first love .only drawback is the season is so short in Ireland . hence the plan to bring some indoors in the new tank

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06 May 2016 14:09 #59 by robert (robert carter)
well a good day today Bart delivered the tanks base unit ,so just spent a couple of hours levelling it on the floor , must admit unit looks very well made and attractive . so next Friday the tank and sump will be coming so all being good will be able to fill the tank the following day .

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08 May 2016 21:23 #60 by robert (robert carter)
Spent some time this evening washing the gravel for the new tank , had a look at my large piece of wood that has been soaking in the pond for the last 3 weeks and cant believe how green it has gone covered in algae ,so that and the rock will have to be pressure washed off before going into the tank , it does look quite attractive but dont want to introduce algae into the new tank , it is however completely water logged and sinks. The biohome media i put into the filter looks good and should be well on the way to being cycled . So now we wait till the tank arrives on friday ,

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