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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

My First Marine Aquarium

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07 Dec 2015 20:18 #1 by GrumpyGoldfish (Dermot McCormac)
Hi Guys

Im new to this hobby and Im looking at having a custom built reef tank made
it will be about 84 x 30 x 24. L.H.W

I want to keep coral as well as fish can you advise me on which manufacturers and recommended for lights Pumps Skimmer etc.


Thanks

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08 Dec 2015 22:39 #2 by carlowchris (chris)
Have a look a fish street......all there stuff ..wavemakers and skimmers and pumps are very reasonable and very reliable


Lights though.....way too many different leds out there.....and a lot of people still get great results from using t5s...I've ghl midra s above my tank....very good light but loads of very good Lights out there too

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09 Dec 2015 00:10 #3 by GrumpyGoldfish (Dermot McCormac)
Thanks mate
I imagine led is the way to go with a controller for timing functions. Also is their a particular brand who make quiet pumps etc.

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09 Dec 2015 14:27 #4 by hammie (Neil Hammerton)
Id advise using a sump filter instead of doing what i did and relying on externals

Yes it can be done but your a bit limited as to what equipment you can and cant use without a sump

as for lighting, AI Primes are very good and not unreasonable money

Im very happy with mine

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12 Dec 2015 10:06 #5 by Kmd (Keith mc donagh)
Hi and welcome, to the fourm. A sump is definitely a good idea, I'm still regretting not putting one on mine when I started.

I might be a little different with lights, I'd suggest going with t5 or led and t5 hybrid. For a beginner with marine it takes the guess work out off trying to get the right spectrum.

Where are you located? There might be someone near you. That you can have a look at there tank.

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12 Dec 2015 12:52 #6 by GrumpyGoldfish (Dermot McCormac)
Yes a sump will be used i am in Dublin

Thanks

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12 Dec 2015 21:01 #7 by Jonlate (Jon Late)
Wow I wish I was as brave as you, to go salty straight away. From what I read it's fair more complicated than fresh water.
Saying that, I got a sump built into my tropical aquarium, just in case I want to change in the future to salt.
A sump is definitely the way to go regardless of salty or fresh.
Have you looked into who you are getting to build your tank yet? I guess 84x30x24 is inches.
Anyway keep us all posted.

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13 Dec 2015 00:08 #8 by carlowchris (chris)
T5's definitely take a lot of the guess work out of the equation......and preety much garentied results.......but if you do for leds just remember the cheaper they are the Less likely they'll be suitable for sps.....and the more expensive they are the more settings you'll have to play around with.....but plenty of forums out there .....with lads with advice that have had to programme there's too at some point...

Jaboa and jacod are reasonably quite pumps..

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13 Dec 2015 11:04 #9 by GrumpyGoldfish (Dermot McCormac)
Cheers I've still not decided on who will build it. How are TMC products?

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15 Dec 2015 18:22 #10 by GrumpyGoldfish (Dermot McCormac)
Cheers

Are tmc products any use?

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16 Dec 2015 15:40 - 16 Dec 2015 15:41 #11 by carlowchris (chris)
Tmc stuff is fairly budget entry level stuff....
I used to have a tmc v2 skimmer......very good skimmer couldn't fault it....I upgraded to a deltec thinking it would skim out more but tbh the tmc probly skimmed out just as much

I'm still using a tmc pump to feed the deltec...it actually made by sicce....just with a tmc sticker on it...very good pump..

I also have a tmc v2 uv......that's only a bout 2 years old and blew the other week....need a new uv and will probably go for d&d next time.....wouldn't recommend there uv


Have a look at Alex's tank that Bart built...Bart is very good and reasonable prices....Lot of people have used him with no complaints as far as I can see..
Last edit: 16 Dec 2015 15:41 by carlowchris (chris).

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