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
Can moisture from large tanks ruin house walls?
- Ski (Alan McGee)
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We had a painter in doing the upstairs last week and the paint is already starting to peel off. The painter has said that it's the tanks fault and that the walls are ruined because there's so much water in them.
We have a 7*2 and a 5*2 so they're large tanks but they are always covered so I thought the amount of water in the air would be minimal. The larger tank is a clearseal with the glass plates so no condensation gets out.
Could these tanks ruin the house walls?
Thanks for the help,
Alan
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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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- bmcg38 (Brian McGrath)
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- Q_Comets (Declan Chambers)
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I had an issue with damp but as soon as I put the plastic cover on the tank the issue was resolved. Went from really bad condensation to none just by covering the tank.
Hope this helps
Dec
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- JohnH (John)
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John
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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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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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are they outter walls? Is or was there a leak at somepoint?
I know haing a tank can add moisture to the air in the room but
I never thought it could 'Dampin' The walls....
Stephen M.
Juwel Vision 260-
20ltr-Fluval Spec-
19ltr-Fluval Chi-
Keep The Water Fresh-
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- eugene99 (eugene)
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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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The 7' tank is in the sitting room. It's a clearseal and has the glass plates so the water level doesn't drop. No marks on the walls or no signs of dampness in the room.
The 5' tank is in the kitchen. Again it's covered and the water level doesn't drop. No signs of dampness on the walls or any marks.
We didn't have a lid on the 5' tank for 2 weeks last year and would notice the amount of condensation on the windows in the morning. This has stopped since we've replaced it.
The only room that the new paint is peeling is the upstairs bathroom. I would have thought a better explanation for this would be the steam off the shower.
I only have his word for it that the other walls are ruined with dampness. There's no signs of dampness or any marks.
Sorry Eugene, I'm not sure what kind of walls they are, just the normal interior house ones.
I just thought I'd check if any of ye have run into this.
Obviously the poor fish are in the firing line and the other half isn't happy.
I'd say a second opinion is definitely on the cards right?
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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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- hammie (Neil Hammerton)
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I wouldnt believe that a covered tank would cause tjis issue!
Pics might help the experienced painters and decorators explain better tho if you can get them
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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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- JohnH (John)
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All but one of the radiators in a 'certain' house have developed leaks after a few years - the person who did the heating part of the house build went back to check.
The fault was all the fish tanks!
Couldn't it have been poor quality rads???
'Not at all - sure, they last a lifetime'.
Well, I suppose that's what they did - because they're at the end of their useful life now!
Sounds a bit like the bathroom walls were badly prepared before painting - or that poor quality pain was used and the tanks created an ideal 'culprit' for this shoddiness.
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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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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I would have thought that there would be damp marks on the walls in the room the tank was instead of paint coming off the ceiling of the bathroom above
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- Debrick (Ciaran barrett)
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I'm a painter & decorater by trade, a month ago I repainted the 14ft by 8 ft room that my 5 ft tank is in , the room got painted while the tank was in it, 2 coats on the ceiling , 2 coats on the walls , and there isn't a sign of dampness anywhere plus I do lose abt a half inch of water every month tru evaporation , so that fella is away with the fairies ,
Ur bathroom ceiling cud have peeled, A, if there was dampness on it,B ,if there was dust on it ,C, if a shower was taken b4 the paint fully dried out !!
Solution , a coat of oil based undercoat 1st and 2 coats of emulsion , there is also a paint for bathroom ceilings it's a great product , can't think of the name now but if u need it let me know I will get the name of it
I'm afraid the poor fish get blamed for everything !!!!!
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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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Good to hear that the fish were good after painting the room that they were in. I was nervous about that and that's why we didn't get those rooms painted.
Did you use any special paint? Just covered the tanks right?
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- davey_c (dave clarke)
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The shower is the most likely culprit considering its in the bathroom although doesn't explain why the painter had to spin ye a yarn for something that could happen anyone, I'd imagine he thought you were going to say it was his fault lol
Below tank is for sale
my plywood tank build.
www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...k-build-diary#137768
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- jeff (Jeff Scully)
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if it makes you feel better when using oil paints chop up a few onions that will help absorb the fumes
the joys of having 3 young kids with dirty hands and been a painter 17 years
oh by the way its time to get a new painter your man hasnt a clue thats bullcrap
Where the tongue slips, it speaks the truth.
A life making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing at all.
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- Debrick (Ciaran barrett)
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- JustinK (Justin Kelly)
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I've seen a few places where paint is peeling on a bathroom sealing.
Its the steam lifting it off.
It looks like it was damp to begin with or someone took a shower while it was still fresh.
How can he explain water vapoir travelling all the way up stairs without condensing ?
It would be doing well getting past the door arch.
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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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Is was a very serious issue because not only would I have had to get rid of the fish but the house could have been in trouble as well.
I could have very easily got my marching orders with the fish

The "professional painter" used the wrong paint in the bathrooms and then blamed the fish tanks.
Got my wife to read this thread to convince her this guy talking nonsense so it helped a lot.
Will obviously not be using this guy again and might get someone to check the walls.
Am I right in saying there would be condensation/marks on the paint if water was going into the walls?
Thanks again for all the help,
Alan.
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- Homer (Kevin)
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. 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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- Jim (Jim Lawlor)
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I've got 11 tanks in one room - several of them not covered, plus a waterbutt
No problems with the paint whatsoever or with the walls, ceiling, condensation, or anything
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- Ski (Alan McGee)
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