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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

Native fish

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20 Aug 2008 19:32 #1 by steo_84 (stephen wyse)
Hi i'm only new to fish keeping but for the last few years I've always wanted to have a native fish pond in the garden. Was just wondering if anyone had one set up?

The fish i want to keep in it would be perch,tench,roach,bream,rudd,dace,carp and the likes.
Would it take much to set it up and keep it?
Has anyone any experience in keeping these fish species?
All info much appreciated.
Cheers stephen.

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20 Aug 2008 22:42 #2 by PAULHARTE25 (PAUL HARTE)
Hi stephen,sorry,dont know a whole lot about pond fish but i;d imagine you'd need a huge pond for any of those fish,they all grow fairly big,and i think the roach and rudd might be food for the perch,as i say i dont know much about ponds,but in the wild carp can reach 20-30 pounds in weight,a native pond would be nice,hopefully someone else on here can help you do it


Paul

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21 Aug 2008 08:00 - 21 Aug 2008 08:01 #3 by 2poc (2poc)
Replied by 2poc (2poc) on topic Re:Native fish
For a few of those species you would require a large pond.
AFIK it is illegal to move native fish so you would have to check out that side of things first.

For roach, rudd & perch you would get away with an average sized pond as they stay small enough but like Paul says the Perch are predators.

They won't grow a whole lot bigger than the rudd or roach but would not eat pellets or normal fish food so you would need a mature pond that had plenty of natural food for them or make sure they have a supply of live food (worms or small fish).

To be honest, the native species are so dull I think you would be far better off with a goldfish pond or if your pond is big/deep enough then to go for koi.

Bream & Tench spend all their time at the bottom so you wouldnt see them & roach, rudd & perch look nothing when viewied from above..

Give me some yellow, black, orange goldfish & some shubunkins any day and for a native touch a few stickleback.

Cheers,
Patrick
Last edit: 21 Aug 2008 08:01 by 2poc (2poc).

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21 Aug 2008 09:03 #4 by adamireland (Adam Jackson)
I always dreamed as a boy of having a carp pond in my back garden.. (not Koi) so i cant say I wouldnt like one..

but agree with Patrick, the only fish you would really see are the carp on warm days. Even when you are feeding, most native species are up, and gone in a flash.

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21 Aug 2008 18:04 #5 by steo_84 (stephen wyse)
Aah lads your missing the whole point here.To see the fish just build a raised pond and put in a great big window in the side of it, a load of L.E.D. lights built into the substrate and walls and enjoy.
The whole reason for a native tank for me would be to know that whenever in bord i can go into the garden with a rod and go fishing(I'm kidding).

Yes you would only get a glimse of the fish every now and again.
Probable never see the bottom dwellers without the help of the lights and window, but i think it would be nice to have something different in your pond than the run of the mill KOI and GOLDFISH.

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21 Aug 2008 19:11 #6 by adamireland (Adam Jackson)
penguins?

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22 Aug 2008 07:51 #7 by 2poc (2poc)
Replied by 2poc (2poc) on topic Re:Native fish
adamireland wrote:

penguins?


lol, or a Polar bear if you have space...

An above ground pond with a viewing window would indeed be excellent.
But if you're going to go to all of that trouble why not heat it & chuck in some tankbusters?

Pacu, red tailed cats, shovel noses, oscars etc?

This will get you started:
www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29974

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22 Aug 2008 13:26 #8 by adamireland (Adam Jackson)
now thats just silly you cant keep a polar bear with roach.. surely everyone knows that :) he would need seals as well.. oh and a good suppier of ice cubes

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23 Aug 2008 18:25 #9 by Sean (Fr. Jack)
Replied by Sean (Fr. Jack) on topic Re:Native fish


2poc wrote:

To be honest, the native species are so dull I think you would be far better off with a goldfish pond or if your pond is big/deep enough then to go for koi.

Give me some yellow, black, orange goldfish & some shubunkins any day and for a native touch a few stickleback.

Cheers,
Patrick


For the very same reasons as above plus the ESB bill you could argue Brown discus and virtual all central Americans are not worth their glass, silicone and ESB bill, when they could be full of cardinal tetras of Malawi's.

Native marines, especially from the west coast are stunning in colour, maybe this is something to look into.

That would be a ecumenical matter!!!
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24 Aug 2008 12:13 #10 by adamireland (Adam Jackson)
yes you could argue ;)

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25 Aug 2008 13:46 #11 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
i have to agree with Sean on the a native marine. But we are talking ponds so i shall stick with that.

first the problem i can see because we are talking native fish all infections diseases and parasites are already in the area. first on capture they will need to be wormed at this stage the answer is simple this is done in a tank. but once introduced to the pond this is out of your control thus this pond will need regular treatment for worms and the cost involved with treating a pond of this size. And why you will have birds, frog and newts coming from infected areas.

On the plus side the viewing port is a very good idea maybe at the side of a Italian sunken garden or as a raised area. if the pond is planted with cover in this area fish will feel safe and use it thus visible as we are not viewed as much of treat from the side as we are from above.

I am sure others will point out other pros and cons. And i for one am in favour of the growth of home grown tanks and ponds we should remember a lot of imported pond fish started as a food source and over time became the beautiful creatures we have to day! And what hidden beauty is hidden in our plain natural stock!?!

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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