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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

Delivery from Zooplus Germany

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01 Aug 2012 15:08 #1 by antoblfc (Anthony Behan)
Orderd external filter jbl e900 from zooplus in germany on saturday.any ideas how long it takes
for them to ship to dublin.tried checking there traking number(DHL) and they direct me to an posts home
page and their track and trace.howeve they didnt suply me with a no.anyone deal with zooplus before.


Regards .............Anthony

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02 Aug 2012 00:07 #2 by m4r10 (m4r10)
The usual is around 3-4 days.

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02 Aug 2012 01:19 #3 by maggy88 (Wayne Mc Glynn)
ordered the same thing from them a while back, from what i remember it took about 5 or 6 working days?

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02 Aug 2012 12:09 #4 by Rolly (Ruaidri Hegarty)
Yeah, was more like a week for me too..

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02 Aug 2012 12:41 #5 by PompeyBill (Killian Walshe)
Yeah a week for me too Anthony, but I found that I was usually able to track on the DHL website. Hopefully you get it on Friday so you can play with it over the weekend!

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02 Aug 2012 14:51 #6 by doreilly (Donal O Reilly)
I'm looking at buying an Eheim External. It's a little cheaper on zooplus.de (as opposed to zooplus.ie).

Do you all order from zooplus.de?

Cheers

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02 Aug 2012 15:13 #7 by Valerie (Valerie)
Replied by Valerie (Valerie) on topic Delivery from Zooplus Germany
You have to factor the fact that if you do order from zooplus.de you will pay for shipping even above a certain amount which you don't have to if you go through zooplus.ie.

Best of luck.
V

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02 Aug 2012 15:18 #8 by Valerie (Valerie)
Replied by Valerie (Valerie) on topic Delivery from Zooplus Germany
I get all my dog/cat food through zooplus.

For Zooplus' deliveries, you have the choice (from the Irish website anyway) between DHL and GLS.

If you pick DHL, it arrives through the normal post as DHL have an agreement with An Post. If you pick GLS, it comes through a courier. I generally go with the latter as I don't want my poor postwoman to be lifting more heavy weights that she has to (zooplus tend to post 2x15kg in the same carton even if there is another lighter box going along !).

Hope this helps.
Valerie

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02 Aug 2012 15:41 #9 by ger310 (Ger .)
Free delivery on orders over 29 euro when you buy from zooplus.ie......I know this is no use to Anthony now but i always used DHL when ordering and it always took 6/8 days to arrive....I decided to use GLS the last 2 times and on both occasions it arrived after only 3 days!!

Ger

What do you call a three legged Donkey?

A Wonkey....duh ha :)

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02 Aug 2012 22:56 #10 by antoblfc (Anthony Behan)
I orderd from zooplus.ie last saturday and the dhl tracking is telling me its not even in the country ...Rang DHL and they told me its been delivered by Duetch Post to ireland then
by an post.Messed up if you ask me.So be prepared for slow delivery if you do order.So looks like i wont have mine before tuesday a whole 10 days after ordering it.

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02 Aug 2012 23:47 #11 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Delivery from Zooplus Germany
Sometimes your LFS is a better way to go despite the difference in Price. At least you get what you want when you want it and if you have any problem they normally sort it out pronto.

Kev.

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03 Aug 2012 10:30 #12 by BlueRam (Sean Crowe)
Have ordered from Zooplus a few times and everytime something went wrong now i have to say they did sort it without any questions asked but the time spent on waiting for it and then waiting for problems to be fixed

I wont be using it again as Kev said i much rather going to my LFS and getting anything i want and sure if i have a problem i drop it back up and there sort it there and then

Sean

Sean Crowe

ITFS Member

Location: Navan

Always Remember Surviving Is Not Thriving

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03 Aug 2012 12:22 #13 by antoblfc (Anthony Behan)
AFTER ALL THE PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS IT FINALLY ARRIVED TODAY.AND FOR SOME STRANGE REASON WHEN I CHECK
THE TRACKING NO. ON DHL IT SAYS IT STILL IN TRANSIT.SO THINK MAYBE ITS DHL FAULT FOR NOT UPDATEING. SO ALL IN ALL IT TOOK 5 WORKING DAYS.DESPITE SAVING ABOUT €25 IT WASNT WORTH THE HASSLE.SO MY CONCLUSION WOULD BE
AS SO MANY OF YOU AGREE BUY FROM YOUR LOCAL FISH SHOP.......REGARDS ..ANTHONY :cool:

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03 Aug 2012 18:22 #14 by ger310 (Ger .)
Personally,only waiting 5 working days for a product to arrive from Germany and also saving 25 euro aswell is a great deal but everyone to there own!!

Ger

What do you call a three legged Donkey?

A Wonkey....duh ha :)

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03 Aug 2012 21:19 - 03 Aug 2012 21:23 #15 by JohnH (John)
I agree Ger, that's what this Forum is about - exchanges of opinion.
For myself I would sooner pay a bit more, get what I want straight away - but I do concede, rather like yourself, that it's for everyone of us to make their own choice.
At the risk of repeating myself I would like to point out that the Forum Sponsors have been good to us all through the past times, be it 'good' times or 'not-so-good' times and I personally think subjects posted like this one really are a slap on the face to each and every one of them. Most of them are struggling to keep open right now and we ought to return the favour to them. The question is: Do we want to see just a few online outfits like zooplus being the sole providers of our goods? - I remember some years back Drew (Serratus) pointing out that shops cannot exist by selling livestock alone and think about this - if all our favourite shops are forced to close, where then will we buy our Fish, plants etc etc?


But, as I say, that's my opinion and not that of either the ITFS or the Forum.

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.
Last edit: 03 Aug 2012 21:23 by JohnH (John). Reason: spelling

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03 Aug 2012 21:51 #16 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
My opinion would be that if the LFS stock something, then that is where I buy it.

I need my fish shop to stay in business for my own needs, and they need me to help keep them business for their own needs.

Yes, I'm a bargain hunter......and I have had some pretty good bargains from all of the sponsors here I've been to (and other shops). Plus, with a loyalty card I also get an effective 10% discount and no hassle.

But if I could be bothered with the hassle of waiting for parcels of rare killifish eggs, then I may think about mail-order and that will not take away business from the LFS.

Just my opinion.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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03 Aug 2012 21:55 #17 by Jambomac (James McConville)
Not everybody has that extra €20, i'm sure for hassle sake they possibly would prefer local store, but that store might not even be a sponsor.

I don't get fish stuff from zooplus but i do get my dogs food as i can feed her a lot higher quality on money that would get terrible food here.

Just my opinion we all try and save at this time and if you have to buy online to get a better price for what is required, then i believe it is better than people just coming to conclusion they can't afford the hobby because they can't afford the irish inflation on products.

I have no idea on the profits on livestock so can't comment on that but since the vast majority of sales in fish shops is fish or food i'm guessing it can't be to bad, but as i said only guessing.

Hope i haven't offended in anyway.

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”

quote Bruce Lee

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03 Aug 2012 22:19 #18 by JohnH (John)
No-one's offended - well, I can only speak for myself and I'm not !

It would be interesting for some of the Sponsors to enter into this discussion and add some 'first hand' information for us - any takers?

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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03 Aug 2012 22:34 #19 by ger310 (Ger .)
Firstly,i'm not out to slap any sponsor(i know that's not what you said John),and as a few of them would testify,i'm in there shops regularly spending my cash......I roughly buy 70/80% of my 'dry goods' from the LFS but there are some products that i use that i can get in bulk for 60% cheaper than the LFS online.....I'm all for keeping as many as possible LFS around and i'm doing my part in that but i'm not going to apologise for saving myself a few quid to keep my hobby up and running

Ger

What do you call a three legged Donkey?

A Wonkey....duh ha :)

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03 Aug 2012 23:06 #20 by antoblfc (Anthony Behan)
Buying my product online rather than in my LFS was purely a saving money action.And i see were you are all coming from.To each there own.But since starting my tank back up i have trown at least €700 into it and that
is a big chunk of change for anyone.And out of that €90 went to zooplus the rest to my LFS so i dont feel
like i have slaped anyone in the face.And i am sure 9times out of ten i will continue to buy from LFS.And
i am sure we all appreciate the good work they do but for with out them i wouldnt b able to enjoy the hobbie
i enjoy so much.........Regards Anthony

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04 Aug 2012 00:50 #21 by maggy88 (Wayne Mc Glynn)
wow this is getting interesting!! some really good arguements for both online and lfs, i myself love walking into my lfs to have a look around and pick up a few bits, especially when something different or unusual catches your eye now and again. but then again i will buy from online stores simply because funds are low and if i can get something for a better price then i will. i know times are hard for both us and the lfs so we need to help each other out.

group hug anyone? :lol:

wayne

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04 Aug 2012 10:06 #22 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
These are good discussions, not everyone has a choice of shops near them and, will therefore, be presented with whatever price is in them shops.

It does become difficult, though, when one wants to say "shop X has them at 120 but shop Z has them 200 euro" (as a means of useful info for members here).

As JohnH said, a few words from sponsors on this thread would be good.

I am fortunate to live within a cigarette journey of PetStop Carrickmines, MaxiZoo Bray, Seahorse, AV2, and a shop in Tallagh. The shops in Dun Loaghaire are also visitable with our regular visit to Pennys for cheap tights etc (for the filters :D).
A few more ciggies, easily gets me to Wackers (whatever name it has now), AV Brittas and Gav's shop.

Not everyone is as fortunate to live near such a large choice, and not everyone will see some of the massive differences in prices on some dry goods.

I am pretty shocked myself at how I see some pricing, eg: one shop has a certain largish external filter (Fluval btw) at 200 euro and another shop on my doorstep has the same for just over 100 euro. Yet the second shop has some other goods almost twice the price of the first shop. (I can't name the shops).
Interestingly enough, the shop selling it a cheap price is not one well quoted by fish-keepers to go to. !!

I have also not forgotten the days when I also bought a lot of stuff mail-order.
All of my early external filters and medications were bought via mail-order as shops did not stock external filters (well, none of the ones in and around Birmingham anyway). Half of my fish also came via mail-order (angelfish, discus fish, killifish, malawis, tanganyikan, and marines).
One couldn't wait a year between purchases by waiting for the annual fish show in Manchester to come around for stocks. :)

As said earlier, although I find mail-order a hassle and I now refer to support the LFS and have an easy return if the goods go wrong, I am still after bargains myself from LFSs (and I quite often get them bargains)
I must say that the last external I bought was late last year, it was the JBL 1500 and I got it at an knock down price of 120 euro from one LFS (which was cheaper than any on-line), so saving myself about 50 euro.

On a wider picture, and I'm not going to get on my Tony Benn soapbox though, in recent years many people have lost their jobs or had massive pay cuts along with pay freezes (which is an effect pay cut).

The government are intent on loading even extra burden on people's finances with ever increasing taxation.

So, quite rightly so that folk should look for all money savings that they can. Shops can be a great way to lessen the blow of such financial cuts by weighing up the economics of mass sales versus increased pricing on individual items. Per-unit mark-up is, in my opinion, not the best way to increase income for a shop (look at TetraPak milk cartons vs Rolls Royce.....one makes the owner one of the richest blokes in Britain, the other is bankrupt).

I'll stop else I'll be onto the health service issue next (which I am appalled at the need for so many people having to take out private health insurance.....a disgrace to have that exist in any civilised country: the government should provide the facilities if they could actually employ proper economists to work it out).

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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04 Aug 2012 10:18 #23 by JohnH (John)
Wow...Ian,

That's all I can say :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

How can you ever be so damning towards our totally honest politicians?

:evil:

John :angel:

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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04 Aug 2012 12:54 #24 by Jambomac (James McConville)
Sponsors make the same decisions when they order stock and i'm sure they shop around to maximize profits and don't necesarrally pass on savings and don't need to answer to us on that so i don't believe we need to answer to them on where we buy items.

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”

quote Bruce Lee

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16 Aug 2012 08:33 #25 by ipcompto (Ian Compton)
Hello everyone lets keep it real real simple the arguements can go anywhere....if u want to have a local shop stay in businees support it if u do not then fair enough.........i probably run the most expensive shop in ireland it costs 500 thousand a year to cover our running costs.....if u do not want to support that then do not thats fair enough we will get rid of all our displays and mad stuff and become another soul less leech...but that aint me and i have plans to build a couple of whopper monster tanks if we get through this mess.....simple solution to all the arguements if u see something cheaper eleswhere i will match or try to beat the price....thats my commitment to u and the rest of our customers so that should be the end of the arguement as far as i am concerned....to carry on is to prattle without purpose.....jeez i think thats a quote from my early school days......can anyone remember?...anyway thats all....ill will honour genuine quotes and match anyones price provided it is not a loss to us fair is fair!

Over and out
IAn

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16 Aug 2012 08:58 #26 by JohnH (John)
IAn:

....ill will honour genuine quotes and match anyones price provided it is not a loss to us fair is fair!


Excellent stuff Ian, fair play to you - let's put an end to these online pirates, whoever they might be!

All they are achieving is to take money out of the country, and Lord knows it's needed here (to allegedly help fund the poor banks, politicians etc).

Only my own view, of course.

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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