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

Total Beginner

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db76 (Dwane Brennan)
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15 Sep 2014 15:56 #1 by db76 (Dwane Brennan)

Total Beginner was created by db76 (Dwane Brennan)

Hey all,
As the title suggest I'm a total beginner when it comes to aquariums. I've always longed for one but was never able to pull the trigger when it came to getting started.I have always been fascinated with the amount and variety of fish I've seen in different aquariums and didn't know where to start . I've done a small bit of research on the internet and already I'm lost :huh:

. So the first plan is to get a list of the equipment and knowledge that I'll need so I have starting point - at the moment I know next to nothing.My mission over the coming weeks is to buy a tank(possibly second hand) and start from there. Research everything, what fish go best together,etc.. An advance warning - I may be bombarding some of you with questions over the coming weeks

. Any advice/help greatly appreciated.

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JohnH (John)
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15 Sep 2014 16:38 - 15 Sep 2014 16:43 #2 by JohnH (John)

Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Total Beginner

db welcome to the Forum.
You would be well advised to look through this thread:
www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php?optio...id=134776&Itemid=200
Richie is a complete newcomer too and has started his researching a week or so before yourself.
As far as it goes it gives quite a sound introduction to the sorts of questions you'll need answering from the offset.
Look through it and digest both the questions and the answers to them.
Whatever you want to ask after that please ask away, you'll not be bothering the members here who are always very keen to help newcomers to the hobby avoid the same pitfalls they themselves suffered.
Also there's quite a lot of good information in the 'Articles' section to help you along your way.

Good luck with your new venture.

John
ps, if you could add your location to your profile this will help everyone to know where (approx) you're located, in case you might come to a situation where you might need some help other than what's available here online - for example, it's very helpful once the tank is up and filled to have a few 'squeezings' from an established filter to kick start your own nitrogen cycle. Unless, of course you choose to go down the Organic Aqua route - but that's a different story, for a different day perhaps.

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: 15 Sep 2014 16:43 by JohnH (John). Reason: added a PS

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anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
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15 Sep 2014 17:05 #3 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)

Replied by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome to the forum db76.
Like john said dont be afraid to ask questions.

Anthony

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Q_Comets (Declan Chambers)
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15 Sep 2014 18:35 #4 by Q_Comets (Declan Chambers)

Replied by Q_Comets (Declan Chambers) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome, enjoy the journey. Patience is the best advice I could give. You've made a good start on that front already.

Rgds
Q

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hammie (Neil Hammerton)
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15 Sep 2014 19:12 #5 by hammie (Neil Hammerton)

Replied by hammie (Neil Hammerton) on topic Total Beginner

Patients and questions are the only way to success when it comes to fish keeping

Setting up tank is the "easy bit". But then there is the question internal filter or external, real plants or fake plants etc etc etc

There is a non exhaustive number of decisio s for you to make over the next while

Enjoy making them

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Eric (Eric Corcoran)
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15 Sep 2014 19:46 #6 by Eric (Eric Corcoran)

Replied by Eric (Eric Corcoran) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome along db76

Eric

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Lauris (Lauris)
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15 Sep 2014 19:53 #7 by Lauris (Lauris)

Replied by Lauris (Lauris) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome. it would help a lot if you will start with your vision. this is the first thing to be. tell us better what you would like to see. tank, size of it and all other atributes depends of your vision and budget

I am planted!

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Dihanio (Paulie Hanlon)
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16 Sep 2014 07:30 #8 by Dihanio (Paulie Hanlon)

Replied by Dihanio (Paulie Hanlon) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome DB

Ask questions, and when you think you have the hang of it, ask some more

Welcome to an addictive hobby

Paul

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db76 (Dwane Brennan)
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16 Sep 2014 08:46 #9 by db76 (Dwane Brennan)

Replied by db76 (Dwane Brennan) on topic Total Beginner

Thanks John, I'll have a look through this thread and the rest of the forum.

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paulv (paul vickers)
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16 Sep 2014 10:20 #10 by paulv (paul vickers)

Replied by paulv (paul vickers) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome db76, my advise is to buy second hand, some great bargains here in tanks and equipment. We're a friendly bunch here so feel free to ask lots of questions.

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Richie71 (Richie71)
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20 Sep 2014 15:08 #11 by Richie71 (Richie71)

Replied by Richie71 (Richie71) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome db. I'm a beginner myself so can't offer too much advice at this stage. The first step I took was getting the tank - I would definitely recommend trying to pick up a second hand one. There are plenty out there but I found that there's a huge variance in prices. Figure out what's the biggest size you can accommodate/afford and where you're going to put it. If you need a desk or stand, you'll have to factor this into your budget too. Best of luck and enjoy!
Richie

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20 Sep 2014 20:44 #12 by Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire)

Replied by Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire) on topic Total Beginner

welcome!
first advice is buy one of my tanks as I am reducing LOL (i have 96L, 116L, 260L and 30L for sale)
more seriously the best advise i can give you is

1. Learn and understand the basics of the Nitrogen cycle.
2. Try to imagine your dream tank (or at least the size) as you want to get as close to your dream size (biggest!) as possible: otherwise you will waste a lot of money upgrading.

Am I right in assuming you are looking to setup a tropical (heated) freshwater tank?

best of luck any question ask away.

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db76 (Dwane Brennan)
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09 Oct 2014 13:35 #13 by db76 (Dwane Brennan)

Replied by db76 (Dwane Brennan) on topic Total Beginner

Ok so have the tank 100l, think I am going to go with a sand substrate and possibly a few of these - Glowlight/Neon Tetras,dwarf Cichlid and as suggested by Anthonyd blue ram. What about corys? Also as far as plants I haven't really settled on anything yet - ideally some that are easily maintained and maybe some rock, stone decoration?

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28 Oct 2014 18:00 #14 by Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire)

Replied by Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire) on topic Total Beginner

where are you based?

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db76 (Dwane Brennan)
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28 Oct 2014 18:13 #15 by db76 (Dwane Brennan)

Replied by db76 (Dwane Brennan) on topic Total Beginner

Based in Coolock.

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28 Oct 2014 19:12 #16 by igmillichip (ian millichip)

Replied by igmillichip (ian millichip) on topic Total Beginner

Welcome to the forum.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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28 Oct 2014 19:20 #17 by Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire)

Replied by Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire) on topic Total Beginner

db76 wrote:
Based in Coolock.

a bit far from me but if you ever go to Seahorse then plan to visit me. I can chat about fish for hours

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db76 (Dwane Brennan)
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29 Oct 2014 20:17 #18 by db76 (Dwane Brennan)

Replied by db76 (Dwane Brennan) on topic Total Beginner

Ok so finally have my tank up and running. So far have 5 neon tetrat, 5 guppies and 1 pleco. Thinking of getting some dwarf gourami this week also. What do you think?

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